New Citroen C4: Family hatch gets bold, SUV-inspired redesign

The new Citroën C4 has a more conventional look than the C4 Cactus it replaces and is slightly higher-riding, with the intention to bridge the gap between traditional hatchbacks and SUVs.

The French manufacturer has released the first images and preliminary details of the model, which also indirectly replaces the C4 hatchback that was axed in 2018. It will be sold with petrol, diesel and electric powertrains, making it the first family hatchback in the portfolio of parent firm PSA Group to offer a zero-emissions variant. More powertrain information will follow, but expect a range of 200 miles for the ë-C4.

Citroën CEO Vincent Cobée told Autocar recently that the introduction of the model held "massive" importance for Citroën's sales growth in Europe. In 2019, the brand grew 1% year on year, selling 830,000 vehicles.

Cobée said: "The car will be Citroën to its core, in design, innovation and comfort. So for us, it's one of three or four bullets in the overall growth of Citroën. Citroën has massive legitimacy in this segment. It's the one with the most populist customer base."

Talking about the C4 Cactus, Cobée said: "We probably were a bit carried away with our innovation capabilities on the current vehicle [C4 Cactus]." He added that this new C4 is a "more comprehensive and attractive offer".

The new C4 features Citroën's Advanced Comfort programme, which includes progressive hydraulic bump stops, a focus on comfortable seats and a "bright, soothing" interior. Citroën said these qualities are amplified in the electric ë-C4, thanks to its "quiet operation, smoothness and driving sensation".

The interior is a significant upgrade on the C4 Cactus, with more upmarket materials and a larger, wider touchscreen. The reintroduction of physical dials for heating controls addresses complaints of Citroën's existing system, which allows these to be controlled via the screen only.

The new C4 and ë-C4 will go on UK sale at the start of 2021 and will be slightly more expensive than the £22,190 starting price of today's C4 Cactus. The ë-C4 is likely to cost more than £30,000.

The electric model is one of six electrified Citroën vehicles set to be launched in the next 12 months. The others are the C5 Aircross plug-in hybrid, the Ami quadricycle (which isn't yet coming to the UK) and three vans, including the ë-Spacetourer.