2023 Citroen e-C4 X gets 224-mile range for £31,995

The front cabin is largely unchanged from the standard C4, although the e-C4 X does get the new MyCitroën Drive Plus infotainment system that was first seen on the C5 X, and which features a larger 10in touchscreen.

The e-C4 X retains the 134bhp, 192lb ft electric powertrain of the e-C4, along with the 50kWh battery from that model. It has a 0-62mph time of 9.5 seconds, and a limited top speed of 93mph. The more aerodynamic design of the e-C4 X, which has a drag coefficient of 0.29, gives it a range range of 222 miles, five more than the e-C4.

Citroën is aiming the e-C4 X at families seeking a cost-effective car, but also thinks the extra space in the rear and boot could make it a popular choice for private hire drivers seeking a relatively affordable electric option. 

The machine has also been conceived as a global car, with the four-door saloon style largely intended to aid its popularity in the Middle East and Africa. While it will be offered in those market and some European countries with petrol and diesel engines, in the UK, Nordic and select Western European markets it will be offered purely in electric form.

Three trim levels will be offered: Sense, Shine, and Shine Plus. The entry-level model will start from £31,995, and come with 18-inch alloys, keyless entry and a 10-inch infotainment screen as standard. A bump up to the £34,495 Shine trim brings Citroën's Drive Plus infotainment system, as well as a heads-up display, with Alcantara-clad heated seats added for top-wrung £35,495 Shine Plus. All trims get the same powertrain.

The e-C4 X will be produced at Stellantis’s Madrid, Spain plant on the same line as the regular C4. Order books are now open, and deliveries will begin in early 2023. 

Pierre Leclercq, Citroën design boss

What was the starting point for this car?

“The request from the strategy department was to make another car based on the C4, but it has to reach 4.6 metres and have a huge boot – but we don’t want a limousine, it has to be exciting, sexy. Adding 25 centimetres to the rear is really not what a designer wants, because you have to shift the masses a bit. So we wanted to do something super sexy, stretched, so we tilted the rear forward and gave it an attitude that is almost unique.”

How does the e-C4 X showcase Citroën’s design language?

“We have a design language that is evolving faster, as you can see on the C5 Aircross as well. Everything you see in terms of body light and colours and contrast we wanted to sit in between a formula of Citroën that is very pure and simple, but with details that are going to become sharper and more three-dimensional – and far more non-automotive.”

While this will be electric only in some markets, it still use a multi-powertrain platform. Will you be able to take lessons from this to future EVs built on pure electric architecture?