Citroën C4

There’s been a lot of activity at French car maker Citroën over the past year, not least launching the new C4 Cactus, the new C1 city car and expanding the range of C4 Picassos to include a seven-seat edition. Now it’s time to spruce up other models in the line-up, like this C4 hatchback, including the launch of brand new Euro 6 compliant BlueHDi engines. You’ll need to be eagle-eyed to notice the changes to the front of the Focus-sized hatchback, though there are new headlights and daytime running lights. It’s at the back that there’s a more dramatic change, with new 3D-effect light clusters that serve to widen the stance of the revised car. Inside, there’s a new seven-inch touchscreen that comes as standard on top-spec Flair models, and the option of a new 17-inch alloy wheel design, though we would stick to the standard 16-inch items for a more comfortable ride.

All of the diesel engines emit less than 100g/km of CO2 in the revised line-up, with the option of a 98bhp 1.6-litre BlueHDi unit, with or without stop-start technology, and a more powerful 118bhp edition as tested here. A flagship 148bhp 2.0-litre BlueHDi engine is also offered in top-spec Flair guise. Our test car made decent progress through a mix of hill routes and cityscapes. It’s a quiet unit, even when you’re in a press-on kind of mood, with plenty of mid-range torque and a flexible nature. The six-speed manual gearbox has a creamy action, with third gear delivering excellent pace.

The stop-start system operates efficiently, cutting power as you come to a halt and restarting effortlessly without any sign of vibration. The brakes are progressive and deliver decent bite, and the steering is light, if left a little bit wanting in the feel department, though the driver always has a good idea of what the front wheels are up to. There’s some lean through sharper bends, but overall body control is neatly balanced, and grip levels appreciably high. Wind noise is kept well in check and ride comfort is softly sprung, making it a decent companion on a long distance journey. But beware, if you opt for the larger wheels that are an optional extra, be prepared for a deterioration in ride quality.

Apart from the new touchscreen on upmarket Flair models, there haven’t been any changes made to the cabin, and that’s just fine, because the C4 is actually quite a nice place to spend time. The mouldings are mainly of the soft-touch variety and all of the controls are neatly laid out, up high, for ease of use. The clarity of the instruments is pretty good and the colour of the back lighting can be altered to suit different tastes. A large central cubby hole ahead of the lever provides plenty of room for oddments, along with generously sized door pockets, though the glovebox is next to useless due to intrusion from the fuse box even the car’s handbook doesn’t fit inside. For front seat occupants, there’s plenty of head and elbow room, and while the legroom is a decent size in the back, taller passengers may wish for more headroom. With 408 litres of boot space on offer, it’s one of the roomiest loadbays in the class, and you can extend that even further to 1,183 litres by tumbling the rear seats down.