The Citroen e-C4 X is an SUV that aims to bridge the gap between the e-C4 and the larger C5 X Hybrid. The automaker’s aim is to provide a larger alternative to its fully electric model, the e-C4, while also looking to grasp the attention of those contemplating the C5 X.
In the UK, the e-C4 X (or ë-C4 X) is solely available as a fully electric vehicle, but in other markets around the world, it’s also sold as a petrol or diesel model, the C4 X. In this review, we’ll be concentrating on the all-electric version.
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Citroen e-C4 X price & competition
At the time of writing, the e-C4 X is available in three trim levels: Sense at £31,995, Shine at £34,495, and Shine Plus at £35,495. All models have the same 50 kWh battery pack, 100 kW (136 hp) front-mounted motor and a front-wheel drive (FWD) configuration. A breakdown of the differences can be found below (click to expand):
When it comes to competition, there are numerous all-electric SUVs to consider: the MG4 EV from £26,995; the MG ZS EV from £30,495; its smaller sibling, the Citroen e-C4 from £31,995; the Hyundai Kona Electric from £32,450; the Kia Soul EV from £32,845; the Peugeot e-2008 from £35,900; the Vauxhall Mokka-e from £36,335; the Kia Niro EV from £36,795; the Volkswagen ID.4 from £38,845; the Skoda Enyaq iV from £38,970. You’ve also got the MG5 EV, the all-electric estate that starts from £30,995, and the Citroen C5 X Hybrid, a PHEV from £36,470.
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There are also a few ‘premium’ SUVs to consider, such as: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 from £43,150; the Tesla Model Y from £44,990; the Kia EV6 from £45,245; the Nissan Ariya from £46,145; the Volvo XC40 Recharge from £46,505; the Audi Q4 e-tron from £49,215; the Volkswagen ID.5 from £50,710; the Ford Mustang Mach-E from £50,830; the Mercedes EQA 250 from £52,010; the BMW iX3 from £64,165; the Jaguar I-Pace from £69,995; the Mercedes EQC from £74,330; and the Tesla Model X from over £102,980.
Read next: Volkswagen ID.4 review: Better than the VW ID.3?
Citroen e-C4 X exterior review
Much like its siblings, the e-C4 and C5 X Hybrid, the e-C4 X is stylish. It has this somewhat unconventional fastback design mixed with an SUV. We don’t have any complaints about its exterior design, as we love the French automaker has blended its badge within the frontal profile of the vehicle, kept that edgy look at the rear, and implemented stylish 18″ alloys on all trim levels to give it a sportier flair. It is a shame, however, that the plastic wheel arches and sideskirts are not body-coloured. Thankfully, they don’t protrude too much from the vehicle’s shell thus not detracting from the overall look.
As for your colour options, ‘Polar White’ comes as standard, while ‘Perla Nera Black’, ‘Cumulus Grey’, or the pictured ‘Platinum Grey’ cost £595. The premium ‘Pearl White’ and ‘Elixir Red’ finishes cost £720, instead.
Read next: Citroen C5 X review: Hybrid perfection?
Citroen e-C4 X interior review
Inside, the cabin looks the part thanks to the stitching work on the upholstery, the materials used on the dashboard and the finish of the door frames. While it won’t compete with more expensive alternatives it still feels premium and is practical too. Unlike alternatives on the market, the manufacturer has chosen to retain physical buttons within the cabin – this makes for a far better experience while on the move, as one doesn’t have to faff around with touch-sensitive sliders or capacitive buttons.
But, that’s not all as Citroen has completely redesigned its infotainment system, making it more fluid, responsive and far easier to navigate than previous iterations. Settings are easy to find on the 10″ display, shortcuts make it intuitive to change certain settings while on the move, and the integration of wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are much appreciated.
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As for the 5.5″ fully digitalized and somewhat customisable instrument cluster, it’s vivid and provides all the key information one might require while on the move. Better still, on the Shine trims you’ll find a Head-Up Display, which means you can keep your eyes planted on the road without having to glance down towards the 5.5″ screen to check your traversing speed or the safety systems that are in operation.
On the use of technology, there are six speakers dotted around the cabin – four at the front and two at the rear. However, if you want to better the experience, you’ll want to opt for one of the Shine trims and add the ‘Citroën HiFi System’ for £350, as it helps bolster the overall sonic reproduction by adding a subwoofer and a centre speaker to the audio configuration.
Read next: Citroen e-C4 review: Most comfortable SUV?
Citroen e-C4 X storage review
Should you want to get the most out of the audio system, you’ll want to plug your smartphone into the USB Type-C port found at the front of the centre console. Here, you’ll also find a Type-A port and 12V socket for charging. In the Shine Plus trim, you’ll also have the option to get a wireless smartphone charger for an additional £150. It’s a shame that this isn’t included as standard across all trim levels.
Nonetheless, in all trims, you’ll find a non-slip area towards the front of the centre console that also reveals a smaller storage compartment underneath, further down there are two cupholders under a retractable cover, and a relatively small area within the centre armrest.
As for the glove box, it’s compact but thankfully the door bins are large enough to accommodate a 500ml bottle alongside a wallet or purse, while the rear two are unsurprisingly smaller. Should you want rear cupholders, a pulldown armrest and an integrated ski latch, you’ll have to opt for the Shine Plus trim; you can add it to the regular Shine trim for an additional £800, as it is part of the ‘Hype Black interior ambience’ package.
Elsewhere, there is Citroen’s Smart Pad Support in the Shine trims, which we first saw in the e-C4. Effectively, there is a retractable arm located by the front passenger side that provides secured support for a tablet; the area under it is a slide-out compartment which allows you to store a tablet. This rather ingenious design provides an extra layer of entertainment for the front passenger. Note, should you have a 10.5″ Samsung Galaxy Tablet or an Apple iPad Air 2, you’ll need to spend an additional £100 for a compatible mount – you can see it in action within the e-C4 on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or TikTok.
What sets the e-C4 X apart from its more compact sibling is its boot capacity. Indeed, there’s 510 litres with the seats in place and when dropped extends up to 1,360 litres. That’s up from 380 and 1,250 litres of the e-C4, which offers 485 and 1,580 litres, respectively.
Apart from Citroen’s fleet, here’s how it stacks up to other electric SUVs: Tesla Model Y (854/2,100 litres); Skoda Enyaq iV (585/1,710 litres); VW ID.5 (549/1,561 litres); VW ID.4 (543/1,575 litres); Hyundai Ioniq 5 (520/1,587 litres); BMW iX3 (520/1,560 litres); Jaguar I-Pace (656/1,453 litres); Audi Q4 e-tron (520/1,490 litres); MG5 EV estate (464/1,456 litres); Kia Niro EV (475/1,392 litres); Peugeot e-2008 (434/1,467 litres); MG ZS EV (448/1,375 litres); Kia EV6 (490/1,300 litres); Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin (452/1,328 litres); Ford Mustang Mach-E (402/1,420 litres); Kia Soul EV (315/1,339 litres); Citroen e-C4 (380/1,250 litres); Mercedes EQA (340/1,320 litres); MG4 EV (363/1,177 litres); Hyundai Kona Electric (332/1,114 litres); Vauxhall Mokka-e (310/1,060 litres).
Now, while the e-C4 X’s capacity should suffice for most, it’s worth pointing out that it doesn’t have the hatchback design of the e-C4 or C5 X Hybrid and has a much narrower opening. It also lacks the electric tailgate of the latter model, which is rather disappointing.
Equally, the boot floor isn’t flat with the 60:40 rear-split folding seats dropping down to reveal a step – not ideal if you have elongated goods. Nonetheless, it’s great to see a small underfloor compartment, which makes for an ideal area to store your charging cables.
Read next: Skoda Enyaq iV review: The Volkswagen ID.4 alternative
Citroen e-C4 X comfort review
Capacity aside, one of the key selling points of Citroen’s vehicles, is the ridiculously comfortable in-cabin experience – starting from the seats. The rear outer two and the front ones have 15mm of extra high-density foam padding, which means they’re cushiony soft and provide the perfect amount of support.
On the subject of the front seats, they’re manually adjustable only across all trim levels. Should you want ‘4-way electric driver’s seat with manual longitudinal adjustment, plus driver’s electric lumbar adjustment and a massage function’ you’ll want to spend an extra £800 – only available in the Shine trims. Equally, the heated steering wheel is exclusive and standard on the Shine trims and so is the optional ‘opening glazed sunroof’ that costs £800. Note, the top-spec model integrates heated front seats as standard.
No matter which model or option you end up choosing, legroom and headroom at the front of the cabin are excellent. At the rear, headroom is a bit more limited for 6-foot 2-inches (188cm) individuals, however, for kids or younger adults, it’ll be a non-issue. As for legroom at the back, it isn’t bad either but isn’t as impressive as the roomier C5 X Hybrid.
It is rather disappointing, however, that there is a rather sizable transmission tunnel. Quite odd, given the C5 X Hybrid had better optimisation despite housing an internal combustion engine (ICE). This just goes to show that the e-C4 X hasn’t been built from the ground up as a fully electric vehicle, and indeed is sold elsewhere with an engine.
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Moving onto cabin noise, the SUV is among one of the best in its class. Road noise from the tyres is kept to a minimum, while exterior noise is drowned out by the ‘high level acoustic insulation pack’ pack, which comes fitted on all trim levels.
The real differentiator between the e-C4 X and rival offerings is its floaty-like suspension, which the automaker coins as ‘Citroën Advanced Comfort Active Suspension‘. This combines with the ‘Dual Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’ that we’ve already had the pleasure of experiencing within the e-C4, C5 X Hybrid and C5 Aircross.
The result is an unrivalled driving experience, with the vehicle adapting the suspension of each wheel to be softer or firmer depending on the conditions encountered. Sensors within each wheel also send data to the vehicle’s Electric Control Unit (ECU) to dynamically adjust the ride height and evaluate the road conditions. The system is astonishingly good at what it’s designed to do and provides that carpet-ride feel in its Comfort driving mode.
Read next: Kia Niro EV review: An upgraded e-Niro?
Citroen e-C4 X performance review
However, its softened driving setup does hinder its performance on more challenging roads. At speed, the e-C4 X suffers from a bit of body roll and doesn’t instil that driver’s feel; one feels disconnected from the front axle, even when lobbed in its Sport driving mode that tries to heighten the driving dynamics. With that said, the same could be associated with the vast majority of its rivals; should you want a more engaging experience, you’ll need to splash out on the BMW iX3 or Jaguar I-Pace.
It’s also pretty lazy for an all-electric vehicle. Its front-mounted motor and 50 kWh battery pack dispatch 100 kW (136 hp) of power and 260 Nm of torque. We had its 0-60mph tested using Racelogic’s Vbox Sport at 9.6 seconds. Top speed is also limited to 93mph. By comparison, the Hyundai Kona Electric (64 kWh model) has 150 kW (201 hp) of power, 395 Nm of torque and gets to 60mph in just 6.91 seconds.
On the plus side, Citroen’s reduced power output results in better traction, as there’s no front-wheel spin or torque steer, as is present on Hyundai Group’s vehicles – all of which operate on a front-wheel drive (FWD) system.
We suspected straight-line speed and driving dynamics won’t be at the top of the list for Citroen’s customer base. Electric driving range, however, is paramount in any EV. Here, in our mixed driving tests, we netted 180-200 miles, which isn’t bad and unsurprisingly is identical to its sibling, the e-C4. Comparing it to its similarly priced rivals, such as the entry-level Skoda Enyaq iV, VW ID.4, MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, the Vauxhall Mokka-e and Peugeot e-2008, the Citroen offers a comparable electric range. Switch to the larger battery pack variants of the aforementioned vehicles that are offered outside the Stellantis Group, and you’ll find the e-C4 X is outclassed.
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In order to maximise range, you’ll want to drive in B-mode. It has to be initiated each time you step inside the cabin by pressing a button found on the centre console. In said mode, the level of deceleration when lifting off the accelerator pedal is rather weak; one can’t drive with one pedal only. It’s a shame Citroen hasn’t optimised B-mode or offered any sort of customisation of the regenerative braking modes.
Nevertheless, to recharge the vehicle’s 50 kWh battery pack at a much more rapid rate, there’s a CCS port, which supports up to 100 kW of input. This allows the e-C4 X to get up to 80% from empty in around 30 minutes. A more commonly found 50 kW charge point will take 45 minutes instead. At a wallbox or slower public charger that has a 7 kW output, it’ll take 7hrs 30mins to go from 0-100% using the Type 2 port. Should you have access to a three-phase 11 kW charger, the optional £300 11 kW onboard charger will reduce the charge time to five hours. Unsurprisingly, a three-pin wall socket will take over 24 hours to recharge to full.
Read next: New MG ZS EV review: Still the best budget electric SUV?
Citroen e-C4 X safety review
In terms of safety, the Citroen e-C4 X was tested by Euro NCAP, where it achieved 4/5 stars in the rigorous tests; scoring 80% in Adult Occupancy, 83% in Child Occupancy and a mere 63% in the Safety Assist tests
While we can’t certify its crash safety, we can testify using the rather limited driver assistance systems. As standard across all trim levels, there’s: Speed limiter and cruise control, Active Safety Brake (video-assisted), Speed Limit Information, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Alert 3 with Lane Departure Detection and Forward Collision Warning.
Should you want Advanced Active Safety Brake (video and radar-assisted, with night-time and cyclist detection), Extended Traffic Sign Recognition, Adaptive Cruise Control with stop-and-go technology and Blind Spot Detection, you’ll need to opt for one of the Shine trims or splash-out a whopping £1,300 for an option for the Sense trim.
The Shine Plus trim adds Highway Driver Assist, which effectively gives you steering support while on the motorway. Should you want this feature in the regular Shine trim you’ll have to spend an additional £400.
Speaking of your options, we find it rather disappointing and baffling that the Sense trim doesn’t come with a rearview camera. Instead, you’ll have to spend £180 for it on an option. Equally, front and lateral sensors don’t come as standard either and are only available as standard within the Shine trims. The more expensive models do also have a ‘Top Rear Vision’ as they come fitted with a rearview camera as standard.
No matter which trim you opt for, visibility at the side and rear are excellent. Unfortunately, at the front, the view is obstructed by the rearview mirror – a similar complaint we had of the Vauxhall Mokka-e and its sibling, the e-C4. Speaking of which, in terms of dimensions, the e-C4 X sits in between its fully electric and hybrid siblings – it’s 4.6m long, 1.834m wide excluding mirrors, 1.525m tall and has a 2.67m wheelbase. Despite its stance, it’s still easy to manoeuvre with its turning circle sitting at a quoted 10.9 metres.
Read next: Hyundai Kona Electric review: Kia e-Niro alternative?
TotallyEV’s verdict on the Citroen e-C4 X
While the Citroen e-C4 X doesn’t have as many features nor the same driving dynamics as its competitors, it does offer a supremely comfortable experience and a competent electric range.
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We can certainly see ourselves recommending the French automaker’s fastback-styled SUV to those who want the most comfortable electric SUV on a budget and want a bit of extra space at the back over the alternative e-C4. As a result, the Citroen e-C4 X receives TotallyEV’s Value award.
Would you pick the e-C4 X over the more compact e-C4? Let us know in the comments below or via social media; we’re on: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
