Citroen’s C4 Makes the Grade
No wonder Jeremy Clarkson took the easy way out, and decided early on in his career to be flippant about every car that crosses his path. In our world where we assume you want real information, the best way - after carefully reading the supplied press information - is to drive it as much as possible in a variety of conditions: day, night, traffic jams, open freeways as well as on varied surfaces, and find its strengths and weaknesses.
It doesn’t always work out that way though thanks to the ‘l’ word: logistics. A test car may arrive just before departing on a launch and the evaluation period then includes a drive to the airport and another drive home. Or there’s a glut because of timing issues beyond one’s control and test cars overlap, making it tough to drive any single one enough to do it justice.
So getting a car for a full month and being able to drive far and wide is a rare experience, but a press test Citroën C4 unexpectedly became available early December and became a regular fixture in the Burford driveway until the second week of 2012. While launched a year ago, its December arrival presented my first experience of it, and an opportunity to properly sink one’s teeth into it.
The good news is that the first impression was good, and by and large got better. The previous C4 was disappointing, lacking refinement and with a standard of fit, finish and overall quality which fell short of its rivals of the time. And its styling - though slightly quirky as you’d expect from Citroen - was unlovely yet hasn’t aged all that well.
The new car is still stand-out and has a elegance which is difficult to engineer into the proportions of a C-segment hatchback. It has a low-slung stance, a longish bonnet and attractive sculpted lines, ending in a tailgate which is gently sloped rather than upright and van-like. Headlights are slender and ‘right-sized’ - Citroen avoiding the temptation to fit light clusters the size of searchlights.
For over a month I’ve been walking outside to fire her up and each time I get a warm fuzzy feeling as I approach the driver’s door. It’s a seriously good-looking car, without having to resort to huge wheels and tyres and stylistic trickery to make it - in my opinion - the best-looking car in its class. Look at it close up and examine the paintwork, the size and alignment of the panel gaps and you get the impression that this is car which sets new standards for Citroen. The impression on the inside is the same, with - mostly - a sense of quality and an upmarket ambience.
The soft-touch, matte finish dashboard flows seamlessly into the instrument cluster and hang-down centre section, with some unusual touches which are visually appealing and work well. The instrument cluster is a mix of analogue and digital, with a bold speed readout in the driver’s line of sight. An unusual jersey fabric - as Citroen term it - for the roof lining and chrome detailing on the steering wheel are additional nice touches.
Seems Citroen couldn’t resist adding some unusual ‘surprise and delight’ features and you can – I kid you not – choose four distinct sounds for the indicators, and the lighting of the instrument cluster can also be adjusted from white to blue. Gimmicky maybe, but features like Bluetooth and inputs for modern media devices are mainstream features, and our C4 has both, and they were used constantly.
The air conditioner coped well with extremely high ambient and effortlessly cools an interior which is 5 cm longer, 2cm wider and 3 cm higher than that of its predecessor, while the luggage compartment swallows seriously big loads. Citroen say its 408 litre capacity is class leading. There are also many storage spaces with the wide door pockets (a feature of French cars) especially welcome.
While it isn’t a ball of fire, the 88 kW1,6-litre engine copes very well, and also complies with Euro V emission regulations for those who like their cars to be clean-burning. Our car had a five-speed manual, though a four-speed automatic is also. It is perfectly satisfying car to drive - responsive, obedient, and user-friendly - with the exception of a brake pedal which is somewhat oversensitive, requiring some care to bring the car obediently to a complete standstill.
Despite its increased dimensions, greater interior space and wide range of comfort functions the new Citroën C4 is no heavier than its predecessor, something achieved by paring weight off every possible component.
Lightweight construction doesn’t compromise strength it seems, and the C4 received a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. Standard safety equipment includes traction and stability control, electronic brake force distribution and emergency braking assistance, while there are six airbags - driver, front passenger, side and curtain.
By the time 2011 rolled into 2012 I felt like I owned it, but if it were mine I’d be pleased that it comes with a five-year / 100 000 km service plan, with the option of paying in to upgrade to a full maintenance plan.
It is an unfortunate fact that many South African motorists are still wary of the French brands, but they have all worked diligently over the last few years to address the issues which have taken the shine off living with a Gallic car. At the risk of putting my reputation on the line, I suspect the C4 will contribute significantly to changing that and it ticks all the boxes.
