Test Car Specifications
Model: 2024 Citroen C4 X Max Blue HDi 130 EAT8
Price: C4 X from £19,472; £29,720 as tested
Motors: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged diesel
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power: 131hp
Torque: 300Nm
Emissions: 128g/km
Economy: 53.3-60.4mpg
0-62mph: 10.8 seconds
Top speed: 128mph
Boot space: 510-1,360 litres
Styling
The C4 X is a bit of a funny fish in its design, simply because of the decision to put a saloon body on stilts. We’re kind of used to coupe-SUVs, but this isn’t a high-riding fastback — it’s a true three-box saloon. The result isn’t hideous, partly because the shape is quite svelte and appealing, but there’s definitely something odd about it, especially from certain angles. In Citroen’s defence, though, the C4 styling sits quite neatly on the extended body, and the car looks quite smart from the front and rear.
Interior
Although the C4 X isn't really marketed as a premium car, it feels more upmarket than you might expect inside. There are some tactile plastics on the dashboard and some lovely materials on the seats, particularly in high-end models. Yes, some panels and switches feel a bit cheap, and sometimes things feel slightly flimsily bolted together, but it's still better built than some might have predicted from a French family car.
The tech is more upmarket, too, with a massive central touchscreen and a digital instrument display in the offing. The former isn't brilliant because it hides some features in hard-to-reach places and the graphics are occasionally a bit clunky (and our test car's system had a hissy fit and shut itself down while we were driving, taking out the speedometer in the process), but it is offered with everything you need, including a handy reversing camera and access to the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration systems.
The digital instrument cluster is more of a triumph, predominantly because it doesn't try to do anything too clever. By simply showing drivers the information they need, Citroen has managed to keep the display looking clean, crisp and modern, rather than cluttering it with needless displays.
By the same token, Citroen has also refrained from its usual trick of hiding the climate control system in the touchscreen. Instead, you get conventional rotary dials in the dash, so it's much easier to change the temperature than it would be in some other Peugeot-Citroen products. That said, the system is much the same as that of the C4, so brownie points are limited for Citroen's designers.
Practicality
Citroen would probably describe the C4 X as a more practical alternative to the C4, and the figures suggest that’s true. The 510-litre boot is massive — bigger, in fact, than that of a BMW 3 Series Touring estate — but outright volume only tells half the story. Because the C4 is a hatchback and the C4 X is a saloon (i.e. the boot is separate from the rear window), the huge space is accessed via a comparatively tiny opening that’s effectively little more than a tank slit. That means fitting anything more bulky than a suitcase or holdall in there is more difficult than it should be.
On the other hand, the extended body means there’s plenty of legroom for those in the rear seats, allowing even taller passengers to sit relatively comfortably. Headroom is less impressive than legroom, and the very tallest passengers will find their heads touching the roof lining, but even so that space will be sufficient for most.
Performance
The C4 X is offered with quite a choice of engines, from little 1.2-litre PureTech petrol units to the electric powertrain that underpins the e-C4 X models. But perhaps the more remarkable inclusion is that of the 1.5-litre diesel engine tested here. Dubbed the BlueHDi 130, it’s a 131hp turbocharged engine that drives the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
In truth, the gearbox is a bit slushy — it seems to trip over the stop-start system at times and generally makes some odd gear selections at low speeds — but once you’re above walking pace it’s mostly smooth and unintrusive. The engine, however, is quite smooth for a four-cylinder diesel, and it provides adequate performance for most people’s needs. For the target market — namely those regularly driving long distances on the UK’s motorways — the combination is ideal.
It’s particularly ideal given the promised economy figures. On the official test, it returns between 53.3 and 60.4mpg, while our test saw economy in the upper reaches of that range on long motorway drives. As an economical powertrain for long distances, this one is hard to beat.
Ride & Handling
In keeping with that focus on long distances, Citroen has made a big thing about its comfort offering in recent years, and it seems to have done the same thing with the C4 X. But while the car promises comfort, it doesn't quite deliver as much as we expected thanks to a slightly stiff and ungainly ride around town. It settles down quite nicely at speed, and it's very comfortable on the motorway, but the harsher demands of the urban environment seem to expose some shortcomings in the ride.
On the plus side, the suspension keeps body movement to a minimum, and though even Citroen would never call the C4 X sporty, it drives neatly enough. There's no sense that the tall body will lean too much in the bends, and though the steering is short on feel, it's reasonably precise.
It's reasonably quiet, too, despite the diesel engine, and there isn't too much noise from the high-riding saloon body. Road noise is a bit more prominent, but even that isn't too intrusive.
Value
Although the C4 X is bigger and more spacious than the C4, it's still very reasonably priced. The value-orientated You! model starts at £19,472, which is pretty reasonable for something with touchscreen infotainment, 18-inch alloys and rear parking sensors. In fact, it's only £200 more expensive than the equivalent C4. However, at almost £30,000, our more upmarket Max test car, with its 1.5-litre diesel engine, feels slightly less competitive, even though it comes with a reversing camera, climate control and satellite navigation. But when a similarly equipped C4 (albeit without the diesel engine) starts at less than £26,000, that isn't all that impressive.
Verdict
Although the very competitively priced, entry level C4 X might have some appeal to those who like the style and need the space, this more expensive Max version feels much more like the answer to a question nobody was asking. We guess the best reason for having one is the option of a diesel engine, which isn't available in the equivalent C4, but however efficient and reasonably priced it may be, the C4 X feels little or no more useful, interesting or competent than the smaller car. It isn't bad in isolation, but it feels a bit superfluous in any real-world context you care to mention.
