Citroen C4 Hatchback test drive since 2010 hatchback

New classic

The first test of the new Citroen C4

What is better than tradition or innovation? Calmly move along the rolled rut or independently pave a new way to these questions has been tormented by humanity for more than a century and still remain unanswered.

The same thing happens in the automotive industry. Someone is looking for new solutions, while others slowly, but confidently move forward. I would take the Citroen brand as the first group: it is enough to recall that it was the French who introduced a hydropneumatic suspension into the mass production, the front axle drive, carrier body, rotary headlights, not to mention spectacular design, concave glass, single -spoke roules, flavors in the salon and the salon and Tom like. Innovation has become a kind of tradition for the Citroenovites. And every time a new model with a double chevron on the emblem is born, we are waiting for a miracle or at least surprises. True, when the new Citroen C4 was presented at the beginning of last summer, it turned out that a miracle did not happen. But there were more than enough surprises.

A year later, we went on a trip to the Moscow, Tverskaya and Yaroslavl regions on the new C4, which had just reached the Russian market.


The surroundings for the presentation of the new C4 in Russia became the hydroelectric power station of the Soviet period.

First surprise. Is it Citroen? Remove the identification signs by car, and the brand, and even more so the model, is unlikely to guess the first time. There is no trace of the former avant -garde, and continuity in appearance is barely traced. The old and new generation of C4 is distinguished perhaps the notorious double chevron or, as it is jokingly called a double blow (by analogy with the rhythm of the heart on the cardiogram), stretched into the entire width of the false radiator lattice, and the ends of the front headlights crawling to the wings.


A spectacular three -door body disappeared from the model range, and the former rounded five -door gained simpler forms of the classic hatchback. But most importantly, if you put the previous and current model nearby, then it will be difficult for a person who does not know in automobile matters to understand which of the cars appeared earlier and which later. It’s bad or good, it’s difficult to say, but C4 has not become worse from this. The silhouette is quite attractive just another pretty hatchback.

The salon also lost the bold ideas with which the predecessor flaunted, and this is another victory of the conservatives. The steering wheel with a fixed steering wheel hub and a flavor disappeared, the seats with the original upholstery gained more classic forms, and the device combination moved to the usual place behind the steering column. In fact, all these changes did not arise from scratch: as the company’s employees say, extravagant solutions were alien to the average buyer, so when creating a new C4, they decided to do without quirks. But the developers tried to give the interior of premium and in conversations often mentioned the senior model C5, which became a guide for the new CEE of the fourth. Indeed, in the design of the driver’s place there are similar elements-for example, a combination of devices and a steering wheel.


The littered central console and a high central tunnel are somewhat reminiscent of Audi cars. And what kind of soft, suppressive plastic surrounds passengers is not even like plastic, but on rubber!

The ergonomics of the salon became a little kinder. PSA concern cars were often scolded for the sophisticated menu of the audio system, navigation and the flight comprehensive compartment, with the complex logic of interfaces. Now everything has become a little simpler and more understandable.


Starting from the average setting of Tendens (from 618 900 rubles), fog lights with static lighting of turns are available for C4 (illuminate the zone up to 75). The system operates at speeds up to 40 km/h. The foglights are activated in two cases: when the turn indicator is turned on or when the angle of rotation of the steering wheel reaches 60. As soon as the steering wheel returns to position 30, the additional light goes out.

In addition, for C4, a programmable cruise control / speed limiter is proposed. The driver can introduce up to five restriction options and, if necessary, activate any of them. Depending on the level of configuration, the control of the system can be organized only from the steering wheel or through additional buttons on the central console.

Do you know what other feature of French cars have? These are comfortable seats, they will always be a little softer than German or Japanese seats. The Citroenovites made sure that the back and especially the lower back did not ache in distant voyage. In the presence of proper side support and fixation of the body, the seats provide an optimal lumbar back in the lower part of the back, which is so often lacking in other cars. And you can also adjust the headrest, and not only in height, but also in the degree of its adjustment to the back of the head, which usually occurs on a higher class machines.


A special REST button on the climate control unit allows you to use the fan function for a few more minutes after the engine is turned off depending on the battery charging level. The speed and distribution of air in this mode are adjusted automatically.

But the gallery did not live up to expectations, despite the fact that the car grew 50 millimeters in length (the overall length increased to 4329 millimeters), 20 millimeters wide and 30 millimeters in height, the wheelbase remained unchanged (2608 millimeters). Yes, it became a little more spacious in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulders and legs, as the components managed to cut out an additional five centimeters, but the angle of installation of the rear sofa changed. In the Old C4, it was more convenient from behind.

The volume of the trunk increased to 408 liters, although this figure includes a niche under the spare wheel. Therefore, the real volume of useful space is 380 liters. And if you lay out the rear seats, then loading of things will interfere with the step. Previously, Citroen had seats like those that are installed on the Peugeot 308 when you first need to push the pillow, and then put the back on this place on the floor with the floor. Today, the creators decided to simplify this procedure, and now the back simply drops onto the pillow with a light movement of the hand. But now in the trunk of C4 there is a small, but pleasant trifle of the Plaphon-Fund, charged from the on-board power grid.

But how to open the trunk door without stinging your hands? The lock button is located at the bottom, above the license plate. How much this will be a great question in winter. But hygiene, the French nevertheless paid attention to now in the cabin, finally appeared a normal button of the electric shock of the gas tank. Previously, drivers when refueling had to carry a cork with a key everywhere.


For Kaluga assembly machines, and the new C4 is already produced in Russia, so far only a 1.6-liter 120-horsepower gasoline engine with phasisters is available. Transmission either a five -speed mechanics, or a four -speed machine, which is familiar from other models of the PSA concern. But there is one important but now automatic box wears the AT8 index instead of the previous AL4. But we will not see neither robotic transmissions, nor cars with the Start Stop system.

Remember how everyone cracked on the previous machine? Jerks at the start and when switching, a strange logic of work in transition modes, constant throwing between 3 and 4 gear on a winding or mountain road. The upgraded unit managed to get rid of these sores, got a new control unit and a hydrotransformer of the German company ZF. The jerks have gone the past, the transmission algorithm has become more adequate and now it is much more pleasant to drive. Moreover, both in a calm rhythm and when driving with a pedal to the floor.

And it is really often necessary to push the accelerator with a 120-horsepower engine that Citroen C4, that the related Peugeot 308 is endowed with mediocre dynamics. There is especially lack of traction on overtaking, when you need to quickly accelerate, say, from 80 to 120 kilometers per hour. After all, even judging by the numbers in the passport, acceleration to a hundred with an engine strangled to Euro-5 standards became half a second more slowly than that of the predecessor of 12.5 seconds. Either the case is a five -speed handle with which the car is subjective to the frozen. True, the transmission mechanism is tight, but the clutch pedal is soft and informative. And on the new mechanical C4 now there is an eco -indicator special arrow near the tachometer will tell you when it is best to switch to the next gear in order to save fuel.

Eh, here would be a 150-horsepower turbo advance of a 1.6-liter engine and six-speed mechanics but, as they say in the Russian representative office, the demand for such machines is small in our market, so there is no point in taking this modification to Russia. So far, we will not have a powerful motor with a six-speed transmission machine gunner, the Japanese company Aisin, does not cope with orders, so the French supply such versions only to those markets where they are really in demand.

In the fall, Russians will be offered an economy C4 option on a mechanic with a deformed 1.6-liter engine without a gas distribution phase system that produces 110 forces.


In a straight line, Citroen rides confidently and does not require additional steering, but in the nearoral zone the steering wheel is not enough information and effort. In turns, the car also behaves stably and predictably, changing the direction almost without rolls, and only in the limit comes out the front axle. The stabilization system in the database is installed only on versions with an automatic transmission.

As for comfort, I liked worthy sound insulation, but this is until aerodynamics begin to work. Already at a speed of 110-120 kilometers per hour in the cabin there is a noise from the runaway air flow, but the most unpleasant is that the seals of the doorways whistled on test cars. Another oddity was found in a combination of devices when the ignition turned on the luminescent backlight made a constant thin high -frequency sound. This phenomenon was observed in machines in simple trim levels Dynamique and Tendance with white backlighting indicators, and in the version of Exclusive, where color lighting is used, there was no mosquito itch.


The Citroenovtsy decided to individualize the interior of the expensive version in an original way due to the function of adjusting the instrument lighting from white to blue, as well as the sound warning system. Four polyphonic topics are offered to choose from (Classic, Crystal Symphony, Jungle Fantasy, Urban Rythmik), which replace the information and preventive signals of the car. A funny, but somewhat useless toy.

I liked the work of the suspension, which plays the road irregularities of various stripes, from joints and patches, and ending with fits and large cracks. As in the case of the previous Citroen C4, the Russian modification of the new model is equipped with the standard metal protection of the crankcase, as well as reinforced springs and shock absorbers, which added another 10 millimeters of the road clearance. True, on the waves of CEE, the fourth begins to sway seriously and sooner or later the suspension works to the buffers of the compression stroke. The same applies to large bumps, to which the Frenchman reacts painfully.

We managed to ride a little in the top version with a leather salon and electric drives of a driver's seat. Even in the lowest position of the pillow, you sit a little higher than in cheaper versions of cars with electric seats, a smaller settings range than in versions with mechanical adjustments. But the interior interior will not yield to business class machines. Do you know a lot of golf class cars that have a massage function? In the new C4, such a system migrated with Citroen C5, where the massager unobtrusively kneads the lower back. Plus, the monitoring system of dead zones and navigation, all this is also here.


EMYWAY navigation system is part of a multimedia system with a high 7-inch high-resolution screen, a hard drive and outputs for connecting devices via USB and Jack 3.5 mm. The system is designed to connect external devices via Bluetooth and allows you to listen to music files saved on a mobile phone. Navteq navigation supplier. At the moment, the system is guided in the 38 largest cities in Russia, however, detailed maps are available for only a few cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is only a pity that the menu of the multimedia system, as well as the hints of the navigator, have not yet been translated into Russian.

The expensive version also has a multifunctional display inside the speedometer, which displays the testimony of the flight comprehensive compliance, speed limiter, navigation, audio systems, and so on. Another pleasant trifle system of air conditioning with three different levels of work efficiency (soft, medium, intense). In fact, these are the three preinstalled fan algorithm, which already has a blowing intensity regulator.


The system of control of blind zones consists of four sensors on the front and rear bumers, which operate in a high -speed range from 12 to 140 kilometers per hour and control the space around the car. In case of a car is detected in a poor visibility zone, the electronics prevents the driver with turning on the yellow indicator on the side mirrors. The system monitors the space up to 5 meters behind the machine, as well as at a distance of up to 3.5 meters on the right and left of the car.

It seems that the French decided to take buyers not with charm, but by the practicality and packaging of the car, which, together with attractive prices for Russian assembly cars, must certainly bear fruit. The basic value of the new C4 is 574 900 rubles. For this money, the buyer receives a car with air conditioning, two frontal airbags, a steering wheel, a cruise control, ABS with a brake force distribution system and an emergency braking assistant, ISOFIX mounts, an immobilizer, audio and anterior electric windows. A version with an automatic gearbox with the same equipment will cost 623,900 rubles, and it will already have a stabilization system in the database. By the end of the year, the company plans to sell about 11 thousand cars of two generations (the previous generation’s hatchbacks remained in the warehouses of dealers), and this is almost two and a half times more than last year.


The C4 guarantee is now three years or 100 thousand kilometers of mileage instead of a two -year guarantee with unlimited mileage, which acts on the rest of Citroen models. If this seems a little, then for an additional fee by three years of warranty, you can add another 12 months or 60 thousand kilometers.

Yes, the new C4 did not make a revolution in a golf class, but it turned out to be a more comfortable, calm and balanced car. He has no serious drawbacks, but there are no bright advantages. And this means that the fourth is unlikely to be in the leaders of the C-class, but he is quite capable of becoming a strong middle peasant. Apparently, Citroen relies on a sober calculation and rationalism, where there is no place for the avant -garde and bold experiments. Only classic and proven solutions.

Technical characteristics Citroen C4
1.6 manual transmission 1.6 automatic transmission
Length, mm 4329 4329
Width, mm 1789 1789
Height, mm 1498 1498
Wheel base / clearance, mm 2608 /130 2608 /130
Equipped mass, kg 1205 1270
Engine volume, cm3 1598 1598
Power, horsepower / O-Min 120/6000 120 /6000
Torque, Nm / O-Min 160 /4250 160 /4250
Acceleration time from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour, from 10.8 12.5
Maximum speed, kilometers per hour 193 188
Fuel consumption in a combined cycle, l/100 km 6.2 6.9

Petr Bakanov photo of the author and Citroen
 

Source: Motor magazine [June 2011]