HEADLINES of new Citroëns have been dominated of late by the DS range of stylised hatches, and with good reason: the DS3, DS4 and upcoming DS5 hark back to the days when the French manufacturer designed and built boutique vehicles that set the bar for quirkiness in their respective segments. It helps that each DS car is an impressive machine in its own right, of course, but we shouldn’t forget that they have their donor cars, the C3, C4 and C5, to thank for their appeal.
This is our first assessment of the latest C4. Unburdened by the expectation of having to be a quirky French car – the DS4 now fulfils that role in the C-segment – the C4 is left to act as a viable alternative to traditional hatches in that cut throat environment, with a broad spread of talents to take on the ever-dominating Volkswagen Golf.
It certainly matches the Golf in terms of design conservatism. The silver paint of our test vehicle is not the most flattering colour choice – dark red or grey highlight the brushed chrome trim pieces and stylised Citroën chevron badge – while the 16-inch alloys of the Seduction model are too small to fill the ample arches.
This sobriety extends to the interior, which is not necessarily a black mark in this segment. Perceived quality is, as with most modern Citroëns, excellent. We especially like the cushy dash top and most of the controls are logically sited and clearly marked. However, one Citroën quirk remains: we counted no fewer than 16 buttons on the multi-function steering wheel. Their function and placement take some getting used to. An aspect that did find favour with most testers is the large digital speed readout in the instrument cluster, which is easy to read quickly.
The C4 has ample load space. The boot is the largest of any current C-segment hatch but the cabin feels a bit pinched in places; front-seat passengers are well catered for but those relegated to the three-abreast bench will find their heads brushing the rooflining if they’re tall.
On the road, the relaxed nature of the car is its most significant trump card. The ride, although underdamped on severely pockmarked roads – the basic torsion-beam rear suspension is perhaps to blame – is mostly cushy, while the steering is light and the mushy gearbox is not taxing to use. Furthermore, suppression of external noises is excellent.
However, the pillowy ride comes at the expense of dynamic composure; the body leans far more in corners than that of the Ford Focus, for example, while the C4 washes into understeer far too soon. The Ford finds a far more measured compromise between ride and handling.
The 1,6-litre engine, codeveloped by the PSA Group and BMW, has been available for several years in numerous PSA and Mini models but still does an admirable job. It’s not the most torquey powerplant, but its definitely one of the more refined 1,6 litres in our market.
On our test strip, the C4 hit 100 km/h in 11,48 seconds. For faster acceleration, customers will have to find R47 000 extra for the 1,6 THP that offers 115 kW and 240 N.m, and an automatic transmission.
TEST SUMMARY
As we mentioned, competing in the C-segment is not for the faint of heart. With such talent as the Focus, Golf, Opel Astra and Alfa Romeo Giulietta, simply being on par does not cut the mustard. At R224 900, this version of the C4 offers respectable value for money (and we’ve heard of significant discounts if buyers are willing to haggle with sales persons) and an excellent level of standard specification. A large percentage of the test team also said they’d pick the C4 over the Peugeot 308 (no surprises there) and Renault Mégane.
But … it’s simply not as good a buy as its European competitors. If you consider the C4’s dynamic imbalance and Citroens’ notoriously poor resale values, only a devoted Francophile would choose it over the VW/Ford/Opel triumvirate. And that’s a shame, because the C4 deserves better.