Citroën C4 — BrandWiki

Citroën C4

Overview

Third generation

aka	Citroën ë-C4 (electric) Citroën C4 X (saloon)
production	2020–present
assembly	Spain: Villaverde, Madrid (Stellantis Madrid Plant) Egypt: Cairo (Arab American Vehicles) ‡R31R‡
body style	5-door coupe SUV (C4) 4-door saloon (C4 X)
platform	PSA EMP1 platform
related	Peugeot 2008 Peugeot 208 DS 3 Crossback Opel Mokka Opel Corsa IKCO Reera
engine	Petrol: 1.2 L EB2ADTD/EB2DTS/EB2ADTX turbo I3 Diesel: 1.5 L DV5 BlueHDi turbo I4

The Citroën C4 is a car produced by Citroën, part of Stellantis. It was positioned to be the successor to the Citroën Xsara. The first generation production started in September 2004. For its first two generations, the C4 was a compact car/small family car, but it was redesigned as a subcompact crossover SUV for its third generation.

In June 2020, the third-generation C4 was released in the form of coupé SUV, abandoning the traditional C-segment hatchback/saloon body style.[1][2]

First generation (B5; 2004)

Debut

To cope with the market, Citroën was dedicated and committed to building a new model that would appeal to many customers.

Design

The C4's design was created by a team that included Donato Coco, Jean Pierre Ploué and Bertrand Rapatel.[5] Building on the floor of its cousin, the Peugeot 307, the C4 was immediately made available in two body variants: five-door hatchback and three-door coupé. The front is common to both versions, with the grille formed from virtual extensions of the central crest. The saloon is much more rounded and features softer shapes, so they can boast a Cd of just 0.28, while the coupe is more angular, with a rear split into two parts, including lights.

The rear window of the coupé is reminiscent of the older Honda CR-X from the early 1990s, as well as the last three-door Mazda 323C. These two versions of the C4 Picasso are more detached, taking over the grille of the saloon and coupe, but the cut of the headlamps are different, aesthetically combining corners and curves. The rear lights incorporate the design as in those of the saloon but were adapted to the different shape of the body. Internally, the dashboard features a central instrument panel that centralizes all heating and cooling controls, audio, and a satellite navigation screen. The instrument panel contains digital and analog displays of the speedometer, petrol levels, and other gauges. Lighting can be customized to change color from white to blue.

The revolution, however, is placed in canonical position, behind the wheel. The latter is multifunctional and characterized by having a fixed hub. The cabin is equipped with numerous storage compartments and the luggage compartment is regular in shape, with a capacity of 352 liters, increasing to 1,200 after lowering the rear seat backrest. The load threshold is quite high, hitting loads of heavy objects. There are laminated side windows and exterior mirrors, with a casing specially designed to prevent wind noise and improve the comfort inside.

The saloon version is manufactured in Argentina, where it is sold alongside the five-door and the imported three-door version. The C4 Saloon is exported from there to Brazil and Hungary as the C4 Pallas and to Spain, Turkey, and Greece as the C4 Sedan. A longer four-door saloon version with a different rear end is also built and sold in China as the Citroën C-Triomphe. A panel van based on the coupé bodyshell is available in some markets, including Ireland.

Technology

A major selling point of the C4 was its extensive use of technology. For example, the car features the "lane departure warning system" (only in the top-of-the-range "exclusive" model), which alerts the driver if they cross a road marking without using the turn signals; directional headlights; perfume dispenser integrated into the ventilation system; translucent dashboard; transparent glass roof; electronic stability program (ESP), and a fixed steering wheel hub, which lets the driver operate several functions of the car without removing their hands from the wheel.

The fixed hub also allows for the first production use of a "shaped" driver airbag. Because the hub maintains a constant position, the airbag can be optimally shaped to spread the load across the greatest possible area of the driver's body in a collision, thus reducing the chances of serious injury. In addition, the car features an innovative centrally mounted translucent LCD speedometer display that remains clearly visible in all lighting conditions.

The car's in-car entertainment, integrated into the car's information system via VAN bus, is not Digital audio broadcasting (DAB) ready. MP3 playback is supported by the entry level audio system and high-end audio, with double-layer sound-insulated windows and integrated navigation system available as extras. In September 2007, a USB box accessory[6] was released to enable full iPod connectivity with the standard RD4 radio.

The C4 does not feature Citroën's Hydractive suspension, which is reserved for higher class models, such as the C5 and C6. The Picasso version can feature a pneumatic rear suspension. The C4 breaks with the past on other fronts, in particular by removing the rear autodirezionale solution, used up to that time on the Xsara and ZX. The suspension is the usual type MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs, while the rear has interconnected wheels with torsion beam and torsion bars. The braking system includes ventilated discs on the front, and rear solid discs with ABS and ESP (not standard versions with basic fittings). The steering is rack and pinion with electro-hydraulic power steering.

Advertising

The car's advanced technology was the focus of a well-known television advertising campaign showing the car transforming into a giant dancing Transformer, accompanied by the song "Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat)" by Les Rythmes Digitales. At the end of the sequence, the robot transforms back into a car, over the slogan "Alive With Technology". The dance moves were based on the concept of a Transformers break dance routine, developed from moves recorded by the agents from Justin Timberlake's choreographer Marty Kudelka. Although the advertisement was produced by a music group from Canada, and the scenery was downtown Vancouver, the car is not available in North America.[17] The entire sequence and scenery were digitally created. Apple Shake was used to digitally generate visual effects. This commercial has since been credited to District 9 director Neill Blomkamp.[18]

The follow-up ad featured a similar transformer robot ice skating at high speed across a frozen lake, dodging around obstacles and executing a hockey stop in front of a group of engineers before transforming back into a car. It featured the song "Walking Away (Tocadisco Remix)" by The Egg.

The third ad broadcasting shows a third transformer robot sprinting along a road, changing to car form and back to robot form during the run. It features the song "Hungarian Dances" by Brahms. It is not on the Citroën C4 website.

The fourth ad featuring yet another transforming robot is being aired in Europe for the revamped C4. The robot struts through town showing off, accompanied by a cover version of the Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive" by MC Lita.

In July 2007, filming began in São Paulo, Brazil, for a commercial for South America, starring North American actor Kiefer Sutherland and Argentine actress Araceli González.[19] One month early, a controversial advertisement announcing the collision of an asteroid with planet Earth, given the appearance of real news, was used in Brazil to promote the release of C4 Pallas, and there is an asteroid named 2 Pallas.

A video game titled Citroën C4 Robot was developed by Istanbul-based developer 2GEN Studio and released on April 21, 2008. It is a free racing advergame in which the player can either create an account and try to beat another player's record or can play offline.[20]

Second generation (B7; 2010)

Debut

The second-generation Citroën C4 made its debut at the 2010 Paris Salon before it was launched in September. After its launch, it debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 2010 and went on sale in Europe under the Citroën brand one month later. The new model was slightly bigger than the last and was only available with five doors. A three-door version was omitted by the French company because of the low sales of the previous generation three-door, and to avoid the risk of cannibalizing the DS3 sales. The derived first-generation DS4 (B75) was offered as a more stylish and luxurious alternative.

Design

Compared to the outgoing model, the average new design of the French line is less eccentric. In general, the lines are less rounded, the front is characterized by large clusters with aggressive design "cut" on the top and a "step" on the underside. Clearly visible in the front grille is the Citroën, formed by extensions of the central logo. The engine hood is made more aggressive by two longitudinal ribs, while the bumper, which is also aggressive, has a rather large mouth, flanked by two air intakes and two slots for the fog lights.

The side view shows two longitudinal ribs, one just above the line of door handles and the other at the bottom. The tail is characterized by clusters that penetrate partially into the side and partly in the boot lid. The large bumper appears massive from the rearview but at the same time, it raises the threshold for overload. The dashboard of the second C4 series is characterized by blue-lit instrumentation in different shades, combining analog and digital technology. The dashboard, with the now ever-present display, is also modern in styling, and has some ribs, especially at the top, which complement the external lines of the bodywork. The steering wheel doesn't have a fixed hub like the first generation. The seats have a sporty design, with padded side panels, but offer little lateral support. The sofa is divisible according to the now familiar pattern 60–40, but it is not tilting. The luggage compartment offers up to 408 liters for the standard, expandable up to 1,183, by lowering the rear seat backrest. The second-generation C4 received a facelift in 2015. The hatchback stayed in production until early 2018.[22]

Engines

The second series of C4 is provided with specific tires with low rolling resistance, and out of the 200 kg of polymer used in each sample, about 30 are environmentally friendly.

The structure of the Mk2 C4, and C4-II, is derived from that of the first series: even the wheelbase was unchanged, but there are some new features in this case. To make the car more comfortable, suspension geometry was slightly modified, and new bushes are used, albeit still MacPherson struts in front and torsion beam at the rear. The brakes are disc all around, the front ones being ventilated, with ABS and ESP standard across the range. The rack and pinion steering with electro-hydraulic power steering is carried over from the previous C4. The engine range includes three petrol and four diesel engines:

The e-HDi engine, which debuted on the C4 (and simultaneously on the C4 Picasso based on the first series), is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, as well as the 1.6 engine THP. The other engines are available with a manual 5-speed (1.4 VTi, 1.6 VTi and 1.6 HDi 92 hp) or 6-speed (1.6 HDi112 hp and 2.0 HDi). The 1.6 VTi is also available with a 4-speed automatic transmission.

1.4 VTi: 1397 cc, 95 PS
1.6 VTi: 1598 cc, 120 PS
1.6 THP: 1598 cc, turbo, 155 PS
1.6 HDi: 1560 cc, 90 PS

C4L, C4 Lounge and C4 Sedan (B73; 2012)

At the end of 2012, Citroën unveiled the saloon version called "C4L".[23] The saloon version was designed by the new PSA Style Centre in Shanghai. It is produced for the Chinese market in the Wuhan plant, and for the Russian market in the Kaluga plant.[24]

The platform is the same as the C4 hatchback, with the wheelbase increased by 102 mm. The engine range was composed of the 1.6 VTI Prince THP from 155 to 170 hp-metric, and the new 1.8 VTI with 135 hp-metric only for the Chinese market. All models are equipped with stop-start system.

The C4 saloon is manufactured in El Palomar, Argentina, and was planned for launch in the Latin American market in late 2013.[25] In 2013, it contained 62% of regionally made parts.[26]

The name of the vehicle is C4L in China, C4 Lounge in South America and C4 Sedan in Russia.

Safety