Amid the constant replenishment of the market with new products from the Chinese automotive industry, an electric car from a familiar brand has become a healing breath of fresh air. From the very first minute, you can feel the style, quality and attention to detail. But the main thing is that we get not just a vehicle for traveling, but a well-thought-out and practical everyday car.
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From the very first days, André Citroën’s creations have been characterized by a spirit of free thinking and a synthesis of technical and aesthetic principles. The company has made a name for itself with avant-garde technology and extravagant design. Many models brought the automotive industry to a new level of progress. Only «Chevrons» was able to simultaneously produce an almost 2CV car, a family hatch with a Wankel rotary engine, a thoroughbred Grand Tourismo with a Maserati V6, and the presidential DS21.
Unfortunately, it was this kind of overengineering that ultimately ruined the «chevrons». While others cut costs to the level of «cheaper than anything else, Citroën lived in the clouds of its own utopia, where aesthetics, celebration, and travel rule the world. The return to reality was painful. As soon as they came under the control of the much more conservative but also more cautious Peugeot, «chevrons» learned about all the delights of unification. In a couple of years, the most non-trivial brand turned into a manufacturer of «cars from a bucket of spare parts», completely moving to Peugeot’s component base.
Thus, «Citroens» became more reliable and cheaper, but gradually lost their exclusivity. It got to the point that over time, they began to produce virtually rebadged «Peugeots». But sometimes there were models worthy of Andre Citroën’s memory (VX, XM, C6, DS5, C-Cactus), but they looked more like an exception to the general rule. As if afraid of their audacity, the «chevrons» retreated and there was no continuation.
Fortunately, at the end of the twentieth century, the head office figured out the proportions of dissimilarity — how much and in what ways Citroën should differ from Peugeot. And simultaneously with the work on the global model of the Peugeot 307, work on its alter ego began. As a result, the first-generation C4 differed not only from the original source, but also from each other: the three-door and five-door versions had different architectures. You may or may not like the appearance of the «Cé-Coatré», but few people will accuse the «chevrons» of borrowing. After all, after the debut of the C4, there was only talk of reviving the true spirit of the brand, etched by a whole generation of «passable» models.
«We decided to do something that some people will love and others will hate, — this is how the brand’s stylist Mark Loyd once described the new design paradigm. — We are sure that this is better than offering something average in a crowded market».
I needed such a significant remark just to show the gap between Citroën and the rootless Chinese brands that are taking over our market. In the electric car sector, European brands have the hardest time competing with the Chinese labor force. In the short term, the old-timers have no tools against price dumping, which is backed by rich equipment packages. The main trump card about the fragility of «Chinese» and disgusting service no longer works: «electric trains» do not break down as often as their gasoline and diesel relatives. Perhaps in the minds of most supporters of electric mobility, only Tesla is firmly in the forefront. But in fact, old-world brands have something to offer. Our test drive hero — is a vivid example of the fact that the French have many trump cards and the game is just beginning.
Stellantis seems to have found a formula that will encourage a significant number of consumers to buy electric cars. First and foremost, it is the maximum similarity in design, functionality, handling, and practicality with conventional ICE cars. It is not surprising that my test car was constantly noticed by neighbors or passers-by, who were interested, looking at it and asking questions. Of course, Citroen always attracts attention on the road with its non-trivial design, but here people asked about the electric version. It’s really worth it: a European with decent build quality, reliability, and a relatively affordable price.
Moreover, the Frenchman does not shout about his electrification, which, in my opinion, is an advantage for most people. The Citroën e-C4 is based on the CMP/eCMP architecture, as is the C4 hatchback. Both versions first appeared back in 2020, but while the latter initially had a whole range of engines, the electric powertrain had only a 136-horsepower Continental electric motor and a 400-volt CATL 50 kWh battery. And only three years later, the crossover hatch got its own synchronous electric motor, which develops 156 hp at the same 260 Nm. The battery remained the same, but its capacity was increased to 54 kWh, and the price remained almost unchanged due to the changed percentage of nickel in the cathode. But most importantly, the mileage per charge has increased from 360 to 420 km on the WLTP cycle.
Externally, the only way to distinguish the «and» is by the nameplates, new wheels, and a rear bumper without any pipes. In general, Citroën e-C4 and C4 have the same dimensions: 4354 mm in length, 1834 mm in width, 1522 mm in height and a wheelbase of 2667 mm. But the electric vehicle is 282 kg heavier (curb weight 1596 kg).
This is the second representative of the concern after the DS3 E-Tense, which came to us with a range of 420 km (WLTP), so it has many chances to become the best in the segment. The Jeep Avenger, which will soon be available for sale, is approaching it in terms of size and functionality and price. Another representative of the Opel Mokka-e concern looks much simpler, has smaller dimensions and a smaller 50 kWh battery, so it loses in all respects.
The Nissan Leaf hatchback has also been officially introduced on our market, which has a 40 kWh battery with a smaller range and offers less interior space with a larger size. So even with the cult electric car, our e-C4 wins in terms of mileage. But against the backdrop of such competitors, it seems that Citroën is constantly balancing between segments and in positioning. It is already not enough space in the B-Class, but it is not yet up to the C-Class. It is no longer just a hatchback, but far from a crossover.
We seem to be living in a time of unification. We are seeing the boundaries between classes and body types completely disappear. When a car has to offer the dynamics of a coupe, which will be combined with the practicality of a family car and the off-road capability of an SUV. Is it hard to imagine? And we already have examples. So Citroën is not an exception, but rather a good solution, no matter what the wording of its body is: hatchback, cross-hatch or fastback. The main thing is how it feels to the owner.
Citroën e-C4 is easy to drive. It does not burden in any way does not cause irritation or misunderstanding of behavior. Everything is predictable and simple. You can feel the many years of work of engineers, designers, and designers. Everything here is balanced to the millimeter, to the slightest movement. This is exactly how an exemplary everyday car should feel, allowing you to relax while driving.
Steering effort appears in sport mode. The accelerator also becomes more responsive, and the transmission responds faster to foot movement. This helps when overtaking and accelerating quickly. Sport — is the only mode that unleashes all 154 «horses». Normally, when you activate an electric vehicle, the default driving mode is Normal, and it is sufficient for most situations.
The Citroën e-C4 does not have regeneration force control. For one-pedal control, there is mode B (Brake) or engine braking. When you release the gas pedal, the car begins to slow down. But this mode doesn’t work the same way as in the Nissan Leaf and won’t stop the car completely, it only allows you to save a little energy and move your foot less, but I still had to use the brakes constantly. And it’s not convenient to turn it on. If the gearbox can be shifted only with a small lever, then here you have to press a small button. And you have to do it every time you turn on the electric car.
Of course, driving the e-C4 — is not about liveliness. A sharp acceleration will push you into the seat, but only for a few seconds, then the dynamics slow down. So here Citroën is clearly losing out to the more dynamic VW iD3 or Kia Niro EV, which provide more excitement and power. However, the Frenchman has the biggest advantage in this segment — the presence of a proprietary Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension. The suspension in the e-C4 eliminates vibrations and bouncing on potholes. It smoothes the surface and generally just allows you to float in an incredibly calm manner. The e-C4 is like a cruiser, rewarding you for leaving the house half an hour early. The leisurely ride encourages you to drive more and longer.
The incredible front seats also help with relaxation, as Citroën Advanced Comfort seats are available as standard. They are flat, wide and have a slight side support, designed for any body type. Both a little girl and a tall man will be able to sit here. The chairs are mechanically adjustable in six directions, and the steering wheel can be adjusted both in height and reach. You have to sit high, like in a crossover, and visibility is decent, even despite the coupe silhouette.
The good aerodynamics also contribute to energy efficiency. The new synchronous electric motor from Emotors (a company created in cooperation between Stellantis and the Japanese company Nidec) has a power of 156 hp and a torque of 260 Nm — these are not the best indicators in the wide segment, as well as a battery capacity of 54 kWh. The real range will not be 420 km, but rather 380 km. Energy consumption is mostly kept within 14–15 kWh per 100 km. When driving around the city and maximizing the use of B-mode, you can easily go down to 10.5 kWh per hundred, which is an excellent indicator. But on the highway, when driving at 110 km/h, the consumption returns to 14.5 kWh.
The e-C4 is equipped with an active-cooled Li-Ion NMC (lithium-ion, nickel, manganese, cobalt) battery from CATL. It has 17 blocks with a total of 102 cells. In our case, this is an improved version of the battery with a denser recalculated proportion of the chemical elements nickel, manganese and cobalt (it was 80/10/10, it became 60/20/20).
Unfortunately, the range readings are not very reliable because they tend to jump depending on how you are driving at the moment. So the calculation will depend not on average, but on the last trip. In some electric cars, it’s the other way around, such as the Hyundai Kona Electric. There, the indicator does not depend on what the dashboard shows and how the numbers jump. You will always know how far you can drive before you need to recharge.
The main thing is that the Citroën e-C4 charges like a smartphone. You won’t need much time at a stop to replenish your range. There’s an 11 kW (AC) charger with a Type 2 connector, as well as a CCS Combo 2 for direct current (DC) charging. The Citroën e-C4 can consume up to 101 kW of power. Therefore, the car can be charged from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes with a powerful current. However, given that most of our stations deliver only 50 kW, charging will take up to 50 minutes.
From a power of 3.7 kW, charging will take about 14 hours and 30 minutes. A full charge from a home single-phase network takes 23 hours, and if you install a 7.4 kW outlet or unit, you can reduce the time to 7 hours and 15 minutes. A three-phase network will reduce the charging time even further.
I can only thank the people of Odesa from Ecofactor for the convenient application and hassle-free connection. No questions asked, I register, quickly top up my account and connect. Three-phase stations are capable of delivering 22 kW, and sometimes even 32 kW, which greatly simplifies the use of an electric car in the city. I’ve never had a charging failure, and it’s convenient to monitor the process, and even more pleasant is that the price is quite low compared to other providers (UAH 13.49 per kilowatt-hour).
In the infotainment system settings, it is possible to program charging, limit power and time. The same functions will be available through the app, which allows you to remotely control charging, find the location and location of the electric vehicle, save routes, monitor energy consumption, and more. In addition, Citroën still has a video recorder function and the ability to take pictures with a camera.
As always, Citroën has gone its own way and made a rather interesting step in electric mobility: instead of trying to make the e-C4 exciting, they focused on comfort. So it’s not just the suspension that creates coziness here, but the entire cabin atmosphere works for practicality and convenience. In fact, it’s one of the brand’s best interiors in quite some time.
No, there are no expensive materials here and the plastic is mostly hard and cheap, but everything is calculated and thought out even where you don’t immediately notice. So the climate system was given a separate panel under the 10-inch monitor of the entertainment system, which is incredibly pleasing after dealing with a lot of Chinese design ideas. There are separate knobs for temperature, fan, and seat heating. There’s even a separate knob for volume control, which is a rarity.
To the left of the steering wheel are the keys for turning on the heated steering wheel and windshield, and next to it is a panel for setting up the projection display that moves in front of the driver. Yes, there is a projection that can be turned off forcibly. This is quite convenient when the car is broadcasting speed data, limit signs, and messages from the standard navigation system.
Yes, the e-C4 has a standard navigation system that can be connected via the Internet. So you need to install a map or share the Internet from your smartphone to make it work, but you may not need to. After all, there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with wireless charging. And everything connects quickly and works almost without interruption.
A nice thing is the Ukrainian-language interface in the system. This is an advantage of an official car importer. It’s nice that all data is displayed in the native language.
Citroën’s special design features include a variety of storage spaces. And the replacement of the conventional gearshift lever with a compact joystick has freed up additional space. So you’ll find a fairly deep armrest with a rubberized base, deep cupholders, a separate niche for charging your smartphone with indication, a storage shelf below, and another container below it. Small pockets will be in the door cards. Above the deep glove compartment, there is an additional sliding shelf where you can store a tablet or documents, or even use it as a table. There is also a tablet holder, which I did not immediately identify because you need a special case to install it.
There are plenty of outlets for recharging gadgets: there are TypeC and USB in the front and rear. Air deflectors are provided for the rear row. There is also an armrest with niches for cups and a hatch for access to the luggage compartment or for transporting long items.
An important advantage of the Citroën e-C4 is that, unlike some electric vehicles, the car has been designed without any compromise on space, regardless of whether you choose a car with an engine under the hood or an electric system. This means that the e-C4’s interior is just as roomy as the standard C4’s, with a 380-liter trunk with a niche for storing the charging cable. But under the hood, all the power devices will be located, leaving no room for an additional trunk, which most electric vehicles are so proud of.
However, keep in mind the disadvantage of such a coupe-like body shape, as the rear pillar looms menacingly over the passengers behind, and tall people may not be able to fit comfortably on the rear sofa. The narrow opening is also not the best companion for a hatchback and makes getting into the car not so comfortable. The sofa itself has a long cushion and the correct backrest angle. It can accommodate five passengers, but only for short distances because the comfort for everyone will not be, frankly, the best. Rather, this place is for children, who will definitely have enough comfort.
Constantly balancing between the familiar and the new, between the understandable and the innovative, between the simple and the complex — this is the way of the Citroën e-C4. It doesn’t feel electric like the Nissan Leaf, which was created as an electric car. So, in my opinion, it will be the best companion for those who are not yet fully ready to go electric.
The e-C4 will offer a conventional driving style, a pleasant and comfortable interior, and a clear interface. Add to this the benefits of the maximum equipment that we are offered without alternative, with all the active assistance systems that work politely and carefully, clearly not worse than in Volvo, and we get a full-fledged adult car, not a temporary version of an electric train on the way to electrifying the brand.
However, you will have to pay not as little as they ask for the Chinese iD3. It will be $35 thousand (1,378,100 UAH) versus $27 thousand, but there the reliability is questionable, according to service statistics, and here we have an official representative of the company with a warranty of up to 8 years or 160,000 km for the battery. There is service support and maintenance. So it’s up to everyone to choose.
In general, I’ve noticed that more and more people are paying attention to electric cars, but not everyone decides to buy one. For the most part, this is the second car in the family, which will allow you to worry less about regular maintenance and offer more favorable conditions for moving around the city.
Now, people will throw arguments at me, and they are mostly correct. I partially agree because electric cars still have a more expensive price tag, and the range and charging time are still not that convenient. My observations of my friends suggest that the costs are more likely to be fully recouped if you live in a private house or have a parking space with access to electricity and a two-zone meter. And, in addition, a calm disposition to take on all the challenges that an electric car still poses.
PROS: easy to drive, comfortable suspension, rich equipment, stylish design
CONS: the presence of rolls when cornering, not very comfortable on the back seat
| Body, type | hatchback |
| Dimensions (LxWxH), mm | 4354/1834/1552 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2667 |
| Declared ground clearance, mm | 156 |
| Trunk volume, liters. | 380/1250 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1596 |
| Battery capacity, kWh | 54 |
| Power, hp (kW) | 115/156 |
| Max. torque, Nm | 260 |
| Power reserve, km | 420 |
| Type of drive | front |
| Pendant | hall/semi-hall. |
| Transmission | single-stage automatic |
| Dynamics 0-100, s | 9,2 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 150 |
| Energy consumption, kWh/100 km | 14,7-16,5 |
| Cost, UAH | 1 378 100 |
| The cost of the test car, UAH | 1 378 100 |
| Competitors | Peugeot e-208 |
| FIAT e500 | |
| Nissan Leaf | |
| Renault Zoe | |
| Kia Niro EV | |
| VW iD3 | |
| DS3 Crossback E-tense | |
| Opel Mokka-e |