The 2022 Citroen C4 is a fun looking five-seater that is part sedan, part hatch and part SUV, let's find out what it's like to drive with your family and how practical it is with Bugaboo prams and Infasecure child seats installed when we put it through our BabyDrive testing…
The stand out feature of the C4 is the dashboard iPad drawer and holder! It's fantastic, it works really easily and it is practical too, with the special drawer to store your iPad in. This will be really helpful with children of all ages but also for the driver too if they have a child asleep in the back and need to sit it out! Overseas there is an electric version of this car, so the iPad holder would be handy if you need to wait for it to charge as well.
The boot of the Citroen C4 is quite small and the sloping rear windscreen minimises the depth you have to fit prams, bikes and dogs etc. The boot will hold ten shopping bags when empty which is comparable to the Mazda CX-30, Peugeot 2008, Mazda MX-30 and Honda C-HR which also hold ten shopping bags, or the Kia Seltos which holds eleven.
The Bugaboo Bee 6 pram fits neatly in the boot of the Citroen C4 with six bags of shopping.
Even though the boot of the Citroen C4 is small the New Bugaboo Donkey 5 twin, with the two seats detached, fits in the boot nicely with a couple of bags of shopping if you remove the parcel shelf.
You can learn more about the size of the boot and fitting different combinations of the Bugaboo Donkey5 in the C4 in the expandable ‘Storage‘ section below.
When it comes to the back seats there are ISOFix in the outer rear seats behind lovely concealed zips that are almost as delicate as in the Peugeot 2008.
With rear-facing child seats in the outer two seats we found a 180cm driver would fit or a 186cm passenger. To learn more about the child seats used in this video click on the link here.
The interior of the Citroen C4 is clean and minimal, all the central console and steering wheel controls have been made as minimal as possible giving it a neat, modern feel.
There is a fantastic iPad storage drawer in the front dash above the glove box and an iPad holder. This will be especially handy for the electric models to watch or work on while the car is charging!
The rest of the storage in the Citroen C4 is practical too. With two cup holders in the front and door bins throughout that are a good size to hold a refillable water bottle.
There is plenty of phone storage in the front central console including a hidden drawer and 12V, USB and USBC sockets.
There is no glasses case in the ceiling but there is a clear seatbelt removal visual so you can easily see if rear passengers remove their seatbelts.
The media system in the front of the Citroen C4 is nice and easy to use and navigate.
It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can easily connect and access your phone while driving.
The reversing camera image does seem small on the media screen as it doesn't fill the whole screen which also doesn't help with the poor visibility and I felt left me quite blind when reversing. You can turn the parking sensors on and off within the media screen lists settings.
The Citroen C4 is a really nice car to drive, the steering is incredibly light and it's nippy too with a tight turning circle, so manoeuvring and parking and driving around town is easy and fun. The only complaint O have with the Citroen C4 is visibility. With or without child seats in the back I find the rear window very difficult to see out of at all, the side mirrors are small and the shape of them doesn't allow for much view too and the rear view camera doesn't offer much help when reversing either, the poor visibility lets it down quite a bit for me.
The 2022 Citroen C4 scored a four-star ANCAP safety rating and has six airbags including dual frontal, side chest, and side head-airbags as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2022 Citroen C4?
The boot section of this review is brought to you by Bugaboo.
The boot of the Citroen C4 is quite small and the sloping rear windscreen minimises the depth you have to put prams, bikes etc. A small to medium size dog would fit in the boot with the parcel shelf removed.
The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 twin pram, with two seats, fits in the boot of the Citroen C4 with the two seats detached and one shopping bag with the frame in its largest size…
…or two shopping bags when the frame is compact.
The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 Duo, with basinet and seat, fits neatly in the boot of the Citroen C4 with the seat and bassinet removed, or with one shopping bag with the frame in its largest size…
… or with the frame in its smallest size and two shopping bags.
The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 Mono, with seat and basket, fits in the boot of the Citroen C4 with the seat and basket both detached, with three shopping bags.
The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 Mono, with basinet and basket, fits in the boot of the Citroen C4 with the basinet and basket detached with two shopping bags.
The Bugaboo Bee 6 compact stroller fits nicely in the boot of the Citroen C4 with six shopping bags beside it.
How good is storage in the 2022 Citroen C4?
Storage in the cabin of the Citroen C4 is good. In the front there are two cup holders in the central console, that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. I did find them a bit deep if you weren't using a tall cup and so the lids easily come off.
In front of the gear selector are two phone storage shelves with USB, USB-C and 12V sockets too. There is also a hidden drawer underneath the bottom shelf.
There is no glasses case in the ceiling so I found I used the top phone shelf in the Citroen C4 instead but it wasn't ideal.
The central console box is small in the Citroen C4.
The glove box will hold my wallet with the manual…
… and above it in the dashboard, there is an iPad storage drawer and above that an iPad holder that comes out too. This is especially useful for if you need to sit out a child's unexpected in-car nap and would be AMAZING for the EV model sold overseas for keeping busy while the car is charging.
The front door bins will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad fits in them too.
Door bins in the back are smaller but they will also hold a reusable water bottle.
There are map pockets on the back of both the Citroen C4's front seats, they will hold an iPad and conceal it.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2022 Citroen C4?
The 2022 Citroen C4 is not an especially noisy car at all. The media touch screen is simple and easy to use and navigate.
You can control the climate through the media screen…
… and you can customise which driver assist, safety features you want on too.
You can turn the parking sensors on and off in the media screen too.
The Citroen C4 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily access your phone's communication, audio and navigation apps while driving.
The reversing camera image is small on the media screen and doesn't give much help or confidence with the poor visibility.
The cruise control is on the left of the steering wheel and I found it a bit tricky to get used to but I'm sure if you owned the car you would get used to it.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The doors and windows of the Citroen C4 were not loud to open and close and did not disturb my sleeping baby. You can lock the doors and windows separately from the front driver's door panel.
Road noise was quiet in the Citroen C4 and I found it a lovely smooth and enjoyable drive.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2022 Citroen C4?
The 2022 Citroen C4 is a small five-seater family car, it has three top tether anchorages clearly labelled in the back of the rear seat backrests, which are easily accessible through the boot.
There are ISOFix anchorages in the two outer rear seats, hidden behind beautifully concealed zips, and they are clearly labelled and easy to connect to.
I was able to fit three Infasecure child seats in the second row of the Citroen C4, two Attain More and one Achieve More seats fit really nicely.
With those child seats installed we could fit a 186cm passenger or a 180cm driver in the front.
The 2022 Citroen C4 is a good car for a family of four, or it's a squeeze for five.
Posting Bub into their child seat from inside and outside the car is okay in the Citroen C4. Being a small car the space is more compact than in a larger SUV and the roofline drastically slopes at the back which lowers the head height in the back. The position of the rear seats to the door pillar also make it a bit tricky putting little ones into rear-facing child seats.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is room to feed Bub in the second row if you only have one child seat installed. The seats in the Citroen C4 are thoughtfully upholstered with contrast fabric panelling and they are comfortable too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2022 Citroen C4? And how good is the 2022 Citroen C4 to drive?
The Citroen C4 has a neat and minimal interior.
The front seats are very padded and comfortable too.
I found the shape of the headrests meant I can have a ponytail in the front seat which is fantastic!
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the rear seats are comfortable if you sit in the middle or the sides.
For the first year of our Bub's life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel in the Citroen C4 is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
The cruise control is on the left on the steering wheel and it is a little confusing to use but I am sure you would get used to it if you owned the car. I found the cruise control quite accurate on motorways and on slower more undulating roads at 60km/h.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard of the C4; two central ones below the media screen and one at either end. There are vents for the rear passengers in the back of the central console box.
They are controlled easily using the controls on the dash.
Or through the media screen.
Visibility out of the Citroen C4 is really poor out of the back either with or without child seats installed and the shape of the side mirrors don't help while driving either. The reversing camera image is not big or clear enough to offer much help when parking and manoeuvring, which is my only complaint with the Citroen C4 as it is otherwise a very nice little family car.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Citroen C4 was tricky to park because of the poor visibility.
The Citroen C4 I tested had keyless entry which made going to and from the car with my children nice and easy, especially when I was carrying the baby and their bags as it would automatically unlock as I approached and lock again as I walked away. Hands free!
I found the Citroen C4 a beautiful car to drive. Its steering is light and it is agile and nippy, great around town and on the motorway.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2022 Citroen C4?
The Citroen C4 scored a four-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021. Scoring 76% for adult occupant protection, 81% for child occupant protection, 57% for pedestrian protection and 62% for safety assist.
Six airbags come as standard on the Citroen C4: Dual frontal airbags and front side airbags and curtain head airbags for both rows of passengers.
ANCAP's crash testing reported-
In the frontal offset test, protection of the head and neck of the 6 year dummy was ADEQUATE and protection of the neck of the 10 year dummy was MARGINAL, while the protection offered to all other critical body regions of both the 6 and 10 year dummies was GOOD. In the side impact test, protection of all critical body areas was GOOD for both dummies, and maximum points were scored. The Citroen C4 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions. Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in all rear seating positions, however care is needed to correctly install ISOFix restraints, as the ISOfix anchorages are located deep within the seat cushion, making it difficult to latch and unlatch the ISOfix attachments.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
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