Virtually every small family car follows much the same mechanical format today: four-cylinder engines driving the front wheels, coil-sprung MacPherson struts suspending the front end and a coil-sprung torsion beam rear. Unsurprisingly, the C4’s is the same hardware that supports its Peugeot cousin, the 307.
But the C4 differs from the 307 in providing two distinct styles. The three door, particularly unusual with its reverse-rake rear pillars, has the look of a coupé. The curvaceous rear of the five-door bodystyle that we test here is no less attractive, and features L-shaped rear lights that echo the sculpture of the headlamps. Both styles present the same fresh Citroën face, the famous twin-chevron badge stretched to form a chromed air intake.
Ergonomics and aerodynamics have frequently been Citroën specialities during its innovative periods, and so it is for the C4. Many of the subsidiary controls – audio, cruise, navigation, trip computer – are arranged around a fixed steering wheel hub to be little more than a thumb-span away, while the five door’s 0.29 drag coefficient is pretty competitive.
A broad selection of 16v petrol engines is offered, including a 90bhp 1.4, a 110bhp 1.6 and two variations of the PSA 2.0-litre twin-cam unit: the 138bhp engine that appears in the regular Peugeot 206 GTi and the Lotus-developed 180bhp unit slotted into the C4 VTS as a range-topper. Diesel buyers have three choices: two versions of the acclaimed PSA-Ford 1.6-litre HDi unit with either 90bhp or 108bhp, and a thumping 2.0-litre HDi with 136bhp and 236lb ft of torque. It’s the 108bhp HDi we’ve tested here.
Our VTR Plus test car ran on a sporting 205/50 R17 tyre and wheel combination, but the VTR package does not receive any bespoke chassis tuning. However, every C4 gets disc brakes all round, while the VTR Plus has the full list of anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control and electronic stability programme as standard.
