Citroen C4 vs Ford Transit

What's the difference?

It’s weird, wonderful and fun, in more ways that one. I think every segment could use an oddball alternative like the C4. Citroen has successfully transformed it from a hatch to a small SUV with a difference. It’s not going to be for everyone – few Citroens are – but those who are willing to take a chance will be rewarded with a surprisingly competitive little package that stands apart from the crowd.

Ford has taken an unorthodox approach to entering the electric vehicle market in Australia, avoiding the hype around the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning and instead laying the foundations with the E-Transit.

But it’s a savvy move, giving the brand a chance to enter what should be a largely untapped market with a vehicle that should appeal to what buyers are looking for. With unchanged space compared to the diesel-powered Transit, the switch to a more powerful electric powertrain makes the E-Transit a win-win scenario for those with a suitable daily driving routine.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

It’s really hard to stand out in Australia’s busy marketplace, especially in this small SUV space, where there doesn’t really seem to be as much of a design rulebook as there is in other segments.

Rooflines are wildly different, as are beltines and light profiles. While some may decry the fall of the hatchback to these more high-riding options, at least some of them are bringing fresh design ideas to the car world.

Our C4 is a great example. An SUV perhaps in profile only, it sports a slinky descending roofline, tall, contoured bonnet, a frowny-face LED profile, and characterful plastic claddings, which are a continuation of Citroen’s ‘Airbump’ elements, which gave cars like the previous-generation C4 Cactus such a unique look.

The rear is this car’s most confronting angle, with a post-modern approach to the light profile, and in reference to C4s past, a spoiler integrated into the rear tailgate.

It looks cool, contemporary, and I think is successful in its aim to blend the sporty elements from the hatch world with the sought-after high-riding elements of an SUV.

It certainly caught a few eyeballs in my time with it, and if nothing else, a bit of attention is something the Citroen brand desperately needs.

In the past you could rely on this brand to give you a funky interior, but one that sadly also came with its fair share of sub-par plastics and strange ergonomic. So I’m pleased to report that the new C4 dips into the better looking and feeling Stellantis parts catalogue for a still interesting yet more coherent experience this time around.

The modern look and feel of this car continues with interesting seat designs, a high-riding dash with a higher degree of digitization than before, and improved ergonomic features (even over some notable Peugeots). We’ll talk more about those in the practicality section, but the C4 feels as weird and different from behind the wheel as you’d hope , with an odd dash profile, a fun and minimalist steering yoke, and attention-to-detail elements, like a detail strip that runs through the door trims and across the seats.

These elements are welcome and help separate this Citroen from its Peugeot siblings. It will need this going forward, as it also now shares much of its switchgear and screens with its sister brand.

This is largely a good thing, with the 10-inch screen looking and feeling good and slotting into this car’s design nicely.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the design is there’s nothing very different about the E-Transit compared to the regular Transit. Which is a good thing, because the Transit is already a popular delivery van so any change for the sake of difference may have messed with the winning formula.

In fact, the design element that is important is the way Ford has laid the battery packs flat inside the ladder-frame chassis which means none of the cargo space has been compromised. This means the E-Transit has the same load area as its internal combustion equivalent, which is key for any delivery van.

The C4 brings some interesting practicality elements. There are a few areas where it’s even better than the improved layouts of recent Peugeot models.

The cabin feels spacious, with the C4’s relatively long wheelbase providing ample room in both rows. Adjustability is good for the driver, although it is worth noting that the seats have an odd blend of manual adjust for sliding fore and aft, contrasted with electrical adjust for seat height and tilt.

Comfort is superb from the memory-foam stuffed and thick synthetic-leather-clad seats. I don’t know why more cars don’t adopt this approach to seat design. You sink into these seats and are left feeling like you’re floating above the ground rather than sitting on something. The feeling here is unmatched in the small SUV space.

The massage function is a wholly unnecessary addition, and with the thick seat cladding, it didn’t really add much to the experience.

The seat bases aren’t too high either, unlike some cars in the SUV class, but the dash design itself is very tall, so people shorter than my 182cm height might find extra adjustment is required to see over the bonnet.

There are large bottle holders in each door with a very small bin; dual cupholders in the centre console, and a small armrest console box.

There’s also an odd little two-tiered shelf under the climate unit, with a removable base for extra storage underneath. It seems to me that the top shelf is a missed opportunity to place a wireless charger, although connectivity is handy with the choice of USB-C or USB 2.0 to connect to the wired phone mirroring.

A big win is the presence of a full dial set for not just volume but the climate unit too. This is something the Citroen scores over some of the new Peugeots, which have moved the climate functions to the screen.

Somewhat less wonderful are the digital dash cluster and holographic head-up display. These seem to be a bit redundant in the information they display to the driver, and the digital dash has no customisation, leaving me wondering what the point of it is.

The C4 also has some interesting innovations on the front passenger side. It has an unusually large glovebox and a neat little sliding tray, which looks like something from a Bond car.

It also has a slide-out tablet holder. This odd little thing lets you securely mount a tablet to the dash to provide a multimedia solution for the front passenger, which may be good for entertaining larger kids on longer journeys. Or adults who don't want to talk to the driver. It’s a neat inclusion, but I’m not sure how many people will use it in the real world.

The back seat offers a remarkable amount of room. I’m 182cm tall and had heaps of knee room behind my own driving position. The nice seat trims continue, as does the patternwork and detailing, which is the kind of attention to detail you don’t always get from rivals.

Headroom is a little limited, but you also score dual adjustable air vents and a single USB port.

The boot comes in at a hatch-sized 380-litres (VDA). It’s a neat, square shape with no little cutaways at the sides and is just big enough to fit our full CarsGuide demo luggage set, but leaves no room to spare. The C4 features a space-saver spare wheel under the floor.

The cabin is very similar to what you’ll find in the Transit, so there will be familiarity for anyone making the switch from the diesel-powered version. The rotary shifter and 12.0-inch tablet-style multimedia screen make for a smart look but also means minimal space is wasted.

It’s a thoughtfully designed cabin, with plenty of usable storage spaces, including three cup-holders, a pair of bottle-holders and deep storage shelves on the top of the dashboard. The doors are particularly noteworthy, with multiple storage areas carved into the available space.

The seats are comfortable and, naturally with a high-roof van, there’s plenty of head room which creates a spacious feeling.

Behind the seats is the cargo area. In the US-specification E-Transit we drove there was a dividing wall between the cabin and the back of the van, with a small sliding door to access the cargo area, but it’s unlikely this will be offered in Australia. Instead, local models will likely have a hard divider between the cabin and back, with a small window for visibility.

As mentioned earlier, the floorspace in the E-Transit remains the same as the Transit thanks to the battery being laid underneath the floor, so there’s plenty of cargo volume that will please fleet buyers. 

In the US the E-Transit’s cargo area measures 11.3-cubic-metres with the medium-height roof and expands to 12.4cu/m with the high-roof body.

Ford says the “targeted payload” will be 1616kg.

Ford Australia originally announced the E-Transit would arrive by “mid-2022” but that date has been pushed back thanks to the ongoing supply challenges faced by most car companies.

While the initial technical details have been confirmed - the first model available will be the 420L long-wheelbase version - the company hasn’t locked in detailed local specifications and pricing yet.

The closest comparison in the current Transit range is the 350L, which is available in both mid- and high-roof variants. Based on the model we test drove in the US, there are similar specifications between the two, including 16-inch steel wheels, partial-leather-trimmed seats and Ford’s SYNC4 multimedia system displayed on a 12.0-inch centrally mounted screen. 

While pricing isn't confirmed, it's likely the E-Transit will carry a premium over the Transit so we'd estimate a starting price in the mid-$60,000 range.

The C4’s single trim level has a single engine, and it’s a good one; a peppy 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo.

It appears elsewhere in the Stellantis catalogue and has been refreshed for the 2022 model year with a new turbo and other small refinements. In the C4 it produces 114kW/240Nm and drives the front wheels via an Aisin-sourced eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

No dual-clutches or CVTs to be found here. This sounds good to me, but is it good to drive? You’ll have to read on to find out.

One element of the E-Transit we are clear on is what’s under the bonnet. The E-Transit is powered by an 198kW/430Nm electric motor that powers the rear wheels and draws energy from a 68kWh battery.

That means the E-Transit is the most powerful member of the Transit family, with the rest of the range powered by the 125kW/390Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine.

Ford claims the E-Transit has a range of 317km (on the WLTP cycle), which may not sound like a lot for a commercial van but Ford claims in the US the daily average for such vehicles is only 120km.  

In order to save charge, the E-Transit is equipped with an Eco Mode which limits top speed, regulates acceleration and limits climate control settings. Ford claims this allows the driver to cut energy usage by between eight to 10 per cent when driven at highway speeds or when unladen. 

Despite the little turbocharged engine and the abundance of ratios in that transmission, the Citroen C4 disappointed me a little bit when it came to real-world consumption.

The official/combined consumption sounds reasonable at just 6.1L/100km, but after a week of driving in what I would consider realistic combined conditions my car returned 8.4L/100km.

While it’s not terrible in the wider context of small SUVs (a segment that is still packed with naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engines), it could be better.

The C4 also needs at least mid-shelf 95RON unleaded fuel and has a 50-litre fuel tank.

Charging will be a key element of the E-Transit’s appeal (or not) to buyers, with fleets needing to maximise the van’s time on the road. Ford claims that with a 115kW DC fast-charger the E-Transit battery can go from 15 per cent charge to 80 per cent in just 34 minutes.

With the onboard 11.3kW charger it takes 8.2 hours to get the battery back to 100 per cent capacity.

The E-Transit supports bi-directional use of the battery too. In the US the E-Transit is available with its Pro Power Onboard technology as an option. This allows for the driver to draw up to 2.4kW of power from the vehicle’s battery to power tools and other equipment as necessary. 

One feature that is confirmed for the Australian-bound E-Transit is what Ford calls, Scheduled Pre-Conditioning. This is a system that allows the operator to pre-set the climate control for the cabin while the van is still on charge so that you can still have maximum charge available when you start driving.

Driving the C4 is an interesting experience because it approaches the road a little differently from most of its rivals.

It really leans into Citroen’s newfound comfort-focused niche with the seating and suspension. This results in an overall experience that is a bit unique in the market, and quite pleasant, too.

The ride really is quite good. It’s not a fully hydraulic system but has dual-stage dampers that essentially smooth out corrugations and much of the nasty stuff that comes into contact with the tyres.

It’s odd because you can hear the big alloys crashing about on the road, but ultimately you feel little of it in the cabin. What’s more impressive is Citroen has managed to imbue the C4 with this floating-on-the-road feeling, while maintaining enough of a ‘real’ driving position to make it feel like you’re sitting in the car and not on it.

The overall result is impressive. The comfort extends to the seats, as mentioned, which really do still feel floaty and supportive even after hours on the road. It also extends to the steering, which has a very light tune. This is a bit unsettling at first, as it feels like it has a large dead-zone in the centre, but it is also speed dependent, so once you’re cruising it regains a significant amount of feel. You can also manually bring back a bit of firmness by setting this car to its Sport drive mode, which is unusually good.

This means you can have an ease of operation in tight quarters while maintaining enough feel to make it fun to drive when you need to ask more of it. Clever.

Speaking of fun, the revised 1.2-litre three-pot is a hoot. It has a distant but entertaining gruff tone under pressure, and surges forward with just enough urgency to not leave you really wanting for power.

It’s not what I would call quick, but it has a raucous attitude paired with a well-behaved torque converter auto to make it truly entertaining. When you push it, there’s a moment of turbo lag followed by a lump of torque, which the transmission lets you ride out before decisively snapping into the next gear. I like it.

Again, it's not quick, but it punches just enough above its weight to leave you with a smile when you stick your boot in. To have that in a car otherwise so focused on comfort is an unexpected pleasure.

The dash cluster could use some work, as could visibility out of the cabin. The small aperture out the rear and tall dash line could leave some drivers feeling a bit claustrophobic. While the engine is fun to engage with, the turbo lag could potentially be a source for annoyance at times, too.

Brief negatives aside, I think the C4's drive experience really brings something unique, fun, and comfortable to the small SUV space.

Electric vehicles have earned a reputation for rapid, exciting acceleration… but that’s not the case with the E-Transit. Performance could best be described as modest, with adequate but unspectacular acceleration.

Which is fine, because the E-Transit is not meant to be a ‘ludicrously’ quick van, instead it’s meant to haul a load as efficiently as possible. On that front it does a good job, with smooth (albeit gentle) acceleration and steady pulling power.

It’s important to note, though, that our test car was unladen - with only some shelving installed in the back. So we’ll have to reserve judgement on how the E-Transit performs with a full load on-board, on Australian roads.

The rest of the driving experience is as you’ll find with the Transit. The steering is nicely weighted and direct, which makes manoeuvring such a huge vehicle straightforward. 

The ride is on the firm side, which isn’t unusual for either a van or an electric vehicle as it needs to control so much weight, but it isn’t uncomfortable and offers good control.

The current Transit is not rated by ANCAP, as is the case with most of its full-size van rivals because the safety authority tends to focus on the mid-size vans - such as the Transit Custom, Toyota HiAce and Hyundai Staria-Load.

However, the E-Transit does have a solid safety package, with driver and passenger front, side and curtain airbags all standard. While the E-Transit’s local safety package isn’t locked in, the Transit already boasts autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, rollover mitigation, side-wind stabilisation, trailer sway control and traffic-sign recognition, so it’s probably a safe bet these will all be included on the E-Transit. 

We drove the high-roof E-Transit in the US and with a high-mounted reversing camera it was surprisingly easy to navigate for such a big vehicle.

Ownership has always been a tough topic for unusual Euros like the C4, and that seems to continue here. While Citroen offers a competitive five-year and unlimited-kilometre warranty for all its new products, it’s the service costs that will hurt the most.

While most Japanese and Korean brands are competing to really keep these numbers down, the C4’s average yearly cost, according to the provided schedule, comes in at an average of $497 for the first five years. That’s nearly double the cost of Toyota’s C-HR!

The C4 Shine will need to see a service centre once a year or every 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

Ford Australia has already confirmed that the E-Transit will be covered by Ford’s now-standard five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, plus an extended eight-year/160,000km warranty specifically for the battery and high-voltage electric components.