New Citroën C4 X review

If you ask someone to name a saloon version of a small SUV they might struggle. Fortunately, we've got an example to hand – the Citroën C4 X.

Like the regular Citroën C4, the C4 X has undergone a facelift for 2025. The changes are all the same – there’s a new front end, seats and infotainment software – except there’s been no redesign for the rear here.

What’s more, as with the C4, you can also have the C4 X as a fully electric car. To read about that, hop on over to our Citroën ë-C4 X review.

The C4 X is 240mm longer than the C4 with a bigger boot. But is that enough of a reason to buy a C4 X, and how does it fare against rivals including the Mazda CX-30, Renault Arkana and Skoda Kamiq? Read on to find out...

The Citroën C4 X is solely available with one engine and it’s a regular hybrid petrol. Total power is a healthy 134bhp, with 0-62mph dealt with in a respectable eight seconds, and the C4 X can glide along on electric power alone for short bursts.

It will do so almost silently, with just a faint whine from the electric motor, and when the engine kicks in it's not as raucous as that of a Honda HR-V – and as well as being noisier, the HR-V is slower. 

The C4 X comes with an automatic gearbox and can be a bit slow to respond at times. However, if you're gentle with the accelerator the gearbox proves smooth and quick-shifting enough.  

Citroën tends to tune its cars to provide a soft and comfortable ride, and the C4 X is no exception. Every version comes with 18in wheels and the same Comfort suspension set-up that cushions you well over bigger ruts and speed bumps. Wind and road noise are kept to an impressive minimum. 

It’s definitely one to consider if comfort is at the top of your priority list. It does have a tendency to give a slight thud through sharp-edged imperfections, but the sensation isn’t as hefty as what you’d experience in a Renault Arkana. 

The softer suspension means the C4 X tends to lean through corners. That’s not to say it can’t handle a flowing country road, but with moderate levels of grip and light steering, you reach the limits quite quickly. For more composed, confidence-inspiring handling, the Skoda Kamiq is worth a look.  

“I’m glad the C4 X focuses on comfort and refinement and I think a lot of buyers will appreciate that. Still, it would be nice if the handling was a touch sharper.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

You sit lower down in the Citroën C4 X than in most small SUVs but it still offers a higher driving position than in family hatchbacks.

The seats provide plenty of padding and the driver’s one gets adjustable lumbar support as standard across the range, so it’s great for long motorway trips. Side support is a little lacking when cornering though.

The front windscreen pillars don’t obstruct your view out at junctions, although the high boot line obscures low objects when parking. Every C4 X gets rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

The latest C4 X's new seats have good padding, making them comfy over long journeys. However, we do wish there was a bit more side and thigh support to hold you in place during cornering.

There's also a new 7in driver’s display with good quality graphics – although the driver’s display in the Skoda Kamiq is even more swish.

Alongside the display is a 10in infotainment touchscreen. It uses new software and looks fairly modern, with well laid out menus.

What’s more, your climate controls aren’t piled into the touchscreen – as they are in a Ford Puma and many other models. Instead, they have their own dedicated area with physical dials and buttons, making them easy to use as you’re driving.

Interior build quality is a bit mixed, with some areas feeling solid while others – around the glovebox, when we tested the C4 X – feeling flimsy.

There are some pleasantly squidgy materials used on the dashboard and armrests, but lots of cheap-feeling materials elsewhere. Some more splashes of colour would be appreciated and you'll find a plusher interior in the Mazda CX-30.

“With this facelift, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Citroën had thrown the climate controls into the touchscreen. It’s good to see that’s not the case.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The fact that the C4 X is longer than the Citroën C4 should make it more spacious inside. However, that's not really the case when it comes to accommodating occupants. There’s a similar amount of leg room in the front of both models and enough head room to keep two six-footers from touching the roof lining.

What’s disappointing is that the C4 X doesn’t address the standard C4’s biggest shortcoming: rear seat space. Rear head room remains tight, despite the reshaped roof line, with those measuring more than six feet tall pressing their head into the roof lining. Middle-seat passengers have an even worse time of it, with the slightly raised seat almost reducing head clearance further. 

Leg room also remains similar to the standard car, so there’s more space in the back than inside a Mazda CX-30 but it’s far smaller than the Skoda Kamiq. 

As a result, you’ll have to walk round and open up the tailgate to find the extra space. With an extra 130 litres of boot space over the C4 hatchback, the C4 X has one of the largest load areas for the money.

Indeed, with a total of 510 litres, it’s very close to the Renault Arkana (513 litres), and larger than small SUV alternatives, such as the Skoda Kamiq (464 litres) and the Kia Niro hybrid (451 litres). In fact, the figure promises a boot that’s bigger than the much more pricey Mercedes A-Class Saloon executive car.

In more relatable terms, that means the wide and flat-floored boot will very easily swallow your family’s holiday luggage, plenty of grocery shopping or a couple of buggies. The only slight compromise is that the saloon-like boot lid will make it hard to load bulkier items because of its smaller boot opening.

You get 60/40 split-folding rear seat backs to accommodate longer items. Annoyingly, folding them down causes a bit of a step up in the floor, but there's a ski hatch if you go for the top-spec Max trim.

“If someone liked the C4 but needed more boot space, well, I would instantly point them towards the C4 X. It’s that simple.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The C4 X has a higher starting price than that of the Citroën C4 but that’s only because the C4 X misses out on that car’s entry-level trim and a couple of its engines. Like for like, the C4 and C4 X line up identically on price. That’s impressive, given the added boot space the C4 X gets you. What’s more, the C4 X generally undercuts the the Mazda CX-30 and Renault Arkana. The Skoda Scala is more affordable still. 

The Plus trim is your entry-level choice here, even though it’s actually the mid-range option with the regular C4. Still, you get 18in alloy wheels, two-zone climate control, a head-up display, electrically heated and folding side mirrors, as well as automatic wipers. 

Range-topping Max trim gets you keyless entry and start, as well as a heated steering wheel. We’re not convinced it’s worth the extra though.

The C4 X was absent from our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Citroën as a brand placed seventh out of 31 manufacturers – an impressive, confidence-inspiring result. It ranked above Ford and Skoda but was beaten by Suzuki and Toyota.

Citroën currently offers a three-year/60,000-mile warranty and a 12-year anti-perforation warranty. That’s fairly standard, and doesn’t come close to Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-mileage warranty or Toyota’s warranty, which lasts up to 10 years if you service your car regularly at an official centre.

It’s a shame Plus trim doesn’t get an alarm (Max does). It also misses out on the blind-spot monitoring Max has.

Disappointingly, the C4 X only gets a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. 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.

“I think it’s great that the C4 and C4 X sit at the same price point. You can choose based on your practicality needs and not what your wallet can afford.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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