I announced it a few days ago, but now it's official: the Citroën C4 is getting a new 100 bhp Puretech petrol engine with mild hybridisation, just a few weeks after the introduction of the most powerful 136 bhp version. This new 100 bhp engine makes this technology, which looks extremely promising on the C4, more accessible.
It's official now: the herringbone compact saloon will receive a new 100 bhp Puretech hybrid petrol engine at the beginning of April, which will complete the range from the bottom up and make this new engine even more affordable.
Like its 136 bhp sister, the 100 bhp C4 Hybrid is equipped with an extensively redesigned Puretech engine, with almost 40% of the parts being new, in particular the belt, which has been replaced by a more reliable timing chain. The engine is mated to an all-new 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the ë-DSC6, which incorporates a small electric unit to provide restarts in town and a boost when needed. This electric motor is connected to a very small battery, which recharges extremely quickly thanks to the high energy recovery when the driver releases the accelerator.
The results of this new engine are excellent, with a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO² emissions, and city driving on electricity for half the time, or even more if the technology is used wisely.
While the C4 Hybrid 136 starts at €33,500, the new C4 Hybrid 100 brings the entry price down. In fact, it is only available in the You version and costs €31,050, i.e. €3,500 more than the purely thermal Puretech 100 version still in the catalogue. However, this new C4 Hybrid 100 swaps the manual gearbox for a 6-speed automatic, which was previously not available on the C4 100 in You trim, and also allows you to escape the ecological penalty thanks to emissions set at 107 g/km instead of 124 for the C4 Puretech 100, a saving of €190 on the ecological penalty.
Although the extra cost of the C4 Hybrid 100 compared to the C4 with a 100 bhp thermal engine may seem significant, the C4 Hybrid 100 offers significantly reduced fuel consumption, which should pay for the extra cost fairly quickly, but above all it offers a smoother driving experience than the corresponding C4 Puretech 100 with manual gearbox. This new engine range on the C4 allows it to offer a very wide range of engines, from pure thermal to electric, including simple hybrid offers, accessible with incomparable driving smoothness that maximises the already remarkable comfort of the brand's compact sedan while taking advantage of its efficiency to display consumption that will undoubtedly be very reasonable.