It wears a French badge and sports European styling, but it doesn't have the high price of a Euro import.
Pegged at $31,990 drive-away, the Citroen C4 Aircross has a lot going for it, such as a continuously variable transmission (CVT), reversing camera and seven airbags -- all as standard.
Factor in good levels of comfort and convenience, decent fuel economy and that slightly-elevated driving position that is so coveted these days and you're looking at a neat and tidy package that ticks a lot of boxes.
Before I go too much further, I should mention that the Citroen C4 Aircross is essentially a Mitsubishi ASX under the skin -- same engine, same interior fit out, the same safety systems and the same controls. And it's built in Japan, not France.
That's not a bad thing, especially considering what you get for your $32K.
For instance, standard features on this 2WD model (the 4WD version costs $33,990) include attractive 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather-covered multi-function steering wheel, auto headlights and wipers, automatic climate control, cruise control, plus a six-speaker stereo with USB and auxiliary input ports.
Bluetooth streaming for phone and audio is always welcome and voice activated phone calls can make a boring trip to work more productive. A reversing camera and parking sensors take the guess work out of parking, but even without them the C4 Aircross is effortless to park -- at 4340mm long it's shorter than a Holden Cruze hatch.
Seven airbags, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, and hill start assist round out the safety features, and though the Citroen hasn't been crash tested by Australian NCAP, its donor car, the Mitsubishi ASX, scored a top rating of five stars. All five occupants also get lap-sash seatbelts and adjustable headrests.
Incidental storage is good. I appreciated the twin cup holders and bottle holder. A colour dot-matrix trip computer is another nice touch. Perhaps the only things missing on the car (and offered on the top-range Mitsubishi ASX Aspire) are a 6.1-inch colour touch screen and keyless starting.
Boot space of 384 litres is average, expanding to 1193 litres with the rear seats folded down, and a luggage cover is included.
Driving Citroen's compact SUV is child's play. All the controls are sensibly laid out, the engine and gearbox are willing and the light-weight steering, cruise control and large windows make for calm and comfortable cruising. The seats have good cushioning but the leather accents on the sides and top of the seats seemed odd. If you're only going to use 20 per cent leather, why not put it under one's backside? But I digress...
Softly-tuned suspension results in average handling; even at middling speeds the car feels tentative through corners and roundabouts. But a handy side-effect is that ride comfort is good and it behaves predicably on dirt roads too.
In its native driving habitat - urbania - the C4 Aircross is adept. Navigating tight and bumby cobblestone alleyways around Melbourne (with almost impossible 90 degree angled turns), the car feels good and is simple to manoeuvre. I was surprised I got it through a handful of testing "shortcuts".
In daily traffic it's a handy transporter too, its small-car size making it easy to position on the road and when changing lanes, while the slightly elevated ride height gives a good view of upcoming traffic situations.
It's not all honey cakes and butter cream, though. The engine can get a little noisy when you mash the accelerator pedal for maximum power and the CVT is certainly not class-leading -- on a few occasions reacting slowly to throttle input at times and causing rev flare.
The 2.0-litre DOHC petrol engine produces 110kW at 6000rpm and 199Nm of torque at 4200rpm which sounds pretty good on paper, but on the road it feels more like a 1.6-litre engine. Standing start acceleration is underwhelming and the 0-100km/h claimed time of 10.2 seconds is bullish.
Fuel economy isn't bad at a claimed 7.9L/100km, but in the real world I returned almost 12.0L/100km.
While the interior is almost identical to the Mitsubishi ASX (only the steering wheel is slightly changed) the exterior of the Citroen is one of the car's biggest drawcards. It looks great.
Fang-like vertically-arrayed LED daytime running lights flanking sleek headlights and a reworked front grille give the C4 Aircross a more sophisticated look than its Mitsubishi cousin. The rear end has a smoother appearance too, especially the brake lights, and taken as a whole the car looks a lot fancier than its price-tag would suggest.
It could be described as inoffensive but dull -- the engine and transmission are almost completely devoid of character -- but in terms of practicality, ease of use and aesthetics, the European-styled pint-sized Citroen SUV comes up trumps.
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