New Citroën ë-C4 X review

If you buy a Citroën ë-C4 X, we think it's wise to have an explanation ready of what exactly it is – because it’s not a simple answer. Something along the lines of: “The ë-C4 X is the electric version of the C4 X, which is a saloon version of the Citroën C4 small, coupé-inspired SUV”. See? Not simple.

You could also mention that there’s a Citroën ë-C4 too, or that all the C4 variants have been face-lifted for 2025, giving them new front ends, new infotainment software and new seats. 

Size-wise, the ë-C4 X is 240mm longer than the regular ë-C4, in theory giving you more rear leg room while also increasing boot space. In fact, the figures promise a boot that’s bigger even than the MG5 EV electric estate car’s.

Read on to find out how the Citroën ë-C4 X stacks up against other electric cars that might be on your shortlist. They include electric SUVs such as the Jeep Avenger Electric and Kia Niro EV plus similar-sized electric hatchbacks – think of the MG4 EV and the VW ID 3.

There are two power options available for the Citroën ë-C4 X, and the one you get depends on the trim you pick. The choices are entry-level Plus and top-spec Max, and their performance is similar.

Plus gets a 134bhp electric motor and a 50kWh (usable capacity) battery, and officially takes 10 seconds to sprint from 0-62mph – the same as the equivalent version of the Citroën ë-C4.

The Max version has slightly more power – 154bhp – and a slightly bigger, 54kWh battery. The extra power cuts the 0-62mph time down to 9.3 seconds.

Both versions have front-wheel drive and more than enough power for accelerating up to motorway speeds and overtaking, but don’t expect much more than that.

The ë-C4 X doesn't feel as quick as an MG5 EV Long Range – which officially takes 8.3 seconds to sprint from 0-62mph – a far cry from the Kia Niro EV (7.8 seconds).

Arguably, what’s more important than straight-line speed is how far the ë-C4 X will take you on a full charge. Officially, the smaller battery Plus version has a range of up to 219 miles, which is about the same as an entry-level MG4 EV.

The bigger battery – Max – option brings the official range up to 260 miles, which is more competitive but still a little down on some comparable electric cars – including the Long Range version of the MG4 (which officially manages 281 miles on a charge).

Now, a key selling point of Citroën car models is that they have soft, comfortable rides, and the ë-C4 X is no exception.

You’re treated to the sense that you’re wafting along as you make progress. Every version is relatively settled over minor imperfections, especially around town, and cushions you well over bigger ruts and speed bumps.

It’s definitely one to consider if comfort is at the top of your priority list – more so than the firmer (though still generally comfortable) Jeep Avenger Electric.

It’s not perfect though, because it has a tendency to give a slight thud through sharp-edged imperfections. The softness has the downside of more floatiness over undulations than in a Renault Megane E-Tech and you can feel more vertical bounce. 

The ë-C4 X tends to lean through corners too, due to its softer suspension. That’s not to say it can’t handle a flowing country road (you get a good level of grip and the steering is predictable, if a little light), but it's not exactly exciting to drive.

It’s a car best experienced when driven calmly, which you can do most of the time – only the grabby brake-pedal response ruins how smooth progress can be, especially in stop-start traffic.

"I’m glad Citroën tuned the ë-C4 X for comfort and not sportiness. It’s a relaxing car to drive while it cushions you against bigger bumps." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

You sit lower in the Citroën ë-C4 X than in most SUVs, but it still offers a higher driving position than in rival electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and VW ID 3.

The new seats are comfortable thanks to good padding. They are, though, a little lacking in side support. Adjustable lumbar support is standard across the range.

The ë-C4 X’s front windscreen pillars don’t encroach on your view out at junctions as much as the ones in the Cupra Born but – as in the Citroën ë-C4 – rear visibility isn’t great. In this instance, the high boot line obscures low objects when parking, while the shiny plastic trim over the rear shelf reflects sunlight badly in the rear window.

All trim levels get rear parking sensors and a reversing camera as standard to alleviate some of the visibility issues, with front sensors added with Max trim.

All ë-C4s have a 10in infotainment touchscreen with updated software as part of the 2025 facelift. The graphics are fairly sharp and the menus are pretty easy to make sense of, but we wish its response time was a tad quicker. Some more physical shortcut buttons would be beneficial as well.

Interior quality is one of the better efforts seen from Citroën. While there is some hard plastic in places, it’s mostly broken up with sections of soft-touch materials to avoid it feeling too cheap.

"Citroën has made the effort to make the ë-C4 X’s interior feel quite comforting, and I like the fact that the ambient lighting glows from behind the digital driver's display." – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

The big sell of the ë-C4 X is the fact that it’s longer than the Citroën ë-C4 so you’d expect more space inside. That's not really the case: there’s a similar amount of head and leg room in the front of both models. Still, it's enough to keep two six-footers from touching the roof lining or rubbing shoulders.

The rear is where things are a little disappointing, where rear head room is very tight. Those measuring 6ft tall will be very close to the headlining, and those taller than 6ft will ruin their hair. A middle-seat passenger will have an even worse time of it, with the slightly raised seat almost certainly causing their head to touch the ceiling.

Leg room is the same as in the ë-C4 and more generous than in the cramped Mazda CX-30 but not as good as in a Kia Niro EV or MG4 EV. 

So where does the ë-C4 X's extra length over the ë-C4 make itself know? Boot size of course – you get 130 litres more, taking the overall volume to a very competitive 510 litres. That beats the Niro EV and MG4, as well as the MG5 EV.

In more relatable terms, that means the wide and flat-floored boot will very easily swallow your family’s holiday luggage, a large grocery shop or a couple of buggies. Our only demerit is that the saloon-like boot lid will make it hard to load in tall items – we'd prefer a wider hatchback boot opening for more practicality.

Conversely, long and narrow items won’t cause any problems, thanks to the rear seat backs folding down in a 60/40 configuration (annoyingly, folding them does cause a bit of a step up in the floor). If you go for Max trim you get a handy ski hatch, which allows you to slide long, narrow items between the two outer rear seats.

"I managed to fit a buggy into the ë-C4 X’s boot with ease but there is a much smaller opening than the ë-C4’s hatchback boot." – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

As electric cars go, the ë-C4 X is very well priced and costs the same as the equivalent Citroën ë-C4 (although you can get a cheaper, entry-level trim – You! – on the ë-C4).

The ë-C4 X only enters into Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger Electric pricing territory (and not by much) if you opt for top-of-the-range Max version.

The entry-level ë-C4 X Plus comes with 18in alloy wheels, dual-zone air-conditioning and a head-up display, and the smaller 50kWh battery.

Max upgrades that to a 54kWh battery, adds an alarm (that’s right, Plus doesn’t get an alarm), keyless entry and start, a heated steering wheel and a ski hatch. It’s a noticeable jump in price, but we believe it’s worth it. An EV heat pump costs extra.

Thanks to its 100kW charging speed, the ë-C4 X can charge from 10% to 80% in around half an hour. A 7kWh home EV charger should fully charge it in seven hours or so, which is respectable.

The ë-C4 X didn’t feature in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Citroën as a brand fared relatively well, claiming seventh place out of 31 manufacturers. Toyota and Dacia came higher (in fifth and sixth) while Peugeot was down in 19th.

Every ë-C4 X comes with a three-year warranty with unlimited mileage for the first two years and a 60,000-mile cap on the final year. That’s fairly average, matching Renault’s offering, but it’s no match for Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty or Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile package. The battery has its own eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

The list of safety equipment you get as standard across the e-C4 range includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assist and speed-limit information. Higher-spec Max trim adds blind-spot monitoring and a more advanced AEB system that can detect cyclists as part of the Safety Pack Plus.

The ë-C4 scored a four-star rating from Euro NCAP in 2021. There were concerns over passenger leg injuries in the frontal crash test, and the potential for the front seat occupants to collide with each other in side impacts because of a lack of central airbag between the two.

"It’s worth noting that if you want a heat pump on the ë-C4 X, you have to add it as a £450 option. I'd be tempted to pay the extra if I planned to do a lot of long journeys in colder weather." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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