Overview

The Citroen C4 is a hard car to classify – is it a hatchback? Is is an SUV? In reality, it’s neither, and it’s both. A family car that stands out from the crowd is something that its maker has traditionally been good at, and this one is no different.

While it has styling that stands out from the crowd, which should please Citroen fans, the French brand is hoping that the C4 will also appeal to family car drivers who might be considering a medium-sized SUV. As a result, it combines Citroen’s slender LED daytime-running lights with chunky wheelarches and side cladding, finished off with a coupe-like roofline. It’s a concoction of styles that works well if you have a taste for the unconventional.

The C4 model range is easy to understand, and is available in a range of 31 exterior colour combinations, once you take into account the various bodywork highlighting options.

There are four trim levels to choose from – Sense, Sense Plus, Shine and Shine Plus, all of which fall under Citroen’s new fair pricing initiative. LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.0-inch infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane-Keep Assist and dual-zone climate control are all as standard on all models, so even if you go for the entry-level Sense version it won’t feel basic.

Sense Plus adds a head-up display, sat-nav and a reversing camera, while the plusher Shine models gain safety equipment including traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and blind spot assist. Top-of-the range Shine Plus adds a premium stereo, leather seats with electric adjustment and heating, four USB sockets and wireless smartphone charging.

Overall it has a dramatic profile, with interesting crease lines pressed into the bodywork. Plus, it’s higher off the ground than a typical hatchback, which results in a slightly elevated driving position. Difficult to pigeonhole, rather like Citroens of old, and all the more interesting for it.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Citroen C4, including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one.