The French C4's bold styling immediately stands out from the mundane motoring crowd the moment you see it.
The steering-wheel hub remains stationary while the steering wheel revolves around it which is a clever design.
This permits a better design of airbag because the bag is always coming out at the same angle instead of at an angle dictated by the steering wheel, so the airbag has a non-symmetrical shape for optimum protection.
The fixed steering-wheel hub also carries a lot of minor controls for the audio system, cruise control with inbuilt speed limiter, trip computer, and some ventilation items.
Citroen expanded the C4 range to include a turbo-diesel in the form of the C4 HDI. It has a 1.6-litre engine with low fuel consumption and good torque - Citroen claims fuel consumption can be as low as 4.0 litres per hundred kilometres.
The car is very quick especially from a standing start. There is an annoying flat spot in second gear, but adapting your driving technique can improve this.
A trait not expected in a Citroen is that ride comfort can suffer on bumpy roads, though it has to be said that the other marques have all improved their suspensions in recent years which means the French master doesn't stand out as much as it once did in this area.
