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X factor A new Citroen has joined our fleet – can it prove the merits of an unusual design? Sean Keywood


One Citroen has replaced another on the Business Car fleet, and we’re upping the ante in terms of electrification, with the plug-in hybrid C5 Aircross that left last month making way for the pure electric E-C4 X.


Introduced as a spin-off from the E-C4, the E-C4 X is described by Citroen as a fastback, though it’s more like a high-riding saloon, with the boot lid hinged at the bottom of the rear window. That boot is however 130 litres larger than the regular E-C4’s, and the X’s more aerodynamic shape means it should manage a few extra miles between charges.


While the regular C4 is also available with petrol or diesel engines, the X is electric- only. Power comes from a 136hp motor, which might sound a little modest for a car this size. However, while there’s certainly not the tyre-shredding acceleration you get with some EVs, on early drives in the car it’s proved more than sufficient, and never felt underpowered. If you do want more shove, a 156hp version will soon be added. That model will also come with a 54kWh battery pack, in contrast with the 50kWh offered by our car, which equals an official 221-mile


Why we’re running it


To see if Citroen’s electric saloon/ SUV blend makes sense day-to-day


range. So far around 200 miles feels like a reasonable real-world estimate, which isn’t bad since to this point it’s mostly been used on motorways. The car has a 7.4kW onboard charger for AC charging, or power can be taken from DC rapid chargers at up to


Standard equipment:  Automatic LED headlights, LED DRLs and front fog lights, electrically heated folding and adjustable door mirrors, automatic wipers, dark tinted rear windows, automatic dual-zone air conditioning, heated steering wheel, 5.5in backlit TFT driver display, head-up display, 10in infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity, four USB sockets, 7.4kW onboard charger, remote temperature pre-conditioning, all-round parking sensors, reversing camera with top rear vision, autonomous emergency braking with night-time function and cyclist detection, speed limit information and extended traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert with lane departure detection, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, in-crash braking.


Options:  Pearlescent paint (£720), Hype Black interior with black leather and leather-effect seats, heated driver and front passenger seats, central folding rear armrest with cupholders and ski hatch, fitted carpets and mats, four-way electric driver’s seat with manual longitudinal adjustment, driver’s seat electric lumbar adjustment and massage function (£800), universal tablet cradle, dedicated Apple iPad Air 2 cradle or Samsung Galaxy Tablet A 10.5in cradle (£100)


44 | June 2023 | www.businesscar.co.uk


100kW, which should allow a 0-80% charge in half an hour.


Our car is in the mid-range Shine equipment grade. Standard features that have been notable early on include the head-up display, which offers useful information and is a welcome way of keeping the driver’s eyes on the road – though the theatrical way it rises from the dashboard before every journey feels a bit over the top. Also, the car’s reversing camera offers a much clearer image than the one from our previous C5 Aircross. Other advantages over the C5 I’ve noticed early doors include more intuitive cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, and speed camera warning noises that were a) less piercingly loud, and b) easier to turn off. Options fitted to our new car include Pearl White pearlescent paint, which looked pretty good when it was delivered. Unfortunately, my long-term test cars get parked under a tree and therefore accumulate dirt quickly, which with this


Citroen E-C4 X Shine 100kW with 50kWh battery


P11D price £34,440 As tested £36,060 Official range 221 miles Our average consumption 4.1miles/kWh Mileage 1,912


finish is fairly conspicuous. Still, it does at least contrast nicely with the black and silver alloy wheels, black door mirrors, and black shark fin antenna.


Also fitted is the rather confusing Hype Black interior option which contains a real mish-mash of stuff that I won’t repeat from the spec panel – perhaps the most notable inclusion is the heated seats, which will obviously see a lot more use as we head into the winter months.


Overall, we’re off to a solid start with the E-C4 X – time will tell if it proves as trusty a companion as its C5 Aircross predecessor.


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