- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He Fr
Citroën C4. Dancing robot
The Citroën C4 is a C-segment car, introduced in September 2004. It was produced in sedan, 3-door and 5-door hatchback bodies. Currently, it is a compact stylish front-wheel drive 5-door crossover hatchback with a choice of gasoline and diesel engines, as well as an electric motor. In 2021, Israeli buyers could purchase the new 3rd generation Citroën C4.
The Citroën C4 demonstrates the readiness of the French manufacturer to follow the trends of automotive fashion. Its release in 2004 was accompanied by a spectacular, beautiful and unusual advertisement: the new C4 appeared in the form of a dancing robot. The break dance performed by the C4 was choreographed by Justin Timberlake. In the second video, the robot merrily walked around the city, and in the third one, it skated on ice, shocking its passengers. Positive advertising immediately created a cheerful and high-tech image of the car.
The new Citroën C4 is distinguished by its confident and balanced behavior on the road, as even the entry level version features numerous electronic assistants. According to the results of the Euro NCAP C4 crash tests, it received the highest final score of 5 stars in all categories. The effectiveness of safety systems is rated at 97%, which is the best result in the compact hatchback category. And this is a guarantee of calmness and confidence of the owners.
The first generation
The C4 concept was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show, then at the Paris Auto Show. The car was produced as a sedan, a 5-door hatchback and a 3-door coupe. The car featured a lot of unusual solutions. The dashboard combined digital and analog displays for the speedometer, gas level and other gauges, and its backlighting could be set to either white or blue. Inside, there were a lot of additional storage compartments, and the trunk reached 352 liters (increased to 1,200 liters after lowering the rear seat back). Back at that time, the C4 (top-end version) was equipped with a lane departure warning system, a perfume dispenser built into the ventilation system, and a transparent glass roof. The car had an electronic stabilization program (ESP) and a multifunctional steering wheel.
The new Citroën got a diverse engine range: gasoline engines ranging from 1.4 liters (88 hp) to 2 liters (136-177 hp) and a whole bunch of turbocharged diesel engines ranging from 1.6 to 2 liters (90-140 hp). The engines could be combined with 5-6-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmissions. In 2008, the model was restyled, and at the same time a free video game called Citroën C4 Robot was released. The first generation was the most successful. The Citroën C4 won the European Car of the Year award in 2005, and the World Rally Championship it was successfully driven by famous racers and world champions Sebastian Ogier, Dani Sordo and Peter Solberg, as well as the greatest multiple champion Sebastien Loeb.
The second generation
It appeared in 2010 and was produced until 2020 (until 2018in China, in Europe). The 3-door version was removed from the range in order to avoid competition with the DS3 model, so European buyers could only purchase it as a sedan or a 5-door hatchback until 2018. The design of the second generation was not as eccentric as that of its predecessor, but it could not be called boring either. The trunk grew to 408 liters. The car became more comfortable due to a different suspension geometry, although the scheme remained the same (McPherson strut suspension at the front and a torsion beam in the rear). The car featured disc brakes on both axles (the front ones were ventilated), as well as standard ABS and ESP. The rack and pinion steering with electro-hydraulic power steering was borrowed from the previous C4.
The effectiveness of safety systems is rated at 97%, which is the best result in the compact hatchback category.
The engine range included three gasoline and four diesel engines. The e-HDi engine, which debuted on the first generation C4, was mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The rest of the engines were equipped with a 5-speed (1.4 VTi, 1.6 VTi and 1.6 HDi version of 92 hp) or 6-speed manual (1.6 HDi with 112 hp and 2.0 HDi) transmission. The 1.6 VTi was also offered with a 4-speed automatic transmission.
The third generation
The new Citroën C4, built on the CMP platform, was introduced on June 16, 2020. During the two year break in the car production, Citroën came up with the idea of making a crossover hatchback: the car is raised above the road and ringed with a protective plastic body kit. The new Citroën C4 is classified as a hatchback, but it still looks more like a crossover. This generation introduces an electric version with a 100 kW (134 hp) engine and a 50 kWh battery, offering a driving range of up to 350 km (WLTP test). As for versions with internal combustion engines, the 2021 Citroën C4 is also ready to offer a choice: the gasoline range is represented by 1.2-liter units with an output ranging from 101 to 155 hp, as well as a 1.5-liter diesel engine (110 or 130 hp).
Israeli buyers can purchase an electric Citroën C4. There are also gasoline and diesel engine with an output of 130 hp each, coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission. There is only one trim level for Israel, which includes 6 airbags, a tire pressure sensor, an ESP stabilization system, a rear view camera, a panoramic roof and much more. The Highway Driver Assist system includes adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist function, parking assistant, collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition system and driver fatigue monitoring.
