- Saloon version of Citroen’s C4
- Only available with electric powertrain
- On sale now, from £31,995
Remember when small hatchbacks came with a saloon version, with a chunky box sticking out the back? We’ll forgive you if you can’t – it’s something that hasn’t happened regularly since the 1990s, but the new electric Citroen e-C4 X is bringing this back, to a degree.
For all the marketing talk of SUV styling or fastbacks, that is what the Citroen e-C4 X is at its heart – a four-door car with a low-hinged boot that you can’t see into through the rear windows. It might not have the boxy styling of saloons of old, but it is based around the same principles.
Everything up front is indistinguishable from the rest of the C4 range, and it is only really from the rear doors backwards that there is any difference between the two. The wheelbase is the same, but it is marginally longer than the hatch, by 240mm, with the goal of providing more room for rear-seat passengers and luggage alike.
There is a visual difference between the two on the outside. It’s got hatch-like proportions, with a swooping rear line but there is nothing that marks it out as an obvious four-door. It’s only when you go to open the boot that it really becomes clear that the hinge is at the base of the window rather than the top.
The similarities continue in the price list – there is no financial motivation or disincentive to choose the e-C4 X over the hatch or vice versa. It will cost you just £1000 more to go for the X over the hatch and you get the same choice of three trims – Sense, Shine and Shine Plus.
There is one defining factor that might make the call for you though – the X is only available with an electric version in the UK. Other markets will get petrol engines, but the EV-only call is a European one.
What is it like inside?
We can cover off the front of the e-C4 X’s cabin fairly rapidly. As suggested in the intro, it’s pretty classic e C4 fare up here. If you want the long version of that then head to the full Citroen e C4 review, but in short it is a smart if relatively simple interior up front.
Both displays are digital, with a large integrated display in the centre of the console with Citroen’s latest and slightly frustrating infotainment system powering it. There are just the two physical buttons, and no easily accessible shortcuts. It’s manageable, though, either with practice or a decent handover process from the dealer when you first collect the car.
The physical climate controls are a real bonus, though, as are the plentiful storage spaces around the front of the car. There is a slot for your phone that doubles as a wireless charger, a head-up display and a clever tablet holder for the front passenger. The latter is perhaps a trifle gimmicky, but harmlessly so given the amount of storage elsewhere.
The materials are durable rather than luxurious, but the seats are a triumph, in offering both squishy comfort and plentiful support.
It’s in the rear that things start to feel slightly different to the hatchback C4. The tweaked lines and extended wheelbase give and take in equal measure. The hatch has a decent level of legroom, but the X has a glorious amount of space. A six-foot passenger will be able to slouch and still waggle their knees around without bashing the back of a similarly sized driver.
The trouble is, you get less headroom as a result of the changes, too. The seats are reclined 27 degrees further backwards in the X, although it doesn’t feel like you are being forced to lie backwards too much. Even with this, a six-footer might find it a little restrictive in either of the two outer seats – anyone taller might well find their head at an uncomfortable angle.
Switch to the middle seat and there is a lighting unit right where your head goes. Pair this with the marginally higher and firmer cushion in the central spot and it isn’t brilliant for taller passengers – shifting that unit forward even six inches would help. That might move it out of the reach of younger passengers, too, reducing the chance of a monochrome disco in the back seats late at night.
What about that boot – isn’t it bigger than the hatch?
The boot is indeed larger than the hatchback’s by a notable amount. At 510 litres it is a huge 130 litres bigger in fact. It is a simple space, with no real clever tricks from the floor or the seats, with the under-floor area not huge and best used for storing the charging cable. The seats drop on a 60/40 split, and you have to go around to the side doors to drop them.
There is also a handy little ski hatch that leads through from the cabin to the storage area, so you can slide longer items through while transporting four passengers. There is a slight oddity here in that the middle headrest arms prevent you from opening the hatch while it is at its lowest position.
There are some caveats to the large amount of space on offer, though. It is a long and low space, so those of a shorter nature might find it tricky to reach all the way to the front of it. And the obvious drawback of a saloon-style boot is the narrower opening – a hatchback will allow you to stand taller items up, or travel with a canine passenger back there. No such option for that here.
What is it like to drive?
Citroen’s recent push for comfort is in evidence here. This is a relaxed and cosseting vehicle to waft along in, without getting too bouncy.
It doesn’t shout about its electrification, with a relatively modest 0-62mph time of 10.0-seconds, which is reflected in its overall approach to acceleration. Instead of the instantaneous surge of pace that many EVs offer, it is a smooth and progressive car when it comes to accelerating.
This means you settle into a calm approach, rather than one that would be at odds with the smoothness of the suspension. Despite being slightly heavier than the standard C4, it manages to keep its body in check when you take a corner at pace, yet it still took the edge off the few rough patches we encountered on our initial day with the car.
If we’re going to be picky then the brake pedal action is a bit spongy and it would be nice if it was a little firmer, but otherwise this is a thoroughly pleasant car to eat up the miles in.
What about the electric bits?
Speaking of miles, the official line is that you can cover 222 of them between charges. Our only testing of this has been largely unscientific and limited to keeping a watchful eye on the remaining range, but it proved true to this prediction in our experience over a variety of twisty mountainous roads and faster motorways. This was in relatively favourable conditions, though, in temperatures just over 10 degrees.
The powertrain setup is an increasingly familiar one, with a 134bhp motor, 50kWh battery and the ability to charge at speeds of up to 100kW, meaning you can get from 20-80% in just 20 minutes.
What versions can you choose from?
Although there is just the one powertrain option, you have the choice of three trim levels. Sense comes with a decent amount of kit, including the 10-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, keyless entry and start, speed limiter and cruise control, rear parking sensors, dual zone automatic aircon and automatic lights.
Shine adds an enhanced infotainment system with voice control, a reversing camera, intelligent headlights and a heated steering wheel. You also get upgraded safety kit, including night-time and cyclist recognition. This is also the point that the head-up display is added.
Range-topping Shine Plus adds heated, Alcantara-clad front seats, adaptive cruise control and the rear ski hatch.
Verdict
While the e-C4 X is perfectly pleasant in many ways, and offers more space than its hatch equivalent, it is hard to make a case for it over the standard e-C4. Citroen recognises that it is going to be appealing to minicab drivers who are making the first steps into EV life, but the appeal is less clear when it comes to private buyers.
The boot might be bigger, but this doesn’t make for a more practical vehicle. That said, it isn’t a lesser car, and the pricing being pretty much the same between the two is a real bonus.