RAISING THE SALOON BAR (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Citroen redefined what a compact electric family saloon could look like with their e-C4 X. Jonathan Crouch checks out the improved version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 69

The e-C4 X is 'the best of a hatchback, with the modernity of an SUV and the timelessness of a saloon', according to Citroen. Or you could simply see it as a sedan version of the brand's quirky all-electric e-C4 hatch. Either way, it's an ambitiously styled four-door family EV that's compact yet spacious, with a simply enormous boot. And it's a bit more appealing in this updated form.

Backgroundword count: 190

X seems to mean different things to different brands. Citroen doesn't see the letter as designating an SUV. Instead, for them, it references what the brand calls 'the crossroads of different universes', a melding together of different genres, the sort of thing we've already seen in the company's large C5 X. With the e-C4 X, originally introduced back in 2022, the styling brief was rather less ambitious, but it still hoped to blend hatchback, crossover and sedan genres together into one appealing compact shape that a first glance, could fall into any of those three categories. Since then, we've seen something similar (but rather more dramatic) with cousin Stellantis Group Gallic brand Peugeot's 408, but the e-C4 X is a more straightforward design that sits on a different, simpler, CMP platform and is offered in this combustion guise as well as in the full-electric form we look at here. As you might expect, everything is based on the e-C4 hatch, but from the B-pillar back, things are a great deal more spacious and interesting. Citroen revealed a wide-ranging update to this car in Autumn 2024. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 255

There haven't been any engineering or handling changes as part of this update. The e-C4 X does of course drive just like the e-C4 hatch, though you might be interested to learn that its more aerodynamic shape (0.29Cd) gives it a slightly longer driving range figure. As before, you choose between a base 50kWh/136hp base version (with a 222 mile range) or a 54kWh/154hp model (with 257 miles). To boost this capability, the car can recover energy when decelerating or braking. And there are three drive modes - 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' - that can vary the level of engine power and the energy draw from the air conditioning to boost driving range. 62mph from rest takes 9.5s on the way to a modest 93mph top speed. Like all EVs, the car can recover energy when decelerating or braking. And there are three drive modes - 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport' - that can vary the level of engine power and the energy draw from the air conditioning to boost driving range. The e-C4 X has a 'Brake' feature to amplify the deceleration of the car without pressing the brake pedal. This set-up allows for the recovery of energy when slowing the car and allows the driver to partially recharge the battery and increase driving range. Like other C4s, this one features a clever Progressive Hydraulic suspension set-up. Here, the car's springs and shock absorbers work in concert with hydraulic compression and rebound stops, which are supposed to slow body movement over bumps and tarmac tears.

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