Citroen e-C4 X Shine Plus review

Citroen eC4

Citroen e-C4 X Shine Plus review.

£35,495
For – handsome, comfortable, practical if you’re not going far.
Against – hopeless motorway range, not much better around town.
** out of five.
Competition – Nissan Leaf, MG5, Kia Niro EV, Peugeot e-2008, VW ID.3, Renault Megan e-Tech

“if you drive 40 miles in the fast lane keeping up with other traffic you will remove 100 miles of claimed range availability”

Let’s get the bad news out of the way. The Citroen eC4 50kWh has hopeless motorway cruising performance, easily the worst I’ve ever experienced; even worse than the Polestar 2. (see Wintonsworld Range Tests)

Most electric cars perform poorly at high legal cruising speeds but make up for this with a peerless performance around town and on rolling country roads where regenerative braking can often add a few more miles to the availability meter than you’ve actually used. Not the Citroen e-C4 though.

Citroen eC4

On the highway at legal speeds, I found the penalty averaged around 140%. That roughly means if you drive 40 miles in the fast lane keeping up with other traffic you will remove 100 miles of claimed range availability. Given the total range available from the battery was an average 216.2 miles, that doesn’t bode well for your trip to the sun in the summer. The maximum motorway range would in theory be close to 90 miles, but you won’t want to be on the motorway with much less than 50 miles in reserve. You’ll be gagging for a diesel.

“there really is such a thing as a free lunch”

As for the local range, to my astonishment, the performance was poor again. Just about every electric car I’ve driven relished the country roads and urban traffic. Constant lifting-off of the throttle engages the regenerative braking system which returns power to the battery to the point where you’ll be thinking there really is such a thing as a free lunch. Not with the Citroen e-C4. 

Citroen eC4

On my standard mid-Sussex drive using the famous A272 my 51-mile trip removed 79 miles of range availability. Another variation on the A272 theme was 48 miles but removed 60 miles. Most electric cars end up with range remaining a little over the actual miles driven. I will ask Citroen for its comments on this.  

Citroen has not yet responded. When it does, I shall add its comments to the end of this story.

Since the launch of this 50-kWh version last year, Citroen has added a new 54-kWh battery pack paired with a more efficient 156hp electric motor. 

“The new battery specification delivers improved energy density for enhanced driving pleasure and extended electric range of up to 260 miles, depending on version (WLTP cycle),” Citroen said.

Citroen eC4

Handsome, well equipped
Meanwhile, the Citroen eC4 is a handsome and well-equipped car that drives well and handles Britain’s 3^rd world pothole-riven roads as well as can be expected. I loved the head-up display, which instead of being projected to appear in your eyeline over the front of the bonnet, uses a little screen which emerges from above the dashboard. 

The interior quality was excellent and the control screen very smart, although I found the media access and controls for air-con a bit clunky. The boot was huge and there was plenty of room in the back. The drag coefficient, crucial for an electric car’s range, is an impressive 0.29.

“The new ë-C4 X Electric has a new distinctive silhouette – combining sleek fastback looks with the higher ride height and robust styling of an SUV,” says Citroen.

Prices start at £31,995. There’s choice of three trim levels; ‘Sense’, ‘Shine’ and ‘Shine Plus’. Equipment levels are good. ‘Sense’ models have 18-inch alloy wheels, Keyless Entry and Start, as well as a 10-inch touchscreen equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto. All ‘Sense’ models also feature Active Safety Brake, Speed Limit Information, Lane Keeping Assist, Forward Collision Warning and Driver Attention Alert.

‘Shine’ models gain My Citroën Drive Plus. This is Citroën’s next-generation infotainment and navigation system with integrated natural voice commands. This includes things like head-up display and reversing camera. ‘Shine’ variants are available from £34,495.

Range-topping ‘Shine Plus’ versions add stuff like Alcantara seats that are heated for the driver and front passenger, and Highway Driver Assist, which includes Adaptive Cruise Control. ‘Shine Plus’ versions start from £35,495.

Citroen eC4

What to buy
Despite the range problems, the e-C4 would at least fulfil most of our daily basic motoring requirements – maybe 30 miles of commuting, shopping school run – but at huge expense. Manufacturers persist down this electric car blind alley. They don’t seem to understand that electric cars can’t do all the things ICE cars can. They should concentrate on what electric cars do best – short range stuff – and make a bare-bones, £10,000-£100 a month lease vehicle. that would sell in huge numbers without subsidy. 

I will be checking with Citroen to find out if there was some technical problem with my test car, although I see from various reviews that inadequate range crops up consistently with the e-C4. Currently, most electric cars are poor long-distance companions, but at least most of them shine in the city. Maybe the BYD Seagull will be the first vehicle in this category. Meanwhile, the only electric car I can recommend if you want a serious all-round car is the Tesla Model 3 and Y. But nobody normal could afford one.  

Citroen replies
Citroen UK said it has asked its technical department to see if there was a problem with the car. Meanwhile, it pointed to advice in its vehicle brochure about driving electric vehicles.

 “Several factors can impact your vehicle’s range. These include your driving speed and style, the load carried, the use of air conditioning and the terrain. Follow our advice to optimize your range. By driving smoothly you avoid excessive energy consumption. Brake and decelerate smoothly and in advance. On motorways, adhere to the speed limit, as high speeds rapidly reduce the range of your car,” Citroen said.

Citroen eC4