Used Citroën Grand C4 SpaceTourer 2018-2022 review

If you need a good, used seven-seat car but don’t want something that looks like a box with four wheels and some windows, what can you buy? Some would suggest the answer is the car you see here, the spacious but funky Citroën Grand C4 SpaceTourer.

Better yet, it was our What Car? MPV of the Year in 2021, thanks to its exceptional value for money, low running costs, and highly flexible seven-seat interior.

Engines and performance: There's a 128bhp 1.2 Puretech petrol engine option as well as three diesels: a 99bhp or 118bhp 1.6 BlueHDi, a 128bhp 1.5 BlueHDi, or a 158bhp 2.0 BlueHDi.

The 1.2 petrol, and 1.5 and 1.6 diesels can be had with a six-speed manual, with an eight-speed automatic available with the 1.2 petrol and 1.5 diesel. The 2.0 diesel is auto only.

Ride and handling: On the road, it rides and handles well for a car of this size and is reasonably refined. The light steering makes easy work of parking and low-speed manoeuvres. However, it’s also rather numb, so doesn’t inspire confidence on faster roads like the steering in a Ford S-Max.

The supple suspension deals with big bumps pretty well, however, so you won’t wince every time you encounter a speed bump. Unfortunately, patchy, eroded surfaces unsettle the car a little too easily, especially at low speeds, meaning a trip through town isn’t as comfortable as it might be in a VW Touran.

Interior and practicality: Visibility is excellent in the SpaceTourer due to thin roof pillars and big windows. The driving position is good with plenty of adjustment, although it could do with more lumbar support. There are tonnes of storage areas, which is just as well because the glovebox is tiny.

A flat rear floor and three individual middle-row seats mean that the SpaceTourer is perfect for both multiple children's car seats and broad-shouldered adults. True, the third-row is pokey, but you can slide the middle chairs forward to share leg room. With the third-row in place, a Ford Galaxy has greater luggage capacity, but when folded, you have a large, flat load area with a low entrance height that is especially good for dogs.

Like the previous Grand C4 Picasso, the Grand C4 SpaceTourer has a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating and every model has six airbags, an electronic stability program and automatic emergency braking. You will have to upgrade to a Flair version to get additional safety tech such as blind spot monitoring and lane-keeping assistance, or find a Feel model with the optional Convenience Pack that has these features.

Trims and equipment: Entry-level Touch offers air-con, electric windows and a 7.0in touchscreen. However, next-step-up Feel offers a huge 12in driver display, sat-nav and rear parking sensors. Top-spec Flair has an electric tailgate, a reversing camera, along with extra safety tech such as automatic emergency braking and blind spot monitoring.

The range was updated in late 2020 to Live, Sense and Shine, and are essentially renames of what went before, except the entry-level Live model gained rear parking sensors and the 12in driver display and mid-range Sense has a reversing camera and safety pack.

"I know diesel is a dirty word these days, but the 1.5-litre diesel engine is a better match for the Grand C4 Spacetourer than the 1.2-litre petrol. It feels gutsier at low revs, plus it's more economical." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

Interested in buying a used Citroën Grand C4 SpaceTourer? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Expect to spend around £9000 for a 2018 or 2019 car with around 70,000 miles on the clock. Increase your budget to £11,000 for a low mileage car of a similar age, or £13,000 for a low mileage 2020 car. If you up your budget to around £15,000, you'll find plenty of 2021 cars. At the top end, the final 2022 examples go for upwards of £18,000, but some higher-mileage examples can be had for even less than that.

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MPG

The SpaceTourer 1.5 BlueHDi 130 diesel-engined cars offer 58.1mpg under the WLTP tests, while the 2.0 BlueHDi 160 averages 47.1mpg. The 1.2 petrol is still pretty efficient at 46.9mpg combined.

Road tax

All Grand C4 SpaceTourers will have been registered after the road tax system changed on 1 April 2017, so you'll have to pay a yearly flat-rate fee. This is currently £195 per year.

Insurance and servicing

The Grand C4 SpaceTourer should be serviced annually or every 10,000 miles. A Citroën service plan starts from just £15.99 per month on examples that are less than 12 months old. Alternatively, you can pay on the day, with the first service being £199 and the second year being £249.

Once your Grand C4 SpaceTourer is more than three years old, you'll can opt for fixed-price at £179 for a minor service, and £299 for a major visit.

Reliability

The Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer’s reliability record, based on real-world owner feedback in our latest Reliability Survey, is mixed. Both petrol and diesel versions saw reports of warning lights linked to electrical or emissions systems, with some issues reappearing after repairs. A smaller number of owners experienced gearbox or suspension problems, sometimes resulting in long workshop stays. Dealer service varied sharply – from quick, attentive help with courtesy cars to slow fault-finding, repeated visits, and costly repairs.

Find out more about Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer reliability on our dedicated reliability page.

Engines

All the engines on offer in the Grand C4 SpaceTourer acquit themselves well, but it’s the 1.5-litre diesel in the 130 output that we prefer for its blend of economy and performance. It’s smooth and gutsy, even with seven people on board, and yet it’s still economical. However, if you mostly do short trips in town, the 1.2 petrol will do just fine.

The manual gearbox can feel notchy and its action is imprecise. You could eliminate the need to change gear yourself altogether if you go for the automatic, but you'll need to weigh up if you can put up with the sluggish way it responds when setting off.

Specification

Of the three trims on offer, entry-level Touch has all you could need, but Feel is our favourite because it has the 12in driver display, sat-nav and rear parking sensors. We wouldn't blame you if you were tempted by a top-spec Flair or Shine car; there are plenty of these available for a good price now. If you want to maximise the amount of safety kit on offer, then keep an eye out for cars with the optional Convenience Pack fitted.

Our favourite Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer: 1.5 BlueHDi 130 Feel

The Grand C4 SpaceTourer is admirably spacious, but there are some that are even bigger.

The Ford Galaxy is an extremely practical and thoroughly capable people-carrier easily up to the task of transporting seven people smartly from one location to the next. In fact, so good is it that it’s almost the de facto choice for taxis on the airport run.

The Seat Alhambra matches the Galaxy for size, both inside and out, with a simple engine range of one petrol and one diesel, plus a choice of handsomely kitted trims. It rides and handles well, especially for a car of this type and size, and its space and practicality are superb.

Consider also the Volkswagen Sharan, which shares much with the Alhambra, although it is a little more pricey new, which is bound to reflect on its used values.

The VW Touran is not as large an MPV (like others here), but it’s a classy product that is well made and great to drive. There’s room for seven, even if those rearmost two passengers won’t have as much room to lounge as they would in the others.

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Interested in buying a used Citroën Grand C4 SpaceTourer? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.