In July 2023, I reviewed the Citroen e-C4 and needless to say, came away impressed. So, when the e-C4 X was first shown at the Singapore Motorshow 2024, I started chomping at the bits to see what this new variant would bring to the table.

As for the question asked at the beginning of this article, we invite you to answer that for yourselves. After what we went through during ACOTY 2024 with the Peugeot 408, we’re not going down that rabbit hole again!

L’extérieur

The e-C4 X’s face is distinctive, and one that will cause people to turn their heads and look. Tri-LED headlights sit ensconced into the bumper while sleek LED daytime running lights sit atop and seemingly carry on into the headlight cluster.

The dual chevrons mark this face out as distinctly Citroen, and one that we’ve seen before in the e-C4, sans anodized blue trims to signify it as an electric vehicle (EV). No, the e-C4 X carries its EV cred quietly, and is better for it.

18-inch rims wear rather narrow but rolling resistance-friendly 195/60 R18 Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres, but don’t let the name or its relative narrowness put you off. These babies can grip very well should the mood strike to string a series of bends together.

The rear end is made distinctive by the e-C4 X’s taillight clusters as well as its sloping roofline that kicks up into an integrated spoiler in the boot lid. It’s definitely something other road users will take note of while on the move.

Otherwise, the exterior design aesthetic is clean, interspersed by bits of black plastic trim to signify its better-than-other-sedans ground clearance.

L’intérieur

Swing open the sedan boot lid to reveal 510 litres of luggage capacity that’s both deep and wide. Before anyone bemoans the lack of a liftback, which no doubt would have made the e-C4 X more practical, I get why they did it.

It’s most likely for sound insulation, which is important in an electric vehicle. With a liftback, the boot area would be exposed to the cabin space, thereby making it a little noisier.

The rear seatbacks fold down in a 60:40 split to liberate more space if longer or more numerous items need to be carried.

The rear seats themselves are pretty comfy, although being a ‘C4-class’ vehicle, legroom is just about adequate with the driver’s seat almost all the way back and some ways up for my seating position.

The rear door aperture is a tad small, which requires a little more contortions to negotiate, especially for taller people. Once inside though, headroom is way more than sufficient.

Rear occupants get a couple of air vents and USB ports, one Type-C and one Type-A, to keep their electronic gubbins juiced up.

The front seats are manually operated, which in my opinion is good because fore-and-aft adjustments are much faster and there’s one less electrical item to go wrong.

The seatback angle and lumbar-support adjustments are done courtesy of two knobs on the side of the seatback, and knuckle-bashing on the B-pillar may ensue. Once set though, it’s off to the daily grind.

Being a Citroen, you can expect these seats to be nice and comfy over many thousands of miles. I came away from the review loan period feeling refreshed after every drive.

The steering wheel is perfectly sized, and manually adjusts for reach and rake. Controls for adaptive cruise and audio/telephony are clearly laid out on either spoke of the steering wheel.

Yep, the e-C4 X has adaptive cruise, which is very nice. Initially, I couldn’t figure out how to change the following distance, but Sean leaned over and said, “Can the speed-adjustment rocker be pressed?”

Voila! Just depress the rocker multiple times to change the following distance to your preference.

There’s only one chink in this really nice steering wheel. See the bit of brightwork on the bottom spoke? It caught the sun’s rays between 11 AM and 2 PM and reflected the glare into my eyes.

This could also be due to my unique seating position, so if this is you also, a little bit of vinyl wrap professionally applied should do the trick.

The main instrument screen may seem quite small at first. It can be configured in three ways, and the trip readouts are momentarily activated by pressing a button on the wiper stalk. Otherwise, it is minimalist, for good reason.

And that reason is because the e-C4 X has a head-up display or HUD. Turn the vehicle on, and the HUD screen rises out of the dashboard.

Why not just project it onto the windscreen? Because HUD-compatible windscreens are more expensive than their regular counterparts. See, Citroen engineers were thinking ahead, since windscreen replacements are pretty commonplace.

The HUD itself is pretty simple too, displaying speed, adaptive cruise and speed-sign information. Adjustments for the HUD can be done via a set of controls near the driver’s right knee and next to the door.

The infotainment screen in the e-C4 X measures 10 inches across, features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and from what I remember, appears to be of a crisper resolution and responsiveness than the e-C4’s.

Also, a complaint I had about the latter’s ever-present menu functions while Android Auto is operating is not the case here, with the full width of the screen’s real estate being utilised. NICE!

Thankfully, aircon controls are physical! There’s also a wireless charging tray just below the aircon controls, and USB Type-C and Type-A ports. Use the former if you prefer wired Android Auto.

La Conduite

Let’s first get to the reason Citroen is famous – its world-class suspension that lets the e-C4 X float down the road. In case you haven’t read the e-C4 review, here it is again in brief.

It’s called “Citroen Suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions,” and I still maintain that the French engineers must have dabbled in sorcery and witchcraft to come up with a relatively simple suspension system that rides THIS well without resorting to air ride or the problematic oleo-pneumatic system from Citroen’s past.

Just to prove a point to Sean in the back seat, I flew over a small but sharp speed hump without slowing down just like I did with Joel in the e-C4.

Folks, we didn’t feel a thing. We heard the tyres thumping over the speed hump, but that was it. Sean was noticeably impressed. The ride comfort of the e-C4 X, just like the e-C4 is 85-90% that of a BMW 735i with air suspension.

Don’t take my word for it. Go for a test drive and experience it yourself.

Just because it’s cushy and comfy doesn’t mean that the e-C4 X leans over like a land barge when negotiating corners. Quite the opposite, because it will dance through the twisty stuff in a sure-footed manner.

An area that sees improvement over the e-C4 is its efficiency. The e-C4 X has a 4kWh larger battery pack than the former, and power and torque from the electric motor are slightly up to the tune of 2hp and 10Nm respectively.

It isn’t going to win any traffic-light drag races. Acceleration is adequate for the daily-drive duties, and it’ll get the job done competently.

Charging the battery pack from 20%-80% is claimed to be done in about 30 minutes, and from my experience charging from just over 30% to 90%, which took 31 minutes at a 120kW DC charger, is a realistic claim.

Citroen claims 14.1kWh/100km or 7.1km/kWh WLTP energy efficiency and 436km of claimed range.

My own experience bettered their efficiency claim at a normalised average economy of 12.7kWh/100km or 7.9km/kWh, meaning over 400km of range from the 54kWh battery pack is entirely doable.

To put things in context the e-C4 X is the second most efficient EV we’ve ever tested at the time of writing, and dethroned the popular BYD Atto 3 100kW for the silver medal. As usual, your mileage may vary with driving style and conditions.

If you’re looking for a quiet comfy EV that has its own charm in a sea of generic-looking vehicles, the e-C4 X is a good place to start. There’s but the slightest of wind-rustle at highway speeds emanating from the top of the A-pillar, but that’s it.

Even the stock sound system is rather good and can play loud without becoming tiring on the ears. Sure, it’s not got tech up the wazoo, but that simplicity adds to its charm. French charm, might I add.

Just like the e-C4, no one can ever accuse an e-C4 X owner of driving something mundane-looking. It’s a really sweet car to daily-drive, and once again, kudos to the French engineers who made it happen.

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Technical Specifications

Citroen e-C4 X

Unladen Weight: 1,584kg
Battery Size: 54kW
Power: 134hp
Torque: 270Nm
Drive: Front wheels
0-100km/h: 10 seconds (claimed)
Range: 436km (claimed)
Energy Economy: 14.1kWh/100km or 7.1km/kWh (claimed)
Price: S$164,999 with COE (accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Citroën Singapore

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There weren’t any drastic changes to the car, but the mid-cycle facelift aligns the model to Peugeot’s latest visual identity, first introduced with the 508 earlier this year.

Fresh new claws

New claw-like triple vertical lights are built into the bumper’s glossy black inserts, matching up with the front grille and full-LED headlights.

The taillights were also given a slight makeover, using three superimposed horizontal double slats. Other novelties include new 16 to 18-inch wheels moulded after those offered for the 408, and these look extra funky.

The launch colour pictured here is Selenium Grey, while the GT variant gets a two-tone paint and black roof look as standard. However, regardless of colour, all e-2008s will get black side mirror caps.

Updated infotainment

Cabin commodities are mostly the same as the outgoing model, with the most notable change being an updated 10-inch touchscreen as opposed to the 7-inch displays in the pre-facelift model.

Step up to the Allure or GT and customers will also get a newly designed 10-inch digital instrument cluster, which comes with Peugeot’s 3D i-cockpit on the GT trim level. Settle for the base Active and the small SUV will come with standard analogue dials.

More power and range

Arguably the biggest update to the new E-2008 is its extra power and range. Inheriting the same hardware from the E-208 and E-308, a single electric motor delivers 115kW (156 bhp), translating to a 15 per cent increase from the outgoing model.

The battery pack has also increased from 50 to 54 kWh, which has bumped the range up to from 345 to 406 kilometres (WLTP).

For those who’d rather have a simpler internal combustion powertrain, Peugeot is still selling the 2008 with a three-cylinder, 1.2-litre turbocharged gasoline engine. Output stands at 100 bhp through a 6-speed manual gearbox or 130 bhp via an 8-speed automatic. 

We should be seeing the facelifted e-2008 make its debut sometime later in 2023 for the Singapore market.

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

(updated: 23 September 2023)

The turn of the decade saw a sharp increase in the number of crossovers, each touting more benefits than the last. This has subsequently turned consumers into crossover connoisseurs, who now expect a good 3-in-1 deal: Good looks, Practicality, and Effective cost savings.

You’re effectively spoilt for choice when hunting down something that rides tall on the roads. And I believe I’ve found something that tick the above requisites rather well.

French glow up

The Citroën C5 Aircross ditches its old and bland facade in favour of a new handsome demeanour.

Its new front fascia is dressed to the nines and gives the C5 a more commanding presence on the roads. Plastic trim pieces clad the underbody, woven into the design in a discreet manner. Roof rails and a flushed rear give it taut proportions.

Not much has honestly changed on the outside from its predecessor, but these subtle improvements coagulate into a much more future-focused design.

Fun on the outside, practical on the inside

The Citroën C5 Aircross dials down the French quirkiness, and functionality takes precedence in the cabin.

Instead of the usual 20:40:20 layout where middle passengers get ostracised, the C5 adopts a 30:30:30 layout with 3 individual seats. If you got 3 kids or adults, they’ll be contented in the back knowing that all is fair in the world. Although, the single rear USB port would be something they would have to fight for.

Since it’s 3 separate seats, each can be folded flat independently, creating versatile options for carrying odd-sized cargo. Even with the seats upright, the C5 still boasts 580 litres of boot space, which can be configured to have a flat floor as well.

Up front, the C5 portrays a clean demeanour with a little bit of French flair thrown in for good measure. The digital instrument cluster up front provides ample information for the driver, and everything is laid out with visibility in mind. A virtual Citroën C5 Aircross is also present on-screen, a small easter egg!

Entertainment is commanded by an 8-inch touchscreen nested in the middle of the C5’s unique dual-channel aircon vents. The interface may seem alien at first, but the simple UI is easy to get a hang of. Should you not want to deal with it, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections are available too.

There are two USB-A ports and a 12V port found up front, although I would have loved to see at least one USB-C port present.

Otherwise, the centre console is tucked neatly with no outwardly protrusions, and this opens up the cabin space for front occupants. You also get a deep centre cubby hole, with space enough for even full-sized tissue boxes.

All seats are upholstered in a blend of synthetic leather and fabric, and the fronts even have slight bolstering which is handy in the corners.

Overall, its sensible nature really makes the cabin a pleasant place to be.

Boisterous enthusiasm

The 1.2-litre 3-cylinder that resides under the hood is the same one found in most French models today, and its hardy nature is a tried and tested formula.

Power figures are modest at 129bhp and 230Nm of torque, but this torque is available at just 1,750rpm, which gives the car a bit of a kick off the line. Plus, the 1.2-litre porker does make a nice grouchy sound when under stress. I like the sound, but I don’t think it’ll resonate well with some folks who wish for a quieter experience instead.

At full chat, the C5 will hit the centurion mark in around 10.3 seconds, and reach a top speed of 188km/h. Because of its heft, the engine would have to work hard just to keep the momentum going, and that hinders fuel consumption to an extent.

During my test, I managed to garner an average of 10.8km/litre, which is good for about 570km of range from the 53-litre tank. A decent showing considering I was more or less between 3-4000 rpm at all times in order to keep pace.

(update: 23 September 2023)
And then somehow, our resident fuel economy tester managed to squirrel his way into the C5’s driver seat and came back with an overall average fuel economy of 6.5-litres/100km or 15.3km/litre across a test-driven 480km, compared to Citroën’s claimed 4.9-litres/100km or 20.4km/litre figure.

Vivek was last seen sobbing silently in a solitary corner of the office for failing to even come close to the claimed fuel economy number.

(/update)

If you don’t take every corner like your life depends on it, the C5 is really comfortable taking bends at leisurely speeds. Citroën’s Advanced Comfort suspension setup works brilliantly here, and bumps and undulations in the roads are mostly cancelled out. 

Great all-rounder

I’ll be honest, I did not have ambitious hopes when I first got into the Citroën C5 Aircross. Having previously reviewed its smaller C4 sibling, which was lacklustre to say the least, I was harbouring thoughts that the C5 would be built with similar veins.

However, I am pleasantly and thoroughly surprised at just how good it is. Sure, it may not have the best fuel economy, but it’s a strong soldier that does everything you want it to with gusto. And it does this, with true blue French flair.

In a world filled with a sea of bland-looking SUVs, the C5 stands out from the pack. 

Technical Specifications

Citroën C5 Aircross

Engine: 1,199cc, 3-cylinder in-line PureTech Turbocharged
Power: 128bhp
Torque: 230Nm
Gearbox: EAT8 8-Speed Automatic
0-100km/h: 10.3 Seconds
Top Speed: 188km/h
Fuel Economy: 20.4km/L (Claimed)
Price: S$152,999 with COE (Accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: Citroën Singapore

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