Citroën C4: First Look

The Peugeot 407, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class will all be watching the brand-new Citroën C4 with great interest, as the French car maker comes clean with it's aspirational new car.

Due to be officially launched at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, which begins on September 23, the new Citroën will follow the BMW 3 Series strategy and be offered in the traditional four-door guise (hatch), as well as a sporty two-door coupe.

The new design is quite striking and somewhat reminiscent of the C-Airlounge concept, and Citroën claims that aerodynamic efficiency is second to none.

There's also a plethora of innovative features that are sure to spark interest, including one of the most convoluted steering wheels you're likely to see.

Looking at the new C4's exterior styling, the eye-catching Coupé displays sharp, dynamic lines akin to the zippy C2, whilst the C4 Hatchback is more curvy and rounded, displaying a vague likeness to Ford's Focus at the rear.

The new designs take Citroën's mid-sized line-up to a new level thanks to aggressively styled headlight clusters, chrome-edged grilles, more purposeful stances and high door lines - the last two elements giving them an air of prestigious athleticism.

On the whole, they're some of the best-looking Citroëns we've ever seen.

In both cases, the sweeping contours make for outstanding aerodynamics, and a drag coefficient of just 0.28 will help keep fuel consumption and CO2 emissions at very low levels.

At this stage Citroën is being fairly cagey about powertrain specifics, and more information will be released closer to the Paris Motor Show.

What we do know is that the new C4 will be offered with a wide range petrol and HDi common rail diesel engines, most of which will meet Euro IV emission standards.

The French company has mentioned that power outputs will range from 67kW (90hp) to about 134kW (180hp) for petrol engines and 68kW (92hp) to 103kW (138hp) for diesel powerplants.

Citroën has always taken pride in introducing new technologies and features - sometimes deceptively simple - in it's cars, and among the numerous innovations that the new C4 will bring to the class is a multi-functional fixed centred controls steering wheel.

We mentioned the convoluted steering wheel above, and while it is quite an eyeful at first glance, it's fixed nature means that while you turn the wheels, the controls stay put.

Citroën also states that its unique design will enhance safety by allowing the housing of a specially designed airbag that offers greater protection to the driver.

The stylish new C4 will also boast other advanced safety features, such as an involuntary lane-departure warning system, designed to help prevent drivers from losing concentration or falling asleep at the wheel, as well as moving, dual-function 'directional' Xenon headlamps, which provide improved lighting when cornering.

Other equipment normally reserved for more expensive cars includes a speed limiter and low tyre pressure warning system.

On top of this, the new C4 is also set to be the only car in the class to offer laminated glass side windows, which will not only provide maximum protection against break-ins, but also enhance the acoustic comfort inside the cabin.

Citroën is expecting that occupant comfort is set to be a key attraction of the new C4 and, as such, it will be pushing hard to highlight features such as the spacious and modern cabin.

Detailed design touches include a scented air freshener built into the high quality BMW-esque dashboard, with its clean lines and dominant two-tone colour scheme. Drivers will further benefit from the unique, translucent instrument cluster that is able to adjust to ambient light, giving a clear read-out no matter what the light conditions.

The new Citroën mid-sizer, like many European cars from the genre, is taking things upmarket, and this may cause headaches for the likes of traditional prestige leaders like Audi, Mercedes and BMW. It's bold new styling is a pleasant surprise and doesn't adhere to the marque's previously 'unusual' design philosophy of confronting curves and bland features.