One of the reasons for this is the fact that C4 is currently facing a crossroad. Its first generation was released when Citroën was still PSA’s “creative” division, basically responsible of applying innovative solutions to normal cars. However, over the following years those cars (such as C6) have had quite bad sales, mostly for not respecting the customer’s tastes. The DS luxury lineup, on the other hand, has done very well. This is why PSA’s latest strategy is to separate these two, placing DS above Peugeot and Citroën under. C4’s problem, in turn, is to have reached the second generation in the midst of this transition: it can’t become low-cost, in order to keep the previous buyers, but now it needs to stay “toned down”, to avoid competing with 308.
Since it’s still too early to talk about ending its production, the company decided to “stall” the car. While the sedan just received technical improvements, specially in Latin America, the hatchback received nothing but some nips and tucks. At least for now, the intention is to turn it into a more conservative hatchback, while Peugeot’s model attracts those who don’t mind paying more to have a trendy car. When the Cactus sibling arrived, there were some rumors about it replacing the conventional hatchback, and they can actually be true, but not for a while. What Citroën brings at this moment, and as official information, is just a midlife facelift, but it surely made this vehicle the best C4 ever created.
The front fascia features headlights with darker trim built-in LED strips and, according to the company, projectors with “three-dimensional effect”. Bumper and grilles are the same, which means it still looks slightly different from the sedan. The sides only received new wheels, with sizes ranging up to 18”. The rear, in turn, shows entirely new lights, whose boomerang looks was clearly inspired by C3’s set – they are also 3D. Their new shape implied some changes at the entire section, but Citroën only did what was necessary. Tailgate and bumper remain essentially the same, with few creases and a very clean design. Externally, the new C4 also offers two new color options: Stone Grey and Platinum Grey.
When it comes to the interior, this generation of C4 had an inconvenience, not so much a problem: it was conceived when touchscreens were still too expensive to be massively used in vehicles, so neither the hatchback nor the sedan ever had it. Now, the first one solves it with seven inches of high definition: the new screen sits below the central air intakes, and had its room created by removing some of the physical controls. The dashboard looks much cleaner, but it still respects people’s preference by keeping buttons for audio system and climate control – they are easier to be operated quickly and/or without looking, while touching a screen demands you to lower your eyes and look at it. But there’s still a little more to talk about the new hatchback.
The last tidbits of C4’s facelift regard performance. Citroën added some new engine options to what was already a long list, all compliant with Euro 6. The gasoline range was increased with PureTech 110, which produces 110 cv and 20.9 kgfm, uses a six-speed manual gearbox, makes 21.3 kpl and emits 110 g/km of CO2; and PureTech 130, whose 130 cv and 23.4 kgfm are paired to a six-speed automatic transmission and 20.8-kpl consumption. Switching to diesel, you can get a BlueHDi 100, with 100 cv and 25.9 kgfm, or a BlueHDi 130, which takes those numbers to 120 cv and 30.6 kgfm. The new Citroën C4 hatchback was officially released during this year’s Brussels Auto Show, and will go on sale in a few months.