At the beginning of 2025, Citroën is in the midst of renewing its range, a renewal that began with the latest generation C3, followed by the C3 Aircross and finally the restyling of the C4 and C4 X. The brand's 4-door saloon has the same changes as the C4 at the front, allowing it to strengthen its personality and make it more modern. So what is this new C4 X with the 145 hybrid engine worth? The verdict.
A Citroën C4 X too soon forgotten with very real qualities
When Citroën unveiled the C4 X in 2022, few gave it much hope in Europe, where four-door saloons are not the most popular, although the success of the Tesla Model 3 shows that it's possible to sell a lot of them. While this body type is still in demand, especially in Southern Europe, the C4 X is primarily aimed at international customers and has performed excellently in Tunisia, where it has often been in the top 10 sales charts.
However, in a market dominated by SUVs, it is to Citroën's credit that it can offer a truly elegant saloon, especially as this C4 X combines the codes of a saloon with those of an SUV, with large wheels and a raised driving position, thus appealing to those who are tired of SUVs as well as those who are attracted by their advantages... A wide range, therefore, which does not translate into sales, since just over 11,000 units have found buyers in Europe, which still represents 19% of the score of its 5-door sister. However, this C4 X is a success and those who are prepared to look at the boot without crying wolf will appreciate an incomparably comfortable, liveable and efficient car that has gained personality with this restyling.
A more modern style, but just as elegant
My heart has always been torn between the C4 and the C4 X. I love the elegance of the brand's 4-door saloon, while its 5-door sibling has a dynamic side that appeals to me. So I was delighted to get back behind the wheel of this restyled version, which has gained in personality thanks to a major redesign of the front end, giving it a much more modern look with a strong personality. Gone are the overly spherical headlights, gone are the Y-shaped LED bars; here everything is horizontal with the brand's new lighting signature, which stretches across the width of the car and frames very thin, black-tinted headlights with a beautiful effect. This combination gives the C4 X a more modern face and has the advantage of visually enhancing the front end, allowing the profile to have a more horizontal line, further maximising the natural elegance of the 4-door sedan with chevrons.
The facelift focused on the front of the C4 X, which already had tail lights with the brand's new visual signature since its launch in 2022. At the rear, the old chevrons are replaced by the new logo and that's it.
Inside, the seats are new and even more comfortable, while the instrument cluster on this Max version has been increased to 7 inches, compared to 5 inches on the other trim levels. Otherwise, there are few changes to the C4 X, which, with this facelift, is no longer available with diesel engines and is only available with the 145 bhp hybrid and the 136 and 156 bhp electric versions, as well as the 130 bhp petrol versions with manual and automatic gearboxes. I spent two weeks driving the car that should account for the bulk of sales, in the new Eclipse Blue paint, the launch colour of this C4 X.
An efficient and suitable 145 hybrid engine
After a few weeks behind the wheel of the new C3 Aircross, I was eager to get behind the wheel of this C4 X with the 145 bhp hybrid engine, which is perfectly suited to the brand's latest SUV and should work wonders on this saloon, which is renowned for its efficiency thanks to its meticulous aerodynamics.
The C4 X is heavier than the latest C3 Aircross, and this is immediately noticeable at the wheel, but it remains relatively light, allowing the 145 bhp engine to respond vigorously and deliver very respectable performance for cruising at legal speeds and overtaking vigorously on the motorway, giving a great deal of peace of mind at the wheel. Driving this hybrid version means using the technology wisely, almost like an electric car, with a lot of anticipation and very progressive use of the accelerator to maximise energy recovery, with the brake pedal only used for complete stops or emergency braking.
This allows absolutely crazy consumption figures for a large 4m60 car, with an average of 5.5l over the first 60 kilometres of the test, consisting of national roads at 90 or 110, with 20% of the journey done in electric mode. On my control test route of around 100 kilometres of motorway, national/regional roads and urban traffic, in normal driving, respecting the legal speeds but without trying to reduce consumption, I obtained a very good average of 4.8l, including 4.3 in town, ensuring that this hybrid C4 X offers a range that allows it to approach 1,000 km equivalent in total to the old HDI 130 version. The hyper-neat aerodynamics of this C4 X still work wonders, but above all the hybrid engine, which allows numerous 100% electric driving, suits the C4 X perfectly by maximising the overall comfort of the car. Speaking of electric driving, Citroën announces that 50% of urban journeys will be 100% electric. I can assure you that this is a very natural process, but that you can go much further by using the engine wisely, allowing you to do more than 70% of your journeys in 100% electric mode, saving fuel and reducing emissions.
What is more, the absence of noise and vibration during these electric journeys enhances the comfort of the C4 X, giving the impression of being in a bubble protected from the outside world. As for the internal combustion engine, it is significantly quieter than the previous version equipped with the EAT8 gearbox, contributing to the absolutely royal comfort of this 2025 C4 X.
Comfort is undoubtedly the most important feature of this 4-door saloon, which benefits from new, even more comfortable seats that ensure a smooth ride at all times. Each passenger, whether in the front or in the rear, travels in a real cocoon, where the road is smooth at all times, especially since the C4 X is also very spacious, ensuring each passenger not only comfort but also comfort. However, if comfort is the C4 X's main feature, it is not the only one, as it has many other qualities, starting with its spaciousness, with good knee room for rear passengers, who benefit from a more comfortable posture thanks to the 27° seat back angle compared to 25° in a 5-door C4. The rear space is practical with an armrest and a ski holder, while the new front seats feature the smartphone holder introduced on the C3 and C3 Aircross. The only regret is that connectivity has not improved with this restyling, as Citroën continues to offer a single USB A socket on the rear console, even though the occupants of the latest C3 Aircross are offered 2 USB C sockets. This is a bit of a shame, especially on long journeys where charging smartphones using the USB C sockets is more difficult. Even though the interior has brightened up a little thanks to the new seats with their light grey backrests, the interior is still far too dark, despite the light-coloured headlining. This is a shame, especially when compared to the C3 Aircross, which benefits from such a bright interior.
For the rest, the C4 X remains true to itself with a 10-inch multimedia screen running the Stellantis multimedia system, not the one used in the C3 and C3 Aircross, which is responsive, fairly fluid and easy to use, even if it is more complex to understand than that used in the latest Citroëns. The new instrument panel, enlarged to 7 inches, makes it easier to read the information, even if it is mainly the head-up display that takes over, since it is ideally placed, even if it would have been preferable to have the information projected directly onto the windscreen. In short, nothing to be ashamed of and the readability of the information is excellent in all circumstances with a generous size, but it is a little outdated compared to projection systems. In this Max version, the C4 X receives a 360° reversing camera, very practical since the boot is invisible in the rear-view mirrors so we do not always know where the rear is located, the camera shows its usefulness especially since the quality is excellent, day and night, but it would have been preferable to add a cleaning system because sometimes a drop of rain gets stuck on the rear camera and disturbs the rear view. I also noticed that the parking radars were sometimes slow to respond.
It is impossible to talk about the C4 X without mentioning the famous boot, which puts so many people off, even though the boot of the Chevrolet saloon is huge with a volume of 520 litres, which can be increased thanks to the 40-60 folding rear seat. The boot has a very square design, with a high boot lip that makes it easy to load luggage; I tested the suitcases of a family of 4 and they fit very easily. Certainly, Citroën would have been well advised to use the cylinders of the Tesla Model 3 to prevent the hinges from encroaching on the volume of the boot, but this system is still the majority in estate cars. You have to be able to get over your prejudices about estate cars, which have come a long way and allow you to load your daily shopping easily; they will always be less practical than a hatchback, of course, but who really needs a hatchback on a daily basis?
To sum up, the C4 X is liveable, efficient, extremely comfortable and elegant, with many qualities that are only marred by minor flaws. By marrying the codes of SUVs with those of saloons and fastback coupés, Citroën has managed to offer a real saloon that, by adopting certain codes of SUVs, is not one, and this is pleasing in a market saturated with SUVs of all kinds. Obviously, it offers a classic boot instead of a hatchback, but apart from those for whom the hatchback is obligatory, the C4 X can prove to be quite capable of meeting the needs of a family, offering them a very high overall level, ensuring them daily journeys in the best conditions. Priced at 34,000 Euros for the Max version, the C4 X is in direct competition with the Renault Arkana, which has more or less the same dimensions. It has the advantage of being a real saloon, making it a credible alternative to SUVs, especially coupés, to which it offers a much more elegant line.
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