2015 Citroën New C4 Flair BlueHDi 120 S&S Manual

Now that the C4 range has blossomed into MPVs, SUVs and luxury hatchbacks, GreenFleet asks if there is still room for Citroën’s more conventional five-door hatchback

The first C4 showed once again that Citroën could still do quirky after years in the mainstream wilderness. The three-door ‘coupé’ in particular showed innovative touches, with its raked-back sharp styling, built-in air freshener and non-rotating steering wheel hub. The C4 brand soon expanded into people carrier ‘Picasso’ models.

However, there has been no time where Citroën’s C-segment model range has been more diverse than today, with both Picasso and Grand Picasso variants and the Asian‑market C4 L saloon. A brace of C4 Cactus (GreenFleet, issue 81) and C4 Aircross models fill small and large gaps respectively in the crossover markets, too (even though the C4 Cactus is actually based on the smaller C3 and DS3 models). But, with all this range variation and niche‑market filling, is there still a place for the standard C4 five-door hatchback?

Euro 6 engines
The latest version of the C4 was launched in the UK in April 2015. Based heavily on the previous model which debuted in 2010, the ‘New C4’ (as Citroën refers to it) features detail changes as well as Euro 6 engines and improved technology. Over 450,000 examples of the earlier second‑generation car have rolled out of the French company’s Mulhouse factory in France, as well as plants in China and Russia.

More conventional in looks than the first‑generation model which, the latest C4 takes elements of Citroën styling trends first seen on the new post-2010 DS models. An aggressive front end is dominated by the double chevron grille, and new light signatures with LED daytime running lights freshen up the frontal perspective. At the rear, a similar ‘3D’ light treatment and gloss black rear spoiler combine to lend an upmarket air. ‘Perla Nera’ black door handles with chrome inserts lift the car’s looks in profile, along with the 16-inch ‘Wembley’ alloy wheels. The ‘Spirit Grey Metallic’ paint (more light metallic brown in reality) on KN15 HKB was an extra £525.

High-tech features
Inside, the dashboard features soft-touch plastics and lots of matt chrome detailing. It feels upmarket, too, especially with the optional £300 keyless entry and start system fitted to our top-of-the-range ‘Flair’ test car. Additional high-tech features include sat-nav, auto lights and wipers, changeable dashboard instrument colours, dual-zone air conditioning, leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake lever, alloy pedals, and DAB/FM radio with Bluetooth/CD/AUX-IN connectivity, accessed through a seven-inch colour touchscreen with £400 eMyWay DAB system.

One nice touch is the way the ’needle’ moves around the outside of the speedometer, which gives both conventional analogue and digital displays. A digital rev counter and fuel gauge is bars which appear and disappear as speed is increased and fuel level declines. While small things, they show that Citroën can still be innovative when it wants to be. Additional equipment over the similarly-powered but lower-specced ‘Feel’ model includes front fog lights with cornering function, auto lights and wipers, ‘Guide Me Home’ headlight function, electrically-heated and folding rear view mirrors with kerb lighting, and an electrochrome rear‑view mirror. A 408-litre boot gives more than enough room for luggage, although taller passengers complained of tight rear legroom.

A refined cruiser
To drive, the New C4 is as conventional as it looks, which is no bad thing if you rack up a lot of motorway miles. A refined cruiser, at 70mph the Euro 6 1.6-litre diesel engine is near silent, only spinning at 1,750rpm in sixth gear.
Much quieter than similar units from the Volkswagen Group, it makes the New C4 an enjoyable long distance motorway companion. In a technology shared with its Volkswagen Golf rival, the New C4’s noise reducing acoustic windscreen actually works – refinement is very good, with only tyre noise from the 205/55 R16 Michelin ride-cushioning tyres entering the cabin.

With CO2 emissions of 95g/km and a potential of 78.5mpg on the combined cycle, the BlueHDi 120 S&S Manual’s peak power of 120bhp is produced at 3,500rpm, while torque of 221b ft (300Nm) comes in at 1,750rpm. Not that we’re so interested in performance stats at GreenFleet, but the 0-62mph dash takes 10.6 seconds, while the New C4 has a top speed of 122mph. Performance is more than acceptable for keeping up with motorway traffic flow, but the six-speed manual gearbox needs a little bit of stirring in the lower rev ranges.

Despite Citroën’s published fuel economy value claims, we returned an average of 54.9mpg over the course of our 671-mile ‘real-world’ test. Interestingly, when the car arrived with us, it displayed 658 miles of range – we beat that figure by 13 miles. The fuel gauge gave patchy performance, though, as range was initially gained as when carefully driving an electric vehicle. However, towards the end of using all the fuel in the 60-litre tank, the range dropped suddenly, although a persistent warning signal gave more than ample warning of low fuel levels.

A gear-efficiency indicator, stop-start system, multifunction trip computer (current and average fuel consumption/average speed/range remaining – also shows in main instrument binnacle) all help the New C4’s eco credentials. A number of read-outs can be monitored on the central touchscreen system including multi-trip and fuel economy information, as well as a display which informs of the amount of time the car has been in stop‑start (and therefore emission-free) mode. 

Tax benefits
The greenest version of the New C4 is the BlueHDi 100 S&S manual, which boasts 86g/km of CO2 emissions and a claimed 85.6mpg on the combined cycle which translates into 1,100 miles on a single tank of fuel. Although the BlueHDi 120 S&S we tested offers slightly less impressive fuel economy, it has more performance and also shares the same tax benefits. A 3-year, 60,000-mile warranty and 12,500‑mile service intervals are par for the course for the C-segment hatchback class.

Avant-garde adventurists will no doubt prefer the bolder and award-winning C4 Cactus to the regular C4 hatchback as it is much more daring and innovative, and shows that Citroën can still do quirky very well when it feels the need to. The New C4 is both more generic in feel and looks and that will suit more conservative drivers just fine. With an array of technology and refinement on offer just some of the New C4’s strong points, its place in the French manufacturer’s C4 range line-up is justified for those who aren’t quite ready to embrace a bold new future just yet.

Further information
www.citroen.co.uk