Citroen C4 RANGE
The Stunning C4 Looks Set To Blow The Family Hatch Market Wide Apart And Shift Some Big Numbers For
Citroen. Andy Enright Reports
Try as I might, I cant quite put my finger on the exact moment the Citroen Xsara started feeling old. I think it was some time in early 2002, although its tough to tell. Since that time, Citroens dealers have had a tough task shifting respectable numbers, coming up with ever more ingenious ways of parting people with their cash. With the introduction of the C4, things should be much easier.
This car, after all, instantly makes the Xsara appear like something youd need to carbon date rather than drive. If looks count for anything, the C4 is a winner right out of the blocks.
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Two distinctly different body styles are available and
Citroen have taken a leaf out of Vauxhalls book in their product development plans. By introducing plenty of MPV-style models,
Vauxhall left themselves free to design sportier and more dynamic versions of their regular cars. Citroen have followed suit and, divested of the need to
seat seven people and their 1.5-litre bottles of pop, the C4 looks extremely svelte, both in five-door hatchback form and three-door Coupe format.
Theres an element of
Ford Focus to the rear windowline but the C4 is more extreme still, even the hatchback boasting a coupe-like silhouette. Early shots of a C4 rally car mockup left many with moistened palms and the sporty VTS version of the Coupe will be the model for them. With big alloys and spoilers, this car should be a knockout in showrooms throughout the land. Citroen claim class-leading aerodynamics, the drag coefficent of just 0.
28 paying dividends not only in performance and economy but also in keeping the all-important CO2 emissions in check. This being Citroen, we can take a whole host of innovations for granted and the C4 doesnt come up short. An involuntary lane departure warning system has been developed that aims to prevent drivers from losing concentration or dozing off at the wheel. Moving dual function Xenon headlamps offer improved lighting when cornering and provide a neat historical throwback to the DS model.
"The dashboard has overtones of a toned-down
Fiat Multipla"
No car in this class can shift serious numbers unless it scores well on the safety front and Citroen has acheived a full set of stars in the EuroNCAP safety tests. The multi-function steering wheel houses a whole host of the controls from the centre console, ensuring that the driver is in touch with the control of the vehicle at all times. Despite the multitude of functions marshalled by the tiller, theres still room for an airbag that Citroen claims offers better protection than any of their prior designs. Building in features more often seen on luxury cars is an ongoing theme, the C4 featuring laminated side window glass.
Not only does this aid safety in the result of an accident, it also provides enhanced protection against crime and even boosts the cabins acoustic qualities. Manufacturers of car stereos have long lamented the fact that with a high proportion of echoing surfaces, the cars interior is one of the most acoustically challenging environments in which to create great sounding music reproduction. It has been found that the insulating layer of clear plastic inside a laminated windscreen produced less acoustic scatter than the harsher echoes that rebounded off a more brittle toughened screen. The innovations dont stop there.
The C4 even features a scented air freshener built into the dashboard to prolong that fantastic new car smell. One of the nicer detail touches is a translucent instrument cluster that adjusts to ambient light levels, giving a clear readout whatever the light conditions. Many cars offer LCD screens that are virtually impossible to read in daylight and if you switch your headlamps on so that other cars can see you coming, the problem can get worse. Thankfully Citroen have spent some time and money coming up with a solution.
The trim levels are split 50/50 between comfort and sportiness. Those valuing the finer things in life can select from, in ascending order, LX, SX and Exclusive while sports fans will go for VT, VTR or VTS. The VTR Plus level provides something of the best of both worlds. Theres a wide range of powerplants, most of which meet Euro IV emissions standards, offering a broad range of performance from 90 to 180bhp for the petrol engines and 92 to 138bhp for diesels.
There is a degree of carry over from the existing Xsara line up but motive force was never a Xsara Achilles heel. Buyers seeking the convenience of an automatic can specify a 5-speed unit with the 1.6 or 2.0-litre petrol engines in SX or Exclusive trim.
Is all of this enough to steal meaningful sales from cars like the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra? The pricing seems right and if Citroens recent track record is anything to go by, there will be all manner of tempting deals on the table. The C3 and the C2 have helped modernise Citroens reputation. Now the C4 hopes to claim some significant payback.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Citroen C4 range
PRICES: £11,495-£18,495 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 125-200g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0HDi] 9.7s 0-60mph / 119mph top speed
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0HDi] 39.8mpg (Urban) 62.8mpg (extra Urban) 52.3mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: six airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [Coupe] Length/Width/Height 4274/1769/1458mm
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