Used Citroën e-C4 2020-present review

The French are famous for doing things differently and that’s no exception with their cars. Take the Citroën e-C4 as an example. It’s the same length as a family hatchback, but it has pumped-up wheel arches, a raised ride height and a coupé-style roofline that give it a very distinctive look. It also focuses on ride comfort, which is great considering that most family SUVs are designed to eat up the miles – especially on the motorway.

In this instance, we’re focusing on the fully electric e-C4 and e-C4 X. They’re based on the same underpinnings as the regular Citroën C4 and C4 X, which can be had with petrol or diesel engines. The main difference between the two is the boot, because the e-C4 X has a saloon-style opening as opposed to a hatchback opening. It also offers slightly more luggage space.

Engines: Most Citroën e-C4s are powered by a 134bhp electric motor and a battery with a total capacity of 50kWh. That's a little bit smaller than the VW ID 3 Pro Performance with its 58kWh battery, and the ë-C4’s official range is subsequently less than that car’s. It can manage 219 to 222 miles depending on the trim, as opposed to 265 miles with the ID 3.

Citroën added a larger 54Wh battery later in the e-C4’s life, which lifted the official range to 260 miles. It also gained a more powerful 154bhp electric motor, which lowers the 0-62mph from 10.0sec to 9.2sec.

The e-C4’s motor and battery options are similar to other cars from the Stellantis stable, including the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric (they all share the same underpinnings).

Ride and handling: The e-C4’s suspension is quite soft, which means it has a calm and cushioning ride that’s ideal for driving on the motorway. It’s great around town too, because the suspension cushions you well over bigger ruts and speed bumps. It’s certainly more comfortable than a Smart #1 and MG ZS EV.

The payoff for the ride comfort is handling, though. There’s considerable body lean in the corners, with the #1, ID 3 and Kia e-Niro providing more tidy handling when the going gets twisty.

Interior and practicality: The e-C4’s interior isn’t as quirky or distinctive as the exterior, but it is fairly functional. The 10.0in infotainment system (standard on all cars) is positioned high on the dashboard, which means it’s easy to see while driving. It’s also paired with physical climate controls, which are easier to use than the fiddly touch-sensitive sliders you get with the ID 3.

The infotainment system you get depends on the trim. The upper trims get a newer system with a higher resolution display and a quicker touchscreen response, while lower trims get a more basic set-up. Either way, the layout is largely the same, giving you two physical shortcut buttons and a volume dial.

In terms of material quality, the e-C4’s interior is much better than what you’ll get in a Zoe or Leaf. There are some pleasant soft-touch materials on the dashboard and doors, plus the general build quality is decent. It’s not perfect, though; there are quite a few scratchy materials dotted around the place.

The C4’s driving position is comfortable, with plenty of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel. The seats are also nice and supportive; all cars come with adjustable lumbar support as standard.

While the e-C4 isn’t as spacious as the e-Niro or ID 3 in the front seats (the steeply raked windscreen can leave you feeling a little hemmed in), most six-footers should fit easily enough.

In the back seats, two six-foot adults will have plenty of room for their legs and feet, but head room is tight because of the sloping roof (in both the e-C4 and e-C4 X). The e-Niro and ID 3 are better for carrying passengers in the back.

The e-C4’s boot is a reasonable size at 380 litres. We managed to fit five carry-on suitcases beneath the parcel shelf, which is better than a Mazda MX-30 and #1. It’s also the same as the ID 3.

The e-C4 X has a much bigger boot than the e-C4, with 510 litres of space. The saloon-style boot opening does make it more difficult than the hatchback for loading larger items in, though.

If you want to carry longer items, the e-C4’s seats fold in a 60/40 split. While the e-Niro’s seats fold in a more useful 40/20/40 configuration, upper versions of the e-C4 do get a handy ski hatch for some added flexibility. By comparison, most of the e-C4’s rivals, including the ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, have a 60/40 set-up.

Trims and equipment: Citroën has regularly updated the e-C4’s trim levels, so there are quite a few to choose from (and it can get a bit confusing). On early cars, there were five trims: Sense, Sense Plus, C-Series Edition, Shine and Shine Plus.

Entry-level Sense cars offer a good amount of standard equipment, with 18in alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, dual-zone climate control and automatic windscreen wipers. Sense Plus adds a few more useful features, such as a reversing camera, a head-up display and electrically folding door mirrors.

C-Series Edition, Shine and Shine Plus don’t add much more kit on-top of Sense Plus, other than a few exterior styling tweaks, different alloy wheel designs, front and lateral parking sensors and heated front seats.

On later cars, the trims were updated to You!, Max and ë-Series. You! comes with the same amount of kit as Sense on early cars, while Max adds heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, extra visibility aids and a higher-quality touchscreen.

Range-topping ë-Series trim adds wireless phone charging, Alcantara upholstery, massaging seats and the option of the bigger battery. This trim was called Plus on later cars, but it still comes with a similar level of standard kit.

If you're interested in finding a used e-C4, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Prices for a used e-C4 start from £11,000 for a 2021 Shine car with the smaller battery. If you up your budget to around £13,000, you can get a 2022 car in Shine Plus trim with low miles. C-Series Edition, Shine and Shine Plus models are a bit more expensive, with prices starting from £15,000. If you want the larger 54kWh battery, expect to pay around £22,000 (this version was added in 2024 so it’s a bit more expensive).

For the e-C4 X, prices start from £16,000 for a 2022 Shine Plus car with low mileage. For newer 2023 and 2024 cars, prices start from £18,000. It's worth noting there are fewer e-C4 X models available on the used market compared with the regular e-C4.

To keep up-to-date with used e-C4 prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

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Efficiency

All versions of the ë-C4 and e-C4 X have a maximum charging speed of 100kW, which means they can deliver a 10-80% charge in around 30 mins with a suitably powerful charger. A 7kW home wall box will charge both cars from empty to full in around seven and a half hours.

Insurance and servicing

The insurance cost for the e-C4 depends on which battery you go for. The 50kWh version will be the cheapest to insure because it sits in group 21 (so it should cost around £618 per year). Meanwhile, the larger 54kWh battery version sits in group 24, which equates to around £685 per year. The same costs apply to the e-C4 X.

In terms of servicing, Citroën recommends a service every two years or 16,000 miles (whichever comes first) for its electric cars.

Safety

All e-C4s come with automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assist and speed-limit information as standard. Stepping up to range-topping trims adds blind-spot monitoring and a more advanced AEB system that can detect cyclists.

When it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2021, the e-C4 only scored a four-star safety rating, whereas the ID 3 was awarded five stars in 2020. 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.

Warranty

Every Citroën comes with a three-year warranty when new. That’s pretty average by class standards, although Hyundai offers a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and Kia a seven-year, 100,000-mile package.

Reliability

The e-C4 didn’t rank in the electric car category in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, but Citroën as a brand secured a strong position in the brand league table, finishing in seventh place out of 31 car makers. That puts it below Toyota (fifth) and Dacia (sixth) but above Renault (ninth), Ford (14th) and MG (31st).

The e-C4 received mixed reviews from owners who took part in the survey, with some sharing concerns about recurring faults and inconsistent dealer support. Common problems included dashboard warning lights that persisted despite multiple dealership visits, and charging system faults that were slow to resolve due to part delays.

Dealership experiences were equally varied. While some praised polite and helpful staff, others reported slow service and poor communication during repairs, leaving them frustrated.

Discover more about the used Citroën e-C4's reliability on our dedicated page.

Engine

Even though the larger 54kWh battery adds useful extra miles to the official range, this version is more expensive because it was added to the line-up in 2024. For that reason, we’d recommend going for the 50kWh version – there are many more of these available and they’re much more affordable. The 134bhp motor provides more than enough performance too.

Specification

We’d recommend going for the range-topping Shine Plus trim. It’s similarly priced to lesser versions, plus it’s the most common trim level available on the used market.

Our favourite: 50kWh Shine Plus

The Kia e-Niro is certainly worth considering. It’s a great electric car that’s good to drive, spacious inside and affordable on the used market. There are a couple of battery options available too, but we think the 64kWh version makes the most sense with its competitive official range of 289 miles.

The Volkswagen ID 3 is a practical and spacious electric car that’s increasingly good value as a used buy. It offers a good range and strong performance, as well as tidy driving manners. It’s worth noting that its infotainment system can be frustrating to use, though.

The MG5 is a great alternative to the e-C4 if you like the idea of an electric estate car. It’s spacious, comfortable, quiet and even surprisingly quick. While the MG5 scored well in the electric car category of our latest reliability survey, MG as a brand didn’t do so well, so it’s worth bearing that in mind.

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