► C4 + C5X = upcoming C4X► Petrol, diesel and EV versions to come
► New C4 bodystyle expected in 2023
Citroën is plotting a new bodystyle for the C4, inspired by the design and functionality of its flagship C5X.
The C4 and C5X have much in common – they’re both avant-garde hatchbacks with a slightly raised ride height to make access easy – but there’s a half-metre size difference between the two. And that’s a sufficiently sized gap into which Citroën can plug the new variant, surely set to be called C4X.
Expect Citroën to extend the C4’s rear overhang, to catch a more swooping roofline inspired by the C5X’s. The flagship’s pronounced rear hips, introduced on the C5X by Pierre Leclercq when he became design director and revised the car, are also likely to figure. Whether the new model needs twin spoilers will be decided in the wind tunnel: the C5X’s upper spoiler channels air onto the lower one to reduce lift.
‘The C4 is a legitimate predecessor of the C5X: it’s elevated but it’s not an SUV,’ Citroën brand CEO Vincent Cobee tells CAR. ‘But they have a very different styling execution at the back. The C4 has quite a Japanese take on the rear, whereas the C5X is somewhere between a German and Swedish [design approach]. For me, there’s a bit of Saab inheritance in the rear!’
Reading between the lines, it appears the big differences will be at the rear, and they’re sure to boost cargo capacity beyond the C4’s 380 litres.
Under the skin, the C4X has great commonality with its sister car. That means it rides on the CMP platform, and offers an electric powertrain alongside the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel. The 50kWh battery should be good for in excess of 200 miles.
Will Citroën wait to see how the market receives the C5X (above) before launching a similar variant elsewhere in the range, Car asks Vincent Cobee? ‘Whatever we launch in the next five years is already decided,’ the boss replies. ‘When I say we might – everything has to be already decided. Otherwise see you in five years!’
Read into that what you will. But Stellantis has already confirmed that Citroën will introduce its next electrified model in 2023 – and the smart money is on it being the C4X. Expect a starting price around £23,500 for the petrol variant.
Keyword: Scoop: Citroën plans new C4X model to sit alongside C4