Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £12,695 to £18,895
Distinctive and futuristic looks, innovative interior, refined, easy and fun to drive, very roomy, excellent NCAP crash test scores
Citroen's discounting might chip away at the image; reports of poor reliability and build quality issues; high depreciation.
Citroen builds the most interesting car in the class and rediscovers its brand values
Most of today's safety knowledge has been applied to the C4, with front, side and curtain airbags and the usual electronic stability system to help avoid the crash in the first place. The driver's airbag design takes advantage of its fixed housing, so instead of being round it's optimally shaped - like the side view of a mushroom - to give the best protection. The bonnet is aluminium and well clear of the engine beneath, to the benefit of pedestrian protection. All these measures combined have given the C5 excellent results in the Euro NCAP crash tests: the full five stars for occupant protection, four for child protection (with Citroen's approved child seats) and a creditable three for pedestrian protection. The front end is designed to be easily repaired thanks in part to sacrificial impact absorbers which ultimately divert collision forces away from the passenger compartment. The front wings are plastic.
As well as reducing noise levels, the laminated side glass won't shatter and helps resist break-ins. An alarm and immobiliser are standard, the electric tailgate lock can't be picked and the doors and tailgate lock as the C4 moves off. The C4 has been awarded top marks by Thatcham, the car insurance research centre, for resistance both against 'theft of' and 'theft from' the C4.
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