Citroen C4

AEX CITROEN was keen to emphasise the four pillars of its brand image - 'comfort', 'daring', 'sustainable' and 'simple' - ahead of us driving the new C4.

- Alastair Crooks

The hatchback was launched in its current fourth generation in 2020, and has been a huge seller for the firm, with 270,000 units shifted last year.

Looking to keep this chunky slice of the segment, Citroen revealed the facelifted C4 at the Paris Motor Show last October, and in a typically designled manner from the firm, we saw a fairly significant shift for the exterior styling.

When the company unveiled the striking Oli Concept, it claimed such design would soon filter down into production cars. This is clearly evident in the C4's more rigid bodywork, angular LED lighting layout and Citroen's new badge sitting prominently on the nose. While design is a matter of personal taste, there's no doubt the latest Citroen C4 stands out from the crowd, while neatly adhering to the brand's new identity at the same time.

The jacked-up hatch bodystyle remains, meaning the C4 continues its two-pronged fight against traditional hatchbacks such as the Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf, as well as small crossovers such as the Mazda CX-30 and Ford Puma.

It seems like most of the stylists' efforts went into tweaking the outside, because other than a new Citroen steering-wheel badge, fresh bolstering for the seats and a new design of seat insert, it's virtually unchanged from the old car inside.

The 10-inch central touchscreen remains standard on all models, although it features an updated infotainment system that feels easy enough to use on the move. You no longer have ever-present ventilation buttons on the screen; thankfully, a set of simple-to-operate physical controls sit in the centre of the dashboard.