Presented last June, the marketing of the new C4 X is finally effective in Europe where it allows Citroën to enrich its range with a car perfectly located between a C4 and a C5 X. Above all, with this new silhouette, Citroën makes its entry into a new segment, somewhere between a saloon and an SUV and will find, on its way, a major competitor with the Renault Arkana.
If the new C4 X is more of a saloon with SUV accents and a fastback coupé line, the Renault Arkana is more of a coupé SUV, but in reality the two vehicles are much closer than it seems.
In fact, their external dimensions are similar, they both offer considerable space and a large boot to meet the needs of families. The Arkana has been a real success for Renault, selling 32,000 units in France in 2022, making it the best-selling C-segment SUV among individuals. It is therefore a real opportunity for Citroën to offer a vehicle that meets the same needs as the Arkana, while differentiating itself to offer something unique.
So close and yet so different
The Renault Arkana is the offspring of the Captur and the Dacia Duster, from which it takes its platform. With its modern coupé-SUV silhouette, the Renault Arkana is attractive, but Citroën stands out with the C4 X, which is more of a saloon, contrasting the Arkana with a more elegant, refined line and more status.
In terms of engines, the Renault Arkana only offers petrol engines, which can be hybrid or plug-in hybrid, but no diesel or electric engines. Citroën, on the other hand, offers a complete range of engines for its C4 X: petrol, diesel and a 100% electric version. It is therefore a real opportunity for the brand to offer a wider range of engines than the Arkana, which should better meet customer needs. Similarly, although Renault's Coupe SUV has hybrid engines, unlike the C4 X, these same engines are not really efficient as they are all malused.
The main difference between the C4 X and the Renault Arkana lies in the hatchback option, while Citroën opts for a classic boot. Although a hatchback is generally more practical, the C4 X's boot has a capacity of 510 litres, which is not only equal to or greater than that of the Arkana in its hybrid versions, but also larger, as it can accommodate more luggage than Renault's SUV coupé.
A more comfortable and accessible C4 X
The C4 X is much more comfortable than the Arkana, thanks to the excellent seats combined with the Advanced Comfort suspension, which certainly gives the C4 X an edge. The latter also offers a specific dashboard shared with the C4, while Renault's coupé SUV gets the dashboard from the Captur, its lower-segment SUV. This is a real difference, especially as the C4 X has a 10-inch touchscreen linked to the all-new Stellantis multimedia system, while the Arkana has a 9.3-inch screen linked to the old Renault system. .
If the Renault Arkana offers a 12-inch instrument cluster while the C4 X opts for a smaller handset (5 inches) but associated with head-up vision that the Arkana does not offer, the latest the brand offers a range of 20 driving aids where the Renault SUV offers only 14.
Finally, and this is the main difference, the new C4 X is more accessible than Renault's SUV coupé with, overall, cheaper prices of 2 to 3,000 € as well as more accessible rents. In short, the new C4 X is a real response from Citroën to the success of the Renault Arkana with a proposal that is both similar in concept and habitability, and different in terms of a style that is more saloon and less SUV and by a boot instead of a tailgate without it being embarrassing for the volume of the load. With more accessible prices and its much higher comfort, the C4 X has real assets to hunt on the lands of this Renault Arkana to which, it is hoped, it will be able to benefit from its success.