With the new Citroën C4 having made tight pricing one of its priorities, it can be tempting to settle for its most affordable engine. But is it a good idea? Answer with this test of the PureTech 100.
Test car: Citroën C4 PureTech 100 Feel
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From€ 23,400
60 € penalty
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In the compact family of the former PSA group, the Citroën C4 does not only want to play the role of original. It must also be less expensive than its cousins, starting with the ambitious Peugeot 308 and DS 4. But until now the chevron brand had only let us try high-end versions. We were therefore curious to test this PureTech 100 variant, which serves as the first prize. Especially since it has, on paper, not much to envy the PureTech 130 version.
Forget the old C4 Cactus PureTech 75 and 82 hp, whose atmospheric three-cylinder gasping for air was associated with a particularly imprecise five-speed manual transmission. From now on the 1.2 necessarily has a turbo, and it teams up with a six-speed transmission. The torque only loses 25 Nm compared to the 130 hp variation. One can therefore wonder if this PureTech 100 is not amply sufficient, especially as the weight promises to be reasonable: 1,209 kg. Verdict in a few lines.
Citroën C4 PureTech 100 price
The cheapest of the C4, therefore, it is it. In the basic Live finish, you will only have to pay € 21,100. A great price for a compact in 2021, far from the 24,800 € minimum for a new Peugeot 308. But, in return, you will have to put up with a rather sparse endowment, with a small 5-inch touch screen in black and white or 16 inch hubcaps. Not necessarily easy to sell later.
The second level of finish, Feel, which was also that of our test model, thus appears more recommended. For an additional 2,500 €, or 23,600 € in total, its air conditioning and parking brake become automatic, while its central panel offers colors, a beautiful 10-inch format or the much appreciated Android Auto / Apple compatibility. CarPlay. If the rims remain steel, they drop to 18 inches, and reversing radars can prevent you from scratching the rear bumper. The Feel Pack finish, however, offers an even more interesting price-equipment ratio… but it is not offered on this PureTech 100. You will have to opt for the PureTech 130 if you wish to benefit from it.
Driving
Unlike the Life version, the C4 Feel does have the famous Citroën Advanced Comfort shock absorbers, which do not usurp their name. Lovers of softness, you will be in heaven. The hydraulic stops could almost push you to ask your mayor to install more speed bumps as these obstacles are absorbed so smoothly. Despite the 18-inch wheels, most bumps are swallowed without flinching, regardless of the pace adopted. Only the slightly firm seats slightly spoil the party. Yes, Citroën reserves dual density foam, like mattress topper, for superior finishes. Our PureTech 100 therefore does not benefit from this.
Could this be the only argument left for the PureTech 130? Unfortunately no. Although the two engines share most of their components, they do not display the same health, as evidenced by the 2.3 s that separate them on a 0 to 100 km / h. The “small” three-cylinder 100 hp turns out to be a little sleepy at low revs, and the rather long gearbox staging does not help matters. At 80 km / h, it sluggishly at 1,600 rpm on sixth gear, generating some resonances and sometimes giving the impression of forcing. To attack a hill or, worse, an overtaking, it is better to fall one, or even two reports, under penalty of believing you in a movie in slow motion. Unfortunately, the gearbox control remains rubbery. And do not hope to correct this fault by checking the automatic transmission EAT8: only the PureTech 130 can be associated with it. Definitely, Citroën knows how to encourage its customers to turn to it!
That doesn’t mean, however, that the C4 PureTech 100 is a punishment. In many circumstances, its performance remains sufficient, unlike those of the late C4 Cactus PureTech 82. Always a little rough and vibrating, the three-cylinder is noisy at high speed or when restarting Stop & Start. But the PureTech 130 is not really better educated, and it can be forgotten at steady speed. Its characteristic rattle is then covered by air noises, quite present from 110 km / h.
In short, this version encourages more than ever to adopt a calm behavior. Which suits the compact Citroën rather well, as its chassis seems to have banished the word dynamism from its vocabulary: significant roll hold, not very sharp front axle, almost silent steering … If you still try to increase the pace, the lack of maintaining the seats should convince you quickly enough to slow down. Not to mention the appetite of the three-cylinder, a little too focused on the drink when you have the misfortune of wanting to whip it. During our test, including it is true a few short trips in town not very favorable to sobriety, the on-board computer displayed nearly 7.5 l / 100km.
On board
Competition
By using a base shared with city-dwellers of the group, the C4 takes up a strategy employed by the Skoda Scala. It is therefore one of the most obvious rivals, especially as its prices are close: barely 320 € more for its 1.0 TSI 95 Active access version, a little better equipped than the Live finish at Citroën . But, although the atypical silhouette of the French may confuse some, not sure that buyers taste more the extreme classicism of the Czech.
In the Stellantis galaxy, the C4 is also not the only one to play the card of tight prices and the adventurer look. The Fiat Tipo Cross is even more aggressive, by starting from 19,490 € with the three-cylinder 1.0 GSE 100. A price without competition in the category, especially since the equipment is not poor. On the other hand, if it is more for the new Peugeot 308 (another compact of the Stellantis group) that you fall for, you will have to pay a minimum of € 24,800. The two 10-inch screens in series partly explain this difference, but we are no longer quite in the same pricing spheres.
Find the balance sheet, equipment and technical sheet on the next page …
