Citroen redefined what a compact electric family saloon could look like with their e-C4 X. Jonathan Crouch checks out the improved version.
Ten Second Review
The e-C4 X is 'the best of a hatchback, with the modernity of an SUV and the timelessness of a saloon', according to Citroen. Or you could simply see it as a sedan version of the brand's quirky all-electric e-C4 hatch. Either way, it's an ambitiously styled four-door family EV that's compact yet spacious, with a simply enormous boot. And it's a bit more appealing in this updated form.
Background
X seems to mean different things to different brands. Citroen doesn't see the letter as designating an SUV. Instead, for them, it references what the brand calls 'the crossroads of different universes', a melding together of different genres, the sort of thing we've already seen in the company's large C5 X. With the e-C4 X, originally introduced back in 2022, the styling brief was rather less ambitious, but it still hoped to blend hatchback, crossover and sedan genres together into one appealing compact shape that a first glance, could fall into any of those three categories.
Since then, we've seen something similar (but rather more dramatic) with cousin Stellantis Group Gallic brand Peugeot's 408, but the e-C4 X is a more straightforward design that sits on a different, simpler, CMP platform and is offered in this combustion guise as well as in the full-electric form we look at here. As you might expect, everything is based on the e-C4 hatch, but from the B-pillar back, things are a great deal more spacious and interesting. Citroen revealed a wide-ranging update to this car in Autumn 2024. Let's take a closer look.
Driving Experience
There haven't been any engineering or handling changes as part of this update. The e-C4 X does of course drive just like the e-C4 hatch, though you might be interested to learn that its more aerodynamic shape (0.29Cd) gives it a slightly longer driving range figure. As before, you choose between a base 50kWh/136hp base version (with a 222 mile range) or a 54kWh/154hp model (with 263 miles). To boost this capability, the car can recover energy when decelerating or braking. And there are three drive modes - 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' - that can vary the level of engine power and the energy draw from the air conditioning to boost driving range. 62mph from rest takes 9.5s on the way to a modest 93mph top speed.
Like all EVs, the car can recover energy when decelerating or braking. And there are three drive modes - 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' - that can vary the level of engine power and the energy draw from the air conditioning to boost driving range. The e-C4 X has a 'Brake' feature to amplify the deceleration of the car without pressing the brake pedal. This set-up allows for the recovery of energy when slowing the car and allows the driver to partially recharge the battery and increase driving range. Like other C4s, this one features a clever Progressive Hydraulic suspension set-up. Here, the car's springs and shock absorbers work in concert with hydraulic compression and rebound stops, which are supposed to slow body movement over bumps and tarmac tears.
Design and Build
True to its name, the e-C4 X is what Citroen describes as a 'cross design' - an integration of a Fastback saloon body onto the raised hatchback-cum-crossover design of the C4 hatch. Everything at the front is the same as that hatch showroom stablemate. As with the updated e-C4 hatch, the front look of this revised e-C4 X draws upon the brand's Oli concept car from 2022, with squared-off lighting signatures and the brand's latest logo. But from the B-pillar back, a different roof line takes over and there's an extra 240mm of length. This accommodates a large 510-litre boot (much bigger than the 380-litres you get in the e-C4 hatch). And a small duck tail-like spoiler with distinctive LED lights.
There are quite a few changes with this updated model inside, where there's a bigger 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster (1.5-inches larger than before). The 10.0-inch central screen's the same size as previously, but has been updated with a new connected 3D navigation system and a better 'Hello Citroen'-activated voice control set-up. A major selling point of the pre-facelift car was its cossetting 'Advanced Comfort' seats; well they've been improved with an extra 15mm of foam and a new denser section of padding in the centre of the squab. For the EV version, there's also now a 'V2L' 'Vehicle-to-Load' system, which enables you to plug external devices (like laptop, lights, coffee makers, drones and so on) into the vehicle battery.
And rear seat space? You might hope for an improvement over the hatch there given the body length increase of this sedan body shape, but that ignores the fact that this e-C4 X model's wheelbase length of 2,670mm is unchanged over the hatch. So things are much the same in the back, apart from the fact that headroom is slightly compromised by the sloping rear roof line. In compensation, Citroen claims best-in-class second-row knee room (198mm) and a more reclined (27-degree) rear seatback. Plus the exterior width of 1,800mm means that three people can comfortably sit side-by-side across the rear bench, with a total of 1,380mm of width at the shoulders and 1,440mm at the elbows. The e-C4 X saloon's boot is a big 510-litres in size (the same as the combustion model but 130-litres bigger than the e-C4 hatch).
Market and Model
Right, let's get to prices, which now start from around £29,000 (the same as the equivalent e-C4 hatch version). From these prices, you can deduct the government's £1,500 Electric car Grant. There's a choice of two trim levels, 'Plus' and 'Max'. To take on key compact similarly-sized EV rivals in the same price bracket, all versions of this e-C4 X need to be well equipped. They are.
Nice touches the include LED ambient lighting on the new 7-inch digital instrument panel. Front passengers benefit from access to Citroën's Smart Pad Support, a retractable tablet holder built directly into the dashboard, which enables the front passenger to make the most of time spent on the move. Below this is a Dashboard Tray, a large sliding drawer with a cushioned action. A popular option will be the large electric opening panoramic sunroof.
A 10-inch central infotainment screen comes with all C4 Xs, as does wireless 'phone charging and 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring connectivity. A superb sound system can be specified too, with Arkamys digital sound processing and 8 speakers. A nice optional touch you might well want to consider is a full-HD camera built into the rear view mirror which can take photos or video stored on a 16GB memory card. Safety-wise, there's no fewer than 20 different driver assistance features, including Highway Driving Assist and a 'level 2' semi-autonomous drive system incorporating Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Assist.
Cost of Ownership
With the top 54kWh model, the electric motor and battery enhancements reduce average energy consumption to 12kW/h, offering significant benefits in real-life customer use, even at temperatures close to 0-degrees C. With both variants, the relatively compact battery size means less weight and less consumption, plus eco-style 'A+ 18-inch' tyres reduce rolling resistance and minimise energy loss through friction. As standard, there's a heat pump, which uses a humidity sensor to maximise energy efficiency and cooling.
On to battery replenishment. The e-C4 X charges at up to 100kW with the 50kWh battery - or at up to 115kW with the 54kWh battery. But charging times are much the same either way. The e-C4 X is fitted with a 7.4kW on-board charger, which can DC-charge to 80% in around half an hour using a 100kW public fast charger. At home, the car will AC-charge from empty to full in around 7.5 hours using a typical single-phase 7.4kW garage wallbox. That could fall to just 5 hours if you have a 3-phase home electricity supply and have the car fitted with an optional 11kW on-board charger to allow you to AC-charge using an 11kW wallbox.
Whatever your choice of e-C4, you'll properly want to keep garage costs in check by opting for the affordable 3 year servicing plan that is available at point of purchase. Finally, there's the usual Citroen three year / 60,000 mile warranty. And the e-C4 X has its own battery warranty - 8 years or 100,000 miles for 70% of charge capacity.
Summary
Citroen really wants this e-C4 X to be seen as a Coupe-SUV - like, say, a smart #3 - which might be a bit of a stretch because it's not clean sheet design like that car; merely an e-C4 hatch with a rather stylish boot. Still, because that e-C4 hatch model has a rather crossovery vibe, the e-C4 X confection kind of works, especially in this updated form. And the way the stretched rear has been configured means that you get more luggage space than any other EV of this size we can think of.
Fashion and practicality are attributes the e-C4 X will need because mainstream brand saloons rarely sell well in our market. This one may not break that trend, but the right kind of customer might well like it very much indeed. It delivers the saloon body style Citroen needs in its line-up for Middle Eastern, African and Southern European markets. But there's much wider appeal here. Enough maybe, to make you want to try this car.
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