Citroen C4 Shine 2022 Review

The 2022 Citroen C4 Shine competes in the small SUV category, and despite Citroen Australia saying that the new model is so broad in its appeal that it has no direct competitors, there are certainly others you might be looking at.

Like carsales’ Best Small SUV 2022, the Hyundai Kona, for starters, but also the premium end of the Mazda CX-30 range or even other French brands such as the Renault Arkana.

The Shine is the sole model grade in the new Citroen C4 range, priced from $37,990 plus on-road costs.

The only factory options are a sunroof ($1490) and metallic paint ($690), both of which are fitted to our test vehicle and take its as-tested price to $40,170 plus ORCs.

Standard Citroen C4 Shine features include 18-inch alloy wheels (with a space-saver spare under the luggage compartment floor), a 5.5-inch digital instrument cluster, colour head-up display, heated front seats and, for the driver’s pew, a massage function.

Adaptive cruise control is standard, incorporating the traffic-friendly stop-and-go feature.

There’s also LED cabin lighting, dual-zone climate control, powered/heated/folding side mirrors, rear privacy glass, dusk-sensing and auto high beam LED headlights, auto wipers, auto-dimming interior mirror, height/reach-adjust steering wheel and, for rear occupants, air vents and USB outlets.

That said, there are not the typical treats you might see at this premium end of the small SUV market, such as power-adjustable front seats or a hands-free powered tailgate.

The metallic paint options include Iceland Blue, Pulse Orange, Elixir Red, Steel Grey, Platinum Grey and Obsidian Black. Polar White is the only standard, no-extra-cost paint colour.

Black leather is the only interior colour choice.

The C4 Shine has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, five years of free roadside assistance and five years of capped-price servicing.

The C4 is due a service every 15,000km or 12 months, and the capped-price service cost over five years is $2484.

The 2022 Citroen C4 Shine offers up most safety features you’d expect, but if you’re looking for the small SUV safety poster child, it’s not here.

Standard safety systems include Active Safety Brake autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with day/night pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle detection at speeds between 30-80km/h.

There’s also forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, driver attention alert, tyre pressure warning, a speed limiter and a reversing camera with 360-degree view.

Also included are Collision Risk Alert, Post Collision Safety and traffic sign recognition, which includes posted speed limits, stop signs and one-way streets.

What is missing is lane keep assist, and AEB doesn’t extend to front junction or rear auto braking.

Furthermore, ANCAP has handed down a disappointing four-star safety rating (out of five) for the new C4. This is primarily because of a lack of far-side impact protection, an ANCAP criteria since 2020 and one the independent safety authority says is usually addressed by a centre-front airbag.

The C4 has six airbags (dual front, side thorax and side curtain) but no centre-front or driver’s knee airbag.

The infotainment system is pretty well set up, with a frameless 10.0-inch central touch-screen that displays 3D navigation, (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and DAB+ digital radio.

While there’s USB-A and USB-C ports up front, there’s no wireless phone charging.

There is an optional iPad/tablet holder that is stored in a dedicated tray above the glove box and has a spring-loaded mount to secure it in position in front of the passenger.

While it reimagines an airplane in-cabin entertainment system, it seems like a bit of a novelty idea.

The only engine option in the 2022 Citroen C4 Shine is the Puretech 155 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

This is a familiar design, being used in various PSA Group (Peugeot/Citroen) products since around 2012 in turbo and non-turbo forms.

Until now, the maximum output of a 1.2 Puretech available in Australia was 96kW/230Nm, but the new C4 has 18kW and 10Nm more than that, with 114kW/240Nm outputs.

The Aussie-spec C4 doesn’t have automatic engine idle-stop, and requires a minimum 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

While the 1.2-litre Puretech was teamed with either a six-speed manual or six-speed Aisin auto in previous Peugeot or Citroen models, the new C4 uses an Aisin eight-speed automatic transmission.

The 1.2 Puretech 155 has a slight delay getting off the line if you’re in a hurry, but then very quickly gets into the substance of its torque curve with a pleasing push in the back and then onto its power peak.

It is a very responsive engine and, according to Citroen’s claim, quite quick with a 0-100km/h time of 8.5sec.

The eight-speed auto is incredibly smooth in its gear shifts. And speaking of gear shifts, the C4’s toggle-switch-style gear selector is not as confusing as some selectors and using it quickly becomes second-nature.

If you’ve ever watched footage of Audi Ur-quattro rally cars wailing through a forest or the (dubbed) Ferrari growling through early-morning Paris in Le Grand Rendez-Vous, then no, that’s not what the C4’s engine sounds like. Sorry.

But you’ll recognise a similar warble from the C4’s three-pot, and it’s a far more pronounced – and for some, enchanting – engine noise filtering into the C4 cabin than the Puretech 1.2 used in other (PSA parent) Stellantis Group models.

If you’re likely to punt around town in a hurry on a regular basis though, you might find this engine note either enthralling or, eventually, irritating.

Fuel consumption on test in mostly urban driving averaged 8.1L/100km. The official claimed combined-cycle figure is 6.1L/100km.

The 2022 Citroen C4 Shine is easy to get in and out of, with its tall-box SUV body allowing a high hip point.

There’s plenty of space up front, while the back is a little tight on headroom for taller passengers.

The memory foam seats are comfy although not remarkably so. Meanwhile, the driver’s seat massage function is relaxing, if not remotely remedial.

There’s a simplicity to the instruments and controls overall, although the small digital dash has very little in the way of customisation options. That’s probably a good thing, because if Citroen added any more info here, you’d need reading glasses to take it all in.

Combined with the head-up screen though, you have all the key driving information you need clearly legible.

There was a palpable sense of relief to see that Citroen has used simple round dials for the climate control, rather than relying on a deep-dive into sometimes lagging, often confusing touch-screen menus.

There are plenty of storage spots up front and for those who’ve long missed the absence of decent cup holders in French cars, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a couple of large cup holders in the centre console, and even room for bottles in the door pockets. Sacre bleu!

Rear seat occupants get face-level vents, a centre arm rest and a USB-A charging port.

Citroen has installed what it calls Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension in the C4. This would seem like a bean-counter’s version of the lush Citroen-designed hydro-pneumatic suspension of years past, but it’s no surprise that Citroen abandoned its renowned gas/fluid system after the 2016 Citroen C5 X7, given its relative complexity and cost over conventional spring suspension.

This new take on suspension damping provides a fairly supple ride, although it’s not streets ahead of a well-engineered conventional suspension design.

It allows the majority of bumps to be smoothly ironed out, but a sharp pothole ridge or other pronounced change in road surface can still upset the suspension with a thump, where some competitors are less affected.

The C4 handles well, with reasonable dry adhesion from its Goodyear tyres, although grip is not quite as tidy in the wet as you’d hope.

This Citroen settles somewhere in the middle of the small SUV pack for driver engagement.

The 2022 Citroen C4 Shine is a capable small SUV with a stylish point of difference in a market that, in the main, shouts conformity.

It has excellent performance, a comfortable, spacious interior and supple ride that makes it enjoyable to drive.

However, the new Citroen C4 lacks comfort features some buyers might expect for their $40K outlay, and certainly does not quite have the safety focus others do in this segment either, with its four-star ANCAP crash safety score a rung down on what is now the class norm.

How much does the 2022 Citroen C4 Shine cost?
Price: $37,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 114kW/240Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 138g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP 2021)