Why we ran it: To see if this electric fastback saloon can outmuscle the growing SUV market
Month 1 - Month 2 - Swapping into the petrol C4 X (Month 3) - Month 4 - Month 5 - Final report - Specs
Life with a C4 X: final report
We’ve lived with both ICE and EV versions of the C4 X. So which one gets our vote?
My time with both electric and petrol versions of Citroën's saloon-bodied hatchback is over, and while in general the experience was enjoyable, it all ended in unfortunate fashion.
While driving on the M4 in the daytime, all of the C4 X's interior screens switched off – similar to what we experienced previously with the related Jeep Avenger. I couldn't see how fast I was going, or any other vital driving information, and given I was in the third lane of a motorway that is lined with speed cameras, it was far from ideal.
I nursed the car the 40 or so miles home in lane one unsure if my indicators or lights were also faulty. Weirdly, the problem also seemed to affect other interior functions, such as the indicator noise – now far more tinny than before – and the radio. It even, suspiciously, affected the way the engine sounded, confirming that part of the throaty soundtrack is artificial.
The RAC was called out but even they couldn't diagnose the problem, so Citroën recovered the car. Apparently it was a "software glitch" and the system started working again after a reset. The electric ë-C4 X never suffered any such problem.
I have to say this did sully a good stint with the C4 X. These kinds of faults should never occur – especially on the motorway – and it's not the first Stellantis car in which I've experienced significant electrical issues. I previously ran a Peugeot 308 PHEV estate whose alarm would go off at seemingly random times. That glitch was fixed after a software update.
It's a shame the latest tech meltdown overshadowed the many things I liked about both the petrol and electric C4 X. We know Citroëns always score highly on comfort, and neither car disappointed in that regard.
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French cars with dodgy electrics, surely not.