Performance & drive
What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is
Engine, 0-60mph and gearbox
The Citroën C4's single petrol option is a 1.2-litre turbo, but it's available in three outputs: 99bhp, 128bhp and 153bhp. The base 99bhp version is a capable performer, despite what the 11.3sec 0-62mph time would suggest, because it has plenty of mid-range grunt.
If you regularly carry passengers, you’ll want the stronger 128bhp version, which cuts acceleration times to 8.9sec, which is only 0.4sec behind the pricier 153bhp. That doesn’t make it a rocket ship, but it’ll get you up to 70mph easily enough and pulls harder from low revs than a Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv petrol.
The suspension is properly soft, allowing it to glide over minor imperfections in the road surface and cushion you from most ruts and potholes. It’s only when you come across something with a really sharp edge that you feel a sudden thwack. It's a little more pronounced in diesel models due to the extra weight of their heavier engines.
The downside of the Citroën C4’s set-up is that it can get quite bouncy over undulating country roads.
Handling
While Citroën is obsessed with comfort, it seems not to care much about sportiness – the C4 leans over dramatically if you try to turn into a bend at speed.
It’s not unpleasant to steer, responding faithfully enough to your inputs and letting go gradually when it starts to wash wide in a corner. If you want something that’s agile and entertaining, you’d be much better off with the BMW X2 or traditional family hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus and Seat Leon.
