Citroen e-C4 Hatchback (2020 - ) Electric review

A roughly middle-of-life update for the e-C4 in 2023 has improved the battery – actually improved the unit, that is, rather than just stuffing a bigger battery into the chassis for a few miles more range. Citroen has changed its fundamental makeup, altering the ratios of the three main metals so that the cells are more energy dense and efficient. The result is a 54kWh rating, up from 50kWh, but a range that jumps from 224 miles (claimed) to 261. That’s a 16 percent improvement from an eight percent more battery, see. Go science! The obvious upshot is that this is more cost-effective to run day-to-day than the pre-facelift car. (Citroen claims it’s more efficient than the VW ID.w and MG4, albeit using its own testing.) Though that said, Citroen will continue to sell the older 50kWh version alongside this one, which will be cheaper to buy because the new battery only comes with upper-level ‘e-Series’ trim. As ever it’s up to you to do the whole-life-cost mathematics, but given the 54kWh version is both quicker and more efficient, it’s worth a look.

It’s no great secret that Citroen doesn’t have the best reputation for reliability, historically. Electrics in particular can be a problem in older models, and generally Citroen tends to place lower than average in various owner surveys. However, there are signs that the brand is getting better. Because Citroen is now part of the Stellantis group of carmakers, it’s sharing parts and development with a number of other car companies – Peugeot, Vauxhall, Jeep and Fiat, to name a few – which means shared quality control. And because the C4 is a few years into its life already, early problems with the model have been ironed out as they’ve become established. Furthermore, an electric motor has far fewer moving parts than an internal combustion engine, which means there’s less to go wrong.

If you look at the Euro NCAP rating for this C4 as compared to the last one, you’ll see that it’s dropped a star, down from the full five in 2010 to four in 2021. The test itself is much stricter than it was now though, and you’d still consider this a safe car. It performs pretty well in occupant crash tests (80% for adults, 83% for kids), but less so for vulnerable road users (57%) and safety assist tech (63%). On that last category, it’s scored down for missing knee-, pelvis- and centre airbags, and for not having Isofix mountings on the front passenger seat. All e-C4 models get driver attention alert and lane keeping assistant, but you have to move up through the trim levels (or pay extra as an option) to get adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

Comfort is the area where the e-C4 truly excels, mainly because of the wonderfully floaty ride quality. If you’re a ‘driver’ – as in, you prefer your cars with a bit of road feel and tight body control – you’ll probably find it a bit frumpy and underwhelming. But for most, the e-C4 will feel near-enough like a luxury car. That feeling is augmented by extremely comfortable seats, lined with a layer of memory foam and flatter than a deluded X-Factor contestant. The driving position is on the higher side, as compared to a standard Golf-style family hatchback, which means visibility is good. And Citroen has even done a decent job with the controls and infotainment – historically a weak point for the brand – by developing touchscreen software that isn’t entirely unfathomable, and taking the air con functionality off the touchscreen altogether and onto proper dials; anyone who's driven a C4 Cactus will know how vexing using a Citroen touchscreen to adjust the cabin temperature can be.

With the introduction of the more powerful model (more on which in the next section), Citroen has complicated the range, slightly. At present there are three trim levels – Sense, Shine and e-Series – where all three are available with the smaller battery and lower power, but only the top one comes with the newer, better battery. It means you’ll pay around £5,000 more for the most cutting-edge e-C4 than you will for the cheapest one, priced at £32,000. Either way, the car it still represents decent value, though. This is a spacious thing, with plenty of legroom and a large boot (510 litres) accessed by a wide, convenient tailgate. A twin-level boot floor makes loading easy as can be – there’s no big drop to negotiate – and means you can store your dirty charging cable underneath the stuff you want to keep clean. Equipment is generous across the trims, too. All cars get 18-inch alloys, LED lights front and back, a digital instrument panel, climate control, and a 10-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring. Mid-level Shine cars add things like a head-up display and heated steering wheel - that’s the spec we’d go for. Top-of-the-range cars get cosmetic upgrades and an improved stereo. The glovebox area is noteworthy too, because it comes with a clever pop-out iPad holder for the front passenger.

The 2023 e-C4 update has brought a whole new electric powertrain, in addition to the one that already existed. As before, you can pick an e-C4 with a 50kWh battery and a 100kW (136hp) motor. That one will give you a 0-62mph time of 10 seconds (not that quick) and an official battery range of 224 miles, which means around 170-180 in real life. The newer drivetrain, with its 54kWh battery, brings a 261-mile range, which will push your real-world total beyond 200 miles. It’s not that much quicker, however: 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds. Both versions have a Sport mode as standard, but in this car using it is like wearing a wetsuit on a water slide: it doesn't make progress any more controlled or enjoyable. And both have the same amount of torque (260Nm), which is really the thing that determines how brisk it feels when pulling away. Therefore, you might conclude that the extra cost isn’t worth it for the 30-odd extra miles you’ll get from the battery. But in the words of Marco Pierre White, it’s your choice.