[Review] Citroën ë-C4 156 (2025): the best of the C4?

[ReviewWhen it was launched in 2020, the Citroën C4 was one of the first electric compact sedans on the market with a range of 360 km, increased to 420 km with the adoption, in 2022, of the new 156 hp electric motor. At the beginning of this year, Citroën is presenting a heavily modified C4 with a brand new front, a redesigned rear and a slightly improved interior that focuses even more on electrification and a promise: that of even greater comfort. So what is this new Citroën C4 worth in its 156 hp electric version? Here is my verdict.

A clear evolution in exterior styling, more subdued inside but still original

When it was launched in 2020, the C4 stood out on the road with an innovative concept halfway between a saloon and an SUV, all with a hint of SUV coupé. This concept, which allows the C4 to be truly Citroën and to stand out on the road, has allowed the brand to rank second in sales in its segment in Europe (general C-Hatch), a position never before achieved by a C4 and which shows how much Citroën's boldness has paid off.

However, the previous version was criticised for its tortured design at the front and rear, which Citroën has been careful to simplify in this facelift without falling into banality. Those who thought that the C4 was going to settle down have been disabused, because it continues to offer a unique look, reinforced at the front by a more assertive and modern personality, more technological even, where the previous version could suffer from a more cheap appearance. This is not the case here and in the new Manhattan Green colour, combined with the two-tone black roof, the C4 is very attractive and at the same time more modern, with a more technological and finished look. This is due to the very thin headlights, unlike the previous more spherical ones, which are tinted black and continue in the thin grille bar to visually widen the car. This gives the C4 a nice personality at the front, which is found at the rear, which has undergone significant changes with two objectives: simplicity and widening of the car.

Gone are the tortured tail lights that imitate a Y-shaped visual signature, the C4 adopts horizontal projectors that bite generously into the tailgate and that are particularly worked with chiselled LED bars that give them a lot of character and that, here too, allow the C4 to make a leap into modernity where the previous version with halogen lamps for the stop and turn signals could have been lacking. The rear has been simplified with a horizontal treatment that makes the car look wider and is in perfect harmony with the design of the front, giving the C4 an overall style that is coherent, simplified but well thought-out for a more modern look.

Inside, the differences are much smaller, as only the seats have been redesigned for more lateral support and even more comfort, while the steering wheel logo adopts the new Citroën version and the instrument cluster has been upgraded to 7 inches, only on the top-of-the-range Max model. I should also point out that Citroën has removed the tablet holder, which never worked, in favour of a larger glove compartment.

The interior is therefore very similar to the previous version, with a still modern dashboard design. The only thing I regret is the rather dark ambience of this C4, especially after the last C3 and C3 Aircross, where the brand demonstrated its ability to offer much brighter, lighter interiors. The new seats, however, have a grey tint on the backrest which, combined with the bright headliner, brings a little more light into this cabin.

These new seats promise better lateral support, thanks to a revised design that brings them into line with the brand's latest products, while at the same time maximising comfort, which is truly excellent. In addition to comfort, the other advantage of the C4 is undoubtedly its spaciousness, both in the front and in the rear, which provides good knee room for both adults and children and allows it to offer journeys in the best conditions for all passengers, which is not the case with some competitors where travelling in the back can be a punishment even for small children, which is remarkable for a C4 that is intended to be a family saloon.

To sum up, this restyling has been particularly successful, with a simplified style that is not devoid of originality, giving the C4 a real personality of its own, while at the same time fitting perfectly into the Citroën range, which is becoming increasingly coherent, giving each model its own personality. If the changes to the exterior are more numerous than those to the interior, the restyling has made the cabin warmer, even if it is still too dark, but it has retained its excellent qualities of comfort for each of the passengers, allowing the C4 to guarantee journeys in the best conditions for the whole family.

The ë-C4, the optimised version of the C4

The facelift is aesthetically pleasing, but there are no mechanical changes, and this 2025 electric version offers the same features as before, namely 156 hp combined with a battery that extends the range to 420 km (WLTP cycle).

The first thing you'll notice is the royal comfort of this C4, and you'll notice that the new seats contribute to this comfort, with better lateral support, even if it's still not a panacea. There are no technical changes, but comfort is improved by the disappearance of the rear axle "bumps" that were particularly noticeable on the electric versions. Here the suspension absorbs all road irregularities without flinching, literally smoothing out the road and offering a truly impressive level of comfort. Although comfort is certainly the main quality of this C4, it cannot be reduced to this, as it has many other qualities, starting with its livability, its boot volume, although offering only 380 litres (in the average of the segment), is very square and practical, with a 60-40 split bench seat allowing to increase the volume and a ski hatch for long objects. In the same way, the C4 is designed to be a cocoon that protects us from the outside world, a bubble that isolates us from the noise of the city and immerses us in a world of absolutely delicious softness. Above all, the C4 is impressive in terms of efficiency, thanks to its meticulous aerodynamics, which work wonders on all engines and especially on this electric version.

So, on a first trip of 260 kilometres on the motorway, I managed to have a consumption of 16.2 kWh per 100 km, a real performance that allows to seriously consider long journeys on the motorway, especially between 500 and 600 kilometres, which can be done easily, especially since the brand promises a recharge time of 30 minutes to go from 20 to 80% of the battery, time that I confirm for having tested it, I invite you to watch the video. There is a little trick to this: you have to go through the car's navigation, set the route and select a charging station, this will prepare the battery to accept fast recharging, I tested it and I confirm that it works perfectly. During my test drive, the C4 also showed a real reduction in fuel consumption, averaging 13.3 kWh, including an excellent 11.2 kWh in the city, which gives a range of 500 km in these urban conditions. Admittedly, the conditions were good, with clear skies and temperatures around 20°C, but this C4 is still astonishing in this respect; I even managed to get as low as 7.2 kWh on a purely urban journey. Citroën should be congratulated on this point, as it's a truly great performance that makes this C4 one of the most efficient compact sedans, if not the most efficient.

Finally, I would like to point out that the new 7-inch instrument cluster offers a better view of the information, even if the head-up display makes it superfluous, since all the information useful for driving is projected on the screen. The cluster loses most of its functions, even if the number of displays can be multiplied. It is also a shame that this head-up display is always on a screen that "distorts" the dashboard; it would have been nice if the C4 had adopted the projection system of the C5 X, which is so efficient that it would have made it possible to do without a handset.

Finally, I don't talk much about driving aids, but the C4 blew me away with its level 2 semi-autonomous driving, which worked perfectly both in the city and on the motorway. The car stayed firmly in the middle of the lane, followed bends well, slowed down very gradually until the car came to a complete stop and then re-accelerated smoothly. It was really very pleasant, especially since, although the steering wheel is not capacitive and you have to hold it to show the car that you're in control, it's not necessary to hold it tightly; simply resting your hands avoids unwanted signals asking you to take the wheel.

With regard to those famous ringing tones of all kinds, Citroën allows you to deactivate the speed limit warning, in particular via the settings button on the console, which offers a shortcut to deactivate the warning, but another tip: pressing and holding this settings button will automatically deactivate the warnings associated with this GSR2 standard... Simple, practical and clever.

To sum up, testing the new Citroën C4 means rediscovering it and, above all, rediscovering its many qualities, starting with its comfort, habitability and overall smoothness. But above all, this electric C4 is wonderfully efficient, with very low fuel consumption, something that is surprisingly seldom highlighted in media tests. Both on the test track and on the motorway, the C4's excellent aerodynamics work wonders, with a range that allows you to consider long journeys with confidence, especially as the C4 can recharge from 20 to 80% in 30 minutes. Finally, with this electric version, the Citroën C4 offers the best of itself, a version that allows you to take full advantage of all the car's qualities, which are enhanced here to show the full potential of this compact saloon with chevrons, which is undoubtedly a real success, its performance in its segment in Europe confirms it and which, with this successful restyling, shows the best of itself.