Citroen's new C4 has been revealed for the first time at the Paris motor show.
It will take on the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf with a hi-tech cabin and much-improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions when it hits UK dealers early next year.
See the official new Citroen C4 pics - plus the latest Paris motor show pics
The model is described as “brand new” by Citroën but although all of its body panels have changed, it still sits on a modified version of the chassis that underpins the current C4.
The new model is 50mm longer, 20mm wider and 30mm taller. It’s also likely to be lighter, thanks to new construction techniques and the use of laser welding in manufacturing.
The new C4’s styling is a neat evolution of the current car’s. It retains the pronounced curve in the roofline but adopts more C5-like front-end styling, particularly the headlights. In contrast to the outgoing car, which featured a ‘coupé’ version, the new C4 will be available as a five-door only.
It’s clear from this model that Citroën is keen to create a clear distinction between bread-and-butter models and their premium DS-badged stablemates.
A performance variant of the C4 is said to be unlikely, and the gap between this car and the DS4 is expected to be wider than the difference between the C3 and the recently launched DS3.
The engine line-up is likely to remain similar to the current C4’s, although this will be the first production Citroën to get the e-HDi system previewed at the Geneva show earlier this year.
It mates a small electric motor to an as-yet-unspecified diesel engine that’s almost certain to be a 1.6-litre unit. Citroën says the powerplant, along with low-resistance tyres and stop-start, will deliver CO2 emissions of 109g/km at launch and 99g/km on future models.
Citroën is placing increased emphasis on the C4’s interior, which features a 408-litre boot (more than 20 litres larger than a Focus’s) and a number of personalisation options.
Dashboard controls will enable users to change the colour of the backlighting behind the instrument panel, and set polyphonic sound alerts as easily as changing mobile phone ringtones.
The line-up of technical features includes lane departure and blind-spot warning systems, adaptive headlights, a speed limiter with road memory settings and eTouch, an electronic system that monitors driving patterns and offers advice on how to improve fuel economy.
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Re: New Citroen C4 revealed
Yes, it's not as exciting as the last one, but at least it looks new and modern. What really struck me though, was that in the quite interesting interior, the seatbelt clips could be straight out of the 80's. Why can't manufacturers just do a little to dress them up a bit; some glossy colour-coded plastic and chrome perhaps? It's a small detail that wouldn't be noticed immediately, but those are the things that delight when you've owned a car for a while and begin to get used to the more immediately exciting features. My Dad's E36 BMW never had the most exciting interior, but the way the ashtray cover, and all of the switches (windows, etc) were perfectly damped is forever ingrained in my memory as a mark of what impresses and passes for quality in an interior; something his E46 couldn't live up to in my books (even though it was a much nicer interior).
Re: New Citroen C4 revealed
Looks really good to me, much better than the cheap-looking old model. Didn't like the old 3 door with it's strange horizontally divided back window. Neater looking than the over-styled DS3 too.
Re: New Citroen C4 revealed
Current C4 is definitely much better looking, probably the best in it's segment but then the Golf and Focus aren't anywhere near as good looking and look at their success. Maybe the middle ground between these two this is what Citroen is aiming for, sort of a French Astra if that makes sense