Soft-centred smartie

23 March 2011 - 21:35 By By THOMAS FALKINER
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Citroën is on the comeback trail. Not too long ago this French firm was pressing out some stupefyingly dull machinery like the Xsara Picasso and insipid C3, but today they're enticing the eye with their brilliant DS3 hatchback.

It is a glorious return to past form and one that certainly raised the expectations of us journalists who recently attended the launch of the company's all-new C4 - a car born to take on VW's Golf.

And from the outside, though not as well versed in the language of avant-gardism as its edgy baby sister, Citroën's latest addition doesn't disappoint thanks to its striking new metalwork. It's crisp and clean and all very modern and clearly demonstrates the brand's newfound commitment to building cars that offer people something different.

The front end is particularly dapper, I think, with the combination of those sweeping headlights, a double chevron grille and gaping air dam all doing their bit to fashion a face that deserves a second glance when you catch it flashing through the traffic.

No doubt the standard 16-inch alloy wheels doing duty on the entry-level Attraction models might look a little lost beneath those arches.

But when fitted with the chunkier 17-inchers and that black roof spoiler that adorns the more expensive Exclusive specification cars, well, the all-new Citroën C4 becomes quietly handsome: a mature yet ever-so aberrant alternative to the usual Teutonism that pumps out of Wolfsburg.

Sit inside the cabin and the kudos keep coming. I know French cars have a reputation for falling apart but the innards of this chevron-wearing hatchback have been very well pieced together.

For not only is all the switchgear neatly laid out and easy to use, things like a soft-touch "slush" dashboard skin and high-tech digital dials impart a feeling of quality that you'd normally associate with something German.

It is rather well specced too with things like an Arkamys sound system, cruise control and air-conditioning coming standard on models across the range. Those wanting a little more bragging rights in the toys department will be pleased to hear that, for a price of course, you can also pimp your C4 with things like satellite navigation and a pair of hedonistic front massaging seats. So it's comprehensively equipped, nicely built and kind of interesting to look at, but how does the new Citroën C4 perform when you point it down the asphalt?

Fitted with the same proven 1.6 PSA engine bolted inside the Mini Cooper and the aforementioned DS3 (a turbocharged version of this is offered on the more expensive THP 155 Exclusive model), I was expecting the VTi 120 Seduction model to impress me but unfortunately it didn't.

For while this normally aspirated motor works well in smaller hatchlings, it feels anemic when ensconced inside the 1205kg C4.

Mated to a rubbery five-speed manual gearbox, not only does it make progress slow in point-and-squirt driving but also out on the highway, at cruising speeds, this hard-working unit feels and sounds uncomfortably busy.

In fact, I often found myself trawling along at a slower pace to keep the frenetic buzzing beneath the bonnet down to a minimum. Dynamically it's not much better either with numb, over-assisted steering and lots of body-roll quickly curbing your enthusiasm when faced with a corner.

You see while even the most affordable Golf can be mildly entertaining through the twisties, the C4 is about as exciting as the Jenny Crwys-Williams show.

Now usually a lack of handling prowess means that a car should ride well but even that, strangely enough, isn't the case with this particular Citroën.

On flat tarmac it feels comfortable and composed but across lumpier tracts of tarmac it tends to buck about uncomfortably; those soft dampers feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

And more's the pity because besides being competitively price and, like I said before, well packaged both inside and out, the Citroën C4 should be a proper VW Golf rival.

Instead, let down by a thoroughly lacklustre driving experience it just isn't. Check it out if pace and handling grace aren't important to you but otherwise look elsewhere.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now