Citroen C4 X
New from £24,645
Is the Citroen C4 X SUV a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Mark Nichol
"The Citroen C4 X is probably the weirdest family car on sale today. A contradictory cross between a family hatchback, a saloon and an SUV, it operates in a niche of... one, basically. It’s also quite easy to criticise: take a Citroen C4 hatchback, make it less flexible by replacing the big hole in the back with a separate, stifling boot, then make it look a bit weirder and disproportionate. Then give it a confusing name that makes it sound like an SUV when it isn’t one. Then charge more for it, effectively. However… There’s always a however, right? Because while all of the above is true, you might actually like the way it looks. And why not? It's hardly ugly, and the extra length gives it a bit more elegance compared to the C4 hatchback, arguably. The luggage compartment is bigger than the hatchback’s by volume, too. It’s technically no more expensive, either, priced like-for-like with the hatchback, it’s just that you can’t get a base model C4 X like you can with the hatch. And it’s truly rare and unusual, and you might dig that. Plus, in every other way it shares the good characteristics of its non-X namesake – namely superb comfort, lots of equipment, decent cabin space, very reasonable pricing, and a choice of petrol or fully electric drivetrains. There’s plenty going for it. Read our review of the electric e-C4 X"
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Running costs for a Citroen C4 X
4/5
Although it’s vexing Citroen doesn’t offer a C4 X in basic ‘YOU!’ spec, like it does with the hatchback the C4 X is still priced very keenly. The closest natural rival to this car is probably the Renault Arkana, a car that begins at around £30,000 – five grand more than you’ll pay for one of these. This is the better car too, frankly. Because Citroen knows that this car will be niche (a euphemism for “limited appeal”), it only comes with one petrol engine choice. It’s a 136-horsepower mild-hybrid setup that will return somewhere between 40 and 50mpg, and it doesn’t cost too much to insure. That said, relatively high emissions mean that it’s in the 26 per cent BIK bracket, meaning the electric version is the much more cost-effective company car. And a cheaper thing to run in general. And better, to be honest.
Reliability of a Citroen C4 X
3/5
On one hand, you kind of know what to expect with a Citroen – a little bit of a risk. The previous generation Citroen C4s had a quite dreadful reputation for reliability. That said, Citroen is forging a much-improved status these days. It was the seventh most reliable manufacturer in a 2024 consumer magazine survey. And this C4 was the company’s best-performing model in the same survey, while any major issues that the C4 had will have been ironed out for this facelifted model. The electric one in particular should fare okay, what with electric motors being FAR less complicated pieces of equipment than internal combustion motors.
Safety for a Citroen C4 X
4/5
The safety dudes at Euro NCAP crash-tested the C4 and e-C4 in 2021 (the boot is the only difference between a C4 and a C4 X) and gave it four stars, which at a glance is a little disappointing – most cars in this class get five-star scores these days. Look a little deeper into the results though, and there’s not too much to worry about. Its adult and child occupant protection scores were good, with its overall score reduced for a relatively poor ‘vulnerable road users’ score. The C4 X doesn’t have as many airbags as it could though (nothing running through the centre of the cabin nor for anyone’s knees, and only top spec cars get blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control, as well as the ‘Safety Pack Plus, which includes advanced cyclist detection, speed limit detection and “extended” traffic sign recognition (whatever that means). Withholding safety kit for top spec cars might strike you as a little strange. Because it is a little strange.
How comfortable is the Citroen C4 X
4/5
Given comfort is the C4 X’s primary quality (aside from generally being a bit weird) it might seem unusual this isn’t a five-star score. For most people it will feel like a five-star comfort experience. But we’ve knocked a star off because Citroen, for whatever reason, simply cannot engineer a driving position to suit all shapes and sizes into its cars. Basically, if you’re tall or long-legged, the pedals will be too close or the steering wheel too far away. You’ll never get both things in just the right place. It's a real shame because the actual ride quality of the C4 X is exceptional. As are the seats themselves. And they combine to make this thing feel unlike any other mid-level family car. Try to drive it quickly around a corner and the whole thing becomes spongier than the coral reef, but at all other times (which is 95 per cent of the time), this is a supremely comfy thing to be in. And it’s spacious, front and back, so everyone aboard will feel good
Features of the Citroen C4 X
4/5
Another defining characteristic of the C4 X is that it feels like A LOT of car for the money. More so than the C4 hatchback even, because the extra length gives it a greater sense of being a bigger, fancier motor. That said, it has a little less rear headroom than the hatchback because of the sloping design. It’s not the easiest thing to reverse park, either, owing to its long backside and poor rearward visibility. And while the boot is significantly bigger by volume (510 litres compared to 380 in the hatchback), it’s hampered by a shallow opening and its separation from the cabin – you can’t lift the rear glass. Citroen eschewing the basic spec for the C4 X does mean it’s well-equipped, though. Loads of kit as standard – a big (quite laggy) touch-screen, wireless phone charging, navigation, chunky alloys, climate control. Save for a couple of nice convenience features, top spec (MAX) is mostly cosmetic upgrades. Mind, it is a bit odd (and frustrating) that blind spot detection is a MAX-only feature. Important safety things like that shouldn’t cost extra, in our opinion.
Power for a Citroen C4 X
3/5
The single petrol-powered option with the C4 X is a mild hybrid, which means a small electric motor helps the petrol engine to improve efficiency. It’s paired to an automatic gearbox. Nothing about the setup is aimed at speed. It’s all for comfort. In fairness. Citroen has done a sterling job making a 1.2-litre petrol engine work with an automatic gearbox and electric motor to feel “grown up”. It’s not too noisy, the little engine doesn’t feel like it’s about to implode under the weight of such a big car, and the gearbox shifts between its six gears with lazy smoothness. Reading between these lines you’ll pick up that this isn't the most dynamic or exciting car-and-engine combo, but it encourages you to drive the thing with circumspect. That suits the nature of the car: plodding, quiet, tranquilising comfort. An electric drivetrain suits the car even better. You can read about that here.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Citroen C4 X SUV. This may vary between trim levels.
Other vehicles in the C4 X family
Related articles and reviews
Citroen C4 X (2024 - ) review
Kind of a hatchback, kind of a crossover, the updated C4 X is a typically quirky Citroen with a style of its own
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