The latest generation Citroen C4 arrived in 2020, and with it came an all-electric model dubbed e-C4. It adds to a growing choice of electric family hatchbacks, but still manages to stand out thanks to Citroen’s distinctive styling and from a driving perspective, the brand’s focus on comfort over sportiness.
As a brand new car the e-C4 is also quite good value, and that’s only enhanced if you’re looking at used models. Equipment levels are strong across the range and while you can find more performance, range, or better handling elsewhere, the e-C4’s talents make a lot of sense as an easy-going electric family car.
The e-C4 shares its motor and battery with several other cars including the Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka-e and DS3 Crossback E-Tense, all of which are potential alternatives (all more SUV style than the e-C4), while the Volkswagen ID.3, Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric are more conventionally-shaped takes on the family hatchback theme.
If you’re torn between buying a petrol or diesel car and an electric vehicle, the Citroen e-C4 might be a good car to help you take that step. It’s easy to live with and doesn’t introduce any features that might be off-putting or confusing, and its performance is actually pretty similar to combustion versions of the C4 too.
Some might consider this a missed opportunity when EVs can deliver blistering performance, but not everyone wants to rush to 60mph in five seconds. In true Citroen style the e-C4’s driving experience is much more relaxed, with handling that’s easy and reassuring rather than sporty, and a ride quality better than most of its rivals.
The comfort theme continues inside with wide, soft seats, a slightly raised view of the road - somewhere between a regular hatchback and a smaller SUV or crossover - and a modern interior that thankfully retains physical controls for your air conditioning and audio volume. That said, even the touchscreen is easy to operate when you need it.
Interior space is about average for the class, which is to say it’ll suit most people absolutely fine. Refinement is excellent, charging is brisk enough, and though the range lags behind some rivals, it’ll suit those who rarely go beyond the school run, commute, or visit local attractions.
The e-C4 shares its drivetrain with several other models, most of which clothe it in more SUV-style bodies - such as the Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka-e, and DS3 Crossback E-Tense. All have a distinct look but otherwise drive similarly (and go similarly far on a charge). If you want longer range, then a 260-mile Volkswagen ID.3 or 282-mile Kia e-Niro might be a better bet.
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If you’ve already chosen the e-C4 over one of the combustion models, then there’s just a single drivetrain and battery size available (detailed below), which keeps things simple. There are three trim levels though, and of those we’ve no real preference - the entry-level Sense trim is actually pretty well equipped and should suit most buyers perfectly well. The reversing camera of the C-Series Edition above it might be useful however.
Specification for the e-C4 matches that of the regular combustion-powered models, though Citroen drops its Sense Plus trim line for the EV. All variants get a Mode 3 charging cable, 7.4kW onboard charger and the ability to remotely pre-condition the interior as standard, though the latter requires a subscription, which may need activating when buying a used e-C4.
The Citroen e-C4’s dimensions are:
The Citroen e-C4’s boot size is:
Unlike its combustion equivalents, taxing the Citroen e-C4 won’t cost you a penny, for the time being at least. Electric vehicles are currently free to tax.
Some electric vehicles can be surprisingly expensive to insure, but the Citroen e-C4’s range of insurance groups 22-23 isn’t too bad. It’s still higher than the groups 13-22 of the petrol and diesel models, but it’s lower than the 25-27 of most Volkswagen ID.3s.
Read our full Citroen e-C4 review