The fourth-gen Citroen C4 and C4 X have arrived

The all-new Citroen C4 and C4 X have arrived, and along with their new faces, there’s powertrain, charging, driver assist and cabin tech a-plenty.

Like the refreshed Citroen C3, the new C4 gets a sleek and glossy grille bearing the modernised Citroen brand logo. It’s flanked by new slimmer segment LED headlights.

Alongside broader colour choices, there are also redesigned 18in wheels, new side guards and improved suspension which uses enhanced hydraulic cushioning to deal with the UK’s pothole-riddled roads. How thoughtful.

The powertrain choices are broad, too. For the conventionally minded, there’s a 130bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine. Alternatively, there are two hybrid and two fully electric variants to choose from, with the latter getting bi-directional vehicle-to-load functionality.

The hybrids combine a brand-new 1.2-litre three-pot turbocharged engine capable of either 100bhp or 136bhp, coupled with the 28bhp electric motor, and improvements in heat management reduce CO2 emissions even more. Take that, ULEZ.

The e-C4 and e-C4 X come with either 134bhp or 154bhp electric motors, powered by a 50kWh battery offering up to 223 miles of range or a 54kWh battery for a greater 260-mile range respectively. The batteries support 100kW rapid charging capacity, which should let you top up to 80 per cent of charge in the time it takes to chuckle to a whole episode of Peep Show.

It’s worth mentioning here the differences between the two models come singularly down to space, and dimensions haven’t changed since this current gen. Though the C4 X is 240mm longer, both versions have a 2,670mm wheelbase, meaning rear passengers have almost 20cm of knee space. But where the boot of the C4 has a capacity of 380 litres, the X pushes that boot space to 510 litres.

There are changes in the rest of the cabin, though. The seats get thicker foam cushioning and new displays suggest the C4 continues to be ‘alive with technology’. Can you believe we’re two decades on from when the marque – three years BI (before iPhone) – brought us a dancing Transformer robot? Us neither.

Anyway, the 10in infotainment display hosts a plethora of the latest media and connected navigation features, accompanied by the ‘Hello Citroen’-initiated voice control. Many sensors and cameras combine to give over 20 driver assistance features, including advanced adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist and a 360-degree camera to help with parking.

Though not the only offender, the French car maker’s (rather un)helpfully given some new names to pre-existing features like ‘active safety brake’ (autonomous emergency braking) and ‘collision risk alert’ (forward collision warning). Zut alors!

We’re still waiting for pricing and full specs across the three trim levels (You, Plus and Max), but we are told the new C4 and C4X will arrive in dealerships in the new year. More as we get it.