| Week at the Wheel | Citroen C4 VTS |

Inside & Out:

As one would expect from the French marque, the Citroen C4's appearance stands out from the crowd. From the prominent chevrons on the grille, to the squat and taut rear-end the C4 looks like nothing else, with perhaps Honda's Civic and Volvo's C30 being the only other hatches to offer such a departure from the norm. The C4's most striking angle is from its rear three quarters where the steeply raking roofline is curtailed surprisingly early by the glass house of the tailgate and punctuated by a 'VTS' rear spoiler, lending it a striking aesthetic.

Inside, things are rather more conventional with only the steering wheel and centrally mounted instrument binnacle bearing Citroen-esque design hallmarks. In practice, the multi-function wheel - pleasingly leather wrapped and nice to hold in the VTS - works well, but it does divide opinion and it's always a little alien that the hub doesn't rotate with the wheel itself. Equally, the centrally mounted instruments may be different looking, but their location does leave them outside of the natural eye-line and requires a sideways glance to check the information - not always ideal or natural when driving.

Engine & Transmission:

The C4 VTS uses a detuned version of the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine found in the Peugeot 308 GT. In the C4 it's rated at 150bhp at a relatively low (for a hot hatch) 5,800rpm with the 177lb.ft of torque arriving usefully early at 1,400rpm. On the road this translates to a deceptively gutsy engine, but one that is slightly at odds with the hot hatch moniker due to its reluctance to rev freely, or indeed highly.

There isn't much joy to be gleaned from thrashing it along and keeping it on the boil, which is a real shame for a car aimed at the keener driver. However it does deliver reasonable performance with enough go to make things interesting. Indeed the torque at low speed is sufficient to gently tug at the steering wheel in the lower gears, though not excessively. Meanwhile, the gearshift is pleasingly swift and direct and the ratios sensible enough to offer good economy without blunting performance.

Ride & Handling:

Previous VTS models for Citroen have displayed verve and talent befitting a French hot hatch, but this C4 misses the mark somewhat. There is grip, but from the numb steering to the uncharismatic engine there's no involvement and it fails to engage and excite as one would hope. Just looking at the car it's obvious there is some scope for lowering and stiffening to sharpen things up a little. However, as one would expect the C4 has a compliant ride as a trade off.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

For the test car with options as fitted here a figure of almost £20k feels like too much. However, our five-minute search of the Internet soon came up with a reduction of around 25% on list. At this price the VTS looks like reasonable value but potential buyers should haggle very hard indeed, or buy online. Running costs should be reasonable; the near 40mpg cruising frugality of the 1.6-litre engine is most welcome and brings with it lesser taxation as a bonus. Service intervals of 20,000-miles will also minimise pain on the wallet.

Overall:

Undoubtedly appealing due to its individuality, the Citroen C4 offers a true departure from the norm. Some of its idiosyncrasies will alienate a few potential buyers, but in the main it has no fatal flaws. Perhaps the biggest issue is the toughness of the market place. At the list price the C4 is up against the cream of the crop, though the discounted prices available make it a much stronger contender.