Citroen turns to SUV cues for new C4 compact

Citroen says it has set the new C4 compact hatchback apart from competitors with crossover styling and the choice of three powertrains, including battery electric, as it adds a completely new model in the critical segment for the first time since 2010.

Officially, the C4 replaces the smaller C4 Cactus in Citroen's lineup -- which itself was repositioned in 2017 to replace the outgoing C4 hatchback by toning down its prominent "air bumps" on the doors. The C4 Cactus was launched in 2014 as a crossover. The previous C4 hatchback was in Citroen's lineup from 2010 to 2018.

Citroen hopes the new-generation C4 will make an impact by straddling the compact hatchback and compact crossover segments.

At 4360mm long, 1800mm wide and 1525mm tall, its dimensions are nearly identical to the Toyota C-HR crossover. The new C4 is also noticeably taller than Europe's top-selling compact hatchback, the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, although it is 40mm shorter than the Focus. 

Citroen says the C4 has an "elevated and assertive posture" on large diameter wheels. That translates to 156mm of ground clearance -- 20mm more than the Golf and almost 40 mm more than the Focus -- as well as a "higher eye point" for drivers, at 1220mm. 

"The body shape combines the elegance and dynamism of a hatchback while subtly adopting certain SUV standards for added strength and character," Citroen says.

Other crossover hints include black plastic trim around the wheel arches and on the rocker panels, muscular fender bulges and a high, convex hood derived from the C5 Aircross SUV. 

Prices for the C4 range from 20,900 euros for a variant with a 100-hp gasoline engine and six speed manual transmission to 38,800 euros for the range-topping battery-electric model.

Private buyers in France, however, will get a 7,000 euro EV incentive until at least June 31, 2021, putting the electric C4's price in line with the most expensive gasoline (31,750 euros) and diesel (32,300 euros) models in the range. Business customers are eligible for a 5,000 euro incentive.

The C4 holds the distinction of being the first compact model from PSA Group on the CMP architecture, which was jointly developed with Dongfeng Motors for small and compact vehicles, and can accommodate both internal combustion and battery-electric drivetrains.

Other new compacts from PSA are on the EMP2 platform, which does not have an electric option.

The electric version -- which Citroen calls the ë-C4 -- has a WLTP-certified range of 350 km from a 50-kilowatt-hour battery. Home charging time ranges from more than 24 hours on a standard outlet to five hours on an optional 11 kW dedicated charger. Citroen says the battery can be charged to 80 percent in 30 minutes using a 100-kW public charging station.

Inside, the C4 reflects Citroen's uncluttered aesthetic, with a frameless digital instrument panel and floating central 10-inch capacitive screen that activates with a touch of a finger. Another feature is ConnectedCAM, a front-facing camera in the rearview mirror that can be used to take shareable photos and also record and save trips in the event of an accident.

The C4 will be built at Citrien parent PSA Group’s factory in Villaverde, Spain, which currently assembles the C4 Cactus. IHS Markit estimates that 90,000 C4s will be built in 2021, a production level that would considerably improve upon the Cactus’s ranking in the compact segment (it finished No. 16 in the first half of 2020). 

The segment is led by the Golf, with 252,138 sales through November, according to data from JATO Dynamics. In second place was the Skoda Octavia, at 160,647 sales, edging out the former runner-up, the Ford Focus, at 159,300 sales. The C4 Cactus had registered 25,478 sales through November.

The electric version of the C4 will also compete against the VW ID3, which had 8,415 sales in November alone.