Written by Tom Webster Published: 13 January 2023 Updated: 23 March 2023

Overview

Defining what type of car the Citroen e-C4 X is depends on who you talk to – according to Citroen it is a fastback that is inspired by an SUV, with the X denoting that it sits at the crossroads of several sectors. In reality, it is a four-door electric car with a boot that can’t be seen into through any of the windows. A saloon in other words.

Such things are a bit of a rarity these days, as the practice of popping a boxy boot onto the rear of a hatchback is somewhat passe in 2023. As a result, perhaps, the styling doesn’t give much of a hint that the boot hinge sits below the rear windscreen rather than above it.

The changes are all from the front of the rear doors backwards – everything up front is shared with the conventional C4 in terms of both looks and dimensions. Despite sitting on the same wheelbase, it is 240mm longer, with this extra space shared between the rear passengers and the boot. The latter is a hefty 130 litres bigger than the hatch, offering 510-litres of space.

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What’s it like inside?

The front part of the e-C4 X is largely as you would find in the hatch version, complete with Citroen’s padded and comfortable seats. They are a fine pair of seats, being squishy yet still sufficiently supportive and therefore perfectly pleasant to spend a long stretch of time in. Good news for those taking their first steps into life as an electric taxi/minicab driver.

Those who are entering the private hire business might be swayed by the e-C4 X’s promise of greater space in the rear. Certainly, there is a very good level of legroom two six footers will sit happily one behind the other, with the rearmost enjoying a generous gap between their knees and the seat in front.

Headroom is less spacious though. Said six-footer will be ok, but anyone much taller than that will struggle, as the roofline makes things a touch tight up top. The middle seat has it even worse, too, with about an inch less headroom, thanks to a marginally firmer seat and a light cluster that sits right where your head should go. If it had been moved even six inches further forward it wouldn’t encroach on headroom and it might stand a better chance of being out of the reach of small passengers’ reach.

All this is with a set of rear seats that are reclined 27 degrees further than in the standard e-C4. This is barely noticeable, though, and you don’t feel like you are lying backwards at all.

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The boot is a large and practical space. At 510 litres it is 130 litres bigger than the hatch’s 380 litre boot. There are not really any clever touches in there, though there is a small underfloor storage space for the charging cable. The seats fold on a 60/40 split but only from the side doors and there is a small step in the resultant space. The boot is so big, in fact, that shorter people might struggle to reach that stray can of beans that has rolled out of a shopping bag and ended up resting against the seats.

There is also a load-through hatch on higher trims, which enables you to get long, thin items in without dropping the seats. Make sure you put the headrest up, though, as the arms block it from opening when it is in its lowest position.

The final thing of note about the boot is the opening. Due to its shape it isn’t as practical as a hatch in various ways, despite being larger overall. This isn’t unique to the e-C4 X by any means, but it does limit its uses. Conversely it also provides an extra layer of security that will appeal to some buyers.

What power options are there?

The motor and battery combo is a familiar one to the Stellantis range (Peugeot e-208, e-2008, Vauxhall Corsa Electric) these days, and is identical to the one offered in the standard e-C4. This translates to an official range of 222 miles courtesy of the 50kWh battery that is attached to a 136hp motor.

Like the rest of the e-C4 X it is geared up for comfort rather than pace, with 0-62mph coming in a leisurely 10.0 seconds. Although there are three driving modes, it doesn’t really offer that instantaneous burst of pace that you get with many EVs. It’s better to take things calmly.

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What it’s like to drive?

The Citroen e-C4 X shouts sensible first and foremost, with a comfortable and refined drive that isn’t wildly fun but is fairly relaxing. As such noise levels are low, and it’s impressively silent at motorway speeds, keeping road and wind noise to a gentle hush (wind noise on our early production example around the door mirrors notwithstanding).

Those drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – are fairly evident in what they set out to achive. In Eco mode, the throttle pedal is robbed of its responsiveness in order to minimise your temptation to engage in range-sapping heavy-footed driving. For city driving, it works very well, encouraging relaxed driving. Sport mode gives it excellent response, with Normal being somewhere in the middle.

If there is a slight quibble then the brake pedal feels a little spongy, and it would be nice if it was a little more reactive, but it does prevent any sharp and sudden lurching when you go to slow down. If you want to slow gently, they also have a habit of grabbing when you’re coming close to stopping, and this takes some time to acclimatise to.

Comfort

The seats are excellent. They manage to be both soft and supportive, and as such they’re incredibly comfortable things to sit in, and they make long journeys much easier than many competitor cars.

As you’d expect with a Citroen, the suspension does a good job of negating the impact of potholes while the bodyroll is kept reasonably in check around corners, as long as you’re gentle with the light steering.

But the e-C4 X’s general demeanor is such, that you will feel the need to chuck it around at great speed thanks to that limited performance mentioned above. However, if you’re on winding roads

Range and charging

Charging can be quick, as it will work with any Type 2 public rapid charger up to a rate of 100kW. This means that it will get you from 20-80% in just 20 minutes.

We’ve tested the e-C4 X in a variety of conditions, and in our unscientific experience so far, the range looks to be fairly accurate in favourable weather conditions and only using the remaining mileage indicator. However, in cooler weather, it’s not so positive, with range typically dropping more quickly, and the reported 222-mile range on dashbaord proving to be largely academic.

Our experience with this car, as well as the the standard e-C4 over a long-term test, suggests that around 170-180 miles is more realistic for a real-world figure, particularly if you spend time on the motorway.

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What models and trims are available?

Even though there is just the one motor and battery combo, Citroen is offering all three trims on the e-C4 X. This means you get Sense, Shine and Shine Plus. The entry-level Sense has most things you’d want, with a 10.0-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, dual zone automatic air conditioning, cruise control and rear parking sensors among the highlights.

Shine upgrades the infotainment system, adding voice control. It also brings a reversing camera, head-up display, intelligent headlights and a heated steering wheel. You also get upgraded safety kit, including night-time and cyclist recognition. Range-topping Shine Plus brings you heated front seats clad in Alcantara, the rear ski hatch and adaptive cruise control.

One very welcome bit of news for those agonising over this or the standard hatch – there is barely any difference in the price of the two, with the X attracting a small premium across the three trims offered.

So, that’s that – an interesting and comfortable addition to the growing ranks of electric cars on sale. To find out if we recommend the Citroen e-C4 X, especially over its hatchback counterpart, read on for our verdict.