Citroen’s three-car range is about to expand in Australia.
The high-riding C4 hatchback-cum-crossover will touch down locally before the end of 2021, but the pure-electric e-C4 remains off the table.
Filings with the online Road Vehicle Certification System (RVCS) indicate two models could be offered; one with 96kW of power, and one with 114kW. Both are mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
It’s not yet clear if both engines will be available at launch in Australia. Citroen currently offers only single variants of the C3 and C3 Aircross.
Given its small sales volumes, a one-model range appears likely for Australia at this stage. Carmakers often homologate more than one engine and trim combination for our market, which could explain why multiple models are listed in the RVCS database.
The inclusion of an eight-speed automatic means cars with either engine tune can offer adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assist.
In the Peugeot Citroen world the full suite of active assists is only offered in cars with an eight-speed automatic, not a six-speeder, which is why the Peugeot 2008 Allure misses out.
Citroen has emphasised comfort with the C4, with its suspension using the brand’s new Progressive Hydraulic Cushions.
These employ two hydraulic stops – one for rebound and one for compression – for a “flying carpet” effect.
Though it’s 107mm longer and 19mm wider than a Peugeot 308, it doesn’t use that car’s EMP2 platform.
Instead, it’s based on the smaller Peugeot 208 and 2008’s EMP1 platform, much like how the Volkswagen Golf-sized Skoda Scala is based on the Polo‘s MQB A0 architecture.
The last time Citroen offered the C4 in Australia it was a Volkswagen Golf-sized hatchback. Sales ended in 2015.
Citroen has also used variations of the C4 badge on a people mover (C4 Picasso), a city SUV (C4 Cactus), and a Mitsubishi ASX-based small SUV (C4 Aircross) in Australia.
It will sit alongside the C3 hatchback and C3 Aircross SUV.
Last year, Citroen sold just 203 vehicles in Australia, its volume halved following the discontinuation of the C4 Cactus and Berlingo.
That put the French brand below Chrysler (218) despite having three model lines instead of one, and also meant Citroen was outsold by Ferrari (205) and Genesis (229).
