Citroen e-C4 electric gets revised trim levels for 2022

Citroen has revamped the trim levels of its e-C4 electric family hatchback for 2022, with the range now made up of Sense, Shine Edition and Shine Plus variants and starting at £28,495 after the government grant has been applied.

Standard equipment on the entry-level Sense comprises LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, power-folding mirrors, rear parking sensors and keyless entry, along with a suite of active safety technology. Interior and comfort features include a 10-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, a tablet mount for the front-seat passenger, Citroen's 'Advanced Comfort' suspension and seats, plus dual-zone climate control.

Stepping up to Shine Edition costs £30,495 after the grant. This trim level takes the place of Shine in the hierarchy and adds a head-up display, active cruise control, active blind-spot monitoring and a 'Safety Plus Pack'. Sat nav, front and rear parking sensors, a colour reversing camera, a heated steering wheel and a two-position boot floor also feature.

Shine Plus remains the range-topping version of the e-C4, priced at £34,995 and therefore ineligible for the grant. Citroen says this has been the best-selling version to date; it comes with wireless smartphone charging, an upgraded audio system with a subwoofer and heated front seats that can be finished in either leather or leather-effect textile.

The revised trim structure for the e-C4 follows on from technical updates introduced in October 2021 that added an estimated 18 miles to the car's real-world driving range. These included tweaks to the heat pump and transmission.

Citroen e-C4 electric motor, performance, battery, range and charging

The electric C4 has a 134bhp electric motor drawing power from a 50kWh battery, giving a driving range of 222 miles from a charge. It'll hit 62mph from a standing start in 9.7 seconds and has a top speed of 93mph.

As with most electric cars, there's a regenerative braking system to recoup energy when slowing down, as well as a variety of driving modes to prioritise power, efficiency or a balance between the two. The e-C4 comes with rapid charging capability as standard, and will top up from a 100kW public charger to 80% capacity in 30 minutes. Home charging overnight takes in the region of seven-and-a-half hours.

A full suite of safety systems is available; Citroen lists 20 in total, including automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, active cruise control, a 'coffee break' reminder for the driver, fatigue warning, traffic-sign recognition and automatic headlamps. A 360-degree camera, parking assistance, hill-start assistance and trailer stability control are also offered.

Exterior design

The new Citroen e-C4 gets a much sleeker, more coupe-like profile than the old C4 Cactus, plus a fairly high nose and a window line that rises towards the back of the vehicle. The e-C4 measures 4,360mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,525mm high – slightly shorter but taller than a Kia e-Niro.

Citroen says the car's design "manages to combine the elegance and dynamism of a hatchback while subtly adopting some SUV standards for added strength and character". It boasts short front and rear overhangs, a relatively high ground clearance and a long wheelbase to give what Citroen describes as an "assertive and confident elevated posture". 

The polarising front end gives it a distinctive look, with the double chevron badge splitting in two with the upper branch forming part of the sharp daytime running light signature. The large hexagonal headlights and the low-mounted foglights both use fully LED lighting technology.

Customisation and personalisation of the car is possible when ordering, with 31 colour combinations (made by mixing and matching seven base colours and five colour highlight packs) available for the exterior and six different interior 'ambiences' to choose from. Electric versions get blue detailing inside and out.

Wheels available range from simple covers on 16-inch steel wheels on the entry-level model, through more stylish 17 and 18-inch alloy designs, with the e-C4 getting its own exclusive design of 18-inch diamond-cut wheels to set it apart from the diesel and petrol versions.

Interior, comfort and practicality

The interior (above) features a relatively flat and simple dashboard design, with a large borderless 10-inch infotainment screen above the air vents dominating the centre of the cockpit. The driver gets fully digital instruments and a head-up display – although it's not yet known if these features will be standard across the range, or only offered as options or on certain trim levels.

A low-mounted steering wheel has driver-assistance system controls on its left spoke and infotainment buttons on the right, while there are gearshift paddles mounted behind the wheel in the petrol and diesel versions. The climate-control system also gets physical controls, in contrast to some other recent Citroen, Peugeot and DS models, which have used touchscreen operation.

The e-C4 continues the emphasis on comfort that has characterised recent Citroens, with hydraulic cushion suspension and 'Advanced Comfort' seats promising a very smooth ride – although these will not be standard on the cheapest variants.

Boot capacity is 380 litres, while there's a further 39 litres' storage spread across 16 different interior compartments. A two-position boot floor enables a flat load floor when the rear seats are lowered, while the e-C4 has an underfloor compartment for keeping its charging cables in.

The front-seat passenger can also securely mount a tablet or other mobile device in front of them for use during the journey, thanks to a retractable 'Smart Pad Support' built into the dashboard. There's also a glovebox, a large storage area in front of the dashboard, a wireless phone charging pad and cup holders front and rear.

Citroen also offers a plug-in hybrid version of its C5 Aircross family SUV, alongside the fully electric e-Dispatch panel van and e-SpaceTourer nine-seater minibus. Upmarket sister brand DS, meanwhile, offers the electric DS 3 Crossback and the plug-in hybrid DS 7 Crossback SUV and DS 9 executive saloon.