Citroen C4 vs Peugeot E-2008

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.

The Peugeot e-2008 GT looks stylish but it’s definitely a compact SUV and that means it will only suit a small family. Or even a grandparent who has to occasionally ferry the grandkids around.

I like how easy it is to park and its stylish packaging but the cabin feels small. The practicality just wasn’t there for my family this week and the price point isn’t quite right for the features you get.

My son liked its looks but didn’t get excited about it.

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.

The e-2008 looks super cute! I love the intense 'Vertigo Blue' paintwork on our test model. It makes it pop.

In fact, all the paintwork colour options look bright and happy and that describes the styling of this car.

The e-2008 has stacks of personality and sports Peugeot’s signature three-claw LED lights at the rear but the daytime-running lights almost look fang-like, which gives it an edgy look.

The GT comes with a contrasting black roof, the same shade applied to the mirrors and 18-inch alloy wheels, which further enhances its street-cred.

The cabin is gorgeous with the premium-look trims and contrasting green stitching.

The dashboard features sharp cutaways and shiny chrome accents but it's the 10-inch multimedia system and 12.3-inch 3D digital instrument panel which give the cabin a 'wow' factor.

Its a good-looking little SUV inside and out.

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 e-2008 looks great but what about the practicality? Well, let’s just say the front row benefits the most in terms of everything – space, comfort and features. If you’re a super tall family, this might not be the car for you.

I felt perfectly happy when it was just my son and me but as soon as my husband jumped in, it started to feel a bit claustrophobic in the cabin.

There are a few reasons why, though. You knock elbows with your front passenger, if you have a cup in one of the centre console cupholders it gets in the way of the transmission shifter and you knock your feet on the too-high door aperture. I felt clumsy getting in and out of this car.

That said, the seats are comfortable and you could easily do a longer trip in them. It's curious that the front passenger seat and the sunblind for the panoramic sunroof adjust manually. But all in all, I was happy with the comfort in the front.

Individual storage is decent up front for this class with a middle console, glove box, two drink bottle holders in each door plus two cupholders. There is also a large hidden storage cubby above the phone tray that I was able to pop all my loose items away in.

Individual storage is basic in the back seat with the only options being a couple of netted map pockets plus shallow storage bins in each door.

Generally speaking, space is lean in the second row. I’m 168cm (5'6") and sitting behind my driving position, my knees touch the back of the seat.

My videographer and I had a laugh when we were filming the video review for the e-2008 because it was so awkward for him (at 183cm / 6'0") to get comfortable in the back seat! I thus dub it only fit for kids on longer journeys.

The two digital screens look great and the 3D-effect instrument panel is a cool highlight but the multimedia system doesn’t seem to have a lot of accessible information or customisations available.

The screen responds quickly but sometimes the built-in satellite navigation is slow to load. However, I like how easy it is to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay plus it has wired Android Auto for those users.

Charging options are good with each row enjoying two USB-A ports and the front getting a single 12-volt socket. Disappointing that there are no other amenities in the back row, though.

The highlight of the car for me is the boot. It's a good size at 434L and I like the level load space. You have underfloor storage for cables and such but the compromise for getting all of this space is that you only get a tyre puncture repair kit. There’s also no frunk storage in this model.

I missed a powered tailgate because the boot lid is quite heavy to close but otherwise, the boot suited my little family’s needs just fine.

There is only one model available for the e-2008 and that’s the GT. Which will cost you $59,990, before any on-road costs, which places it right in the middle of its nearest rivals. Let’s look at some of the features you get for the price.

The interior gets most of the big-ticket items with synthetic leather and synthetic suede trims, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch 3D hologram-style digital instrument panel and 10-inch touchscreen multimedia system.

For comfort items, the driver’s seat is electric with adjustable lumbar support and a massage setting (although the ‘massage’ is very gentle). The front passenger’s seat is manually adjustable but both front seats feature a heat function.

Other standard features include items like dual-zone climate control, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, five seats (2-3 configuration), 18-inch alloy wheels, a built-in satellite navigation system and adjustable ambient lighting with up to eight colour choices.

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.

The e-2008 GT has a fully electric powertrain and a lithium-ion battery that has a 50kWh capacity. The battery is located underneath the rear seats.

The electric motor delivers a maximum power output of 100kW and 260Nm of torque. It's official 0-100km/h sprint time is nine seconds.

So, it's not the punchiest EV on the market but it has enough power to tackle the open-road, if need be.

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.

The e-2008 has a driving range of up to 328km (WTLP) and a Type 2 CCS charging port – which means you can hook it up to a fast charger.

The battery capacity means it can also accept a 50kW fast charger’s speed and will go from 0-80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes, which is very handy.

Peugeot's official energy consumption figure for the e-2008 is 14.5 kWh/100km and I saw my average flit between 17.3kWh to 19.5kWh on my travels after doing mostly urban driving this week. 

I will admit to feeling some range anxiety because of the lower driving range available.

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.

Besides the range anxiety, the e-2008 drives well. The power is a bit lacklustre compared to other EV models out at the moment but there is still plenty to access when you need it. I felt confident whenever I had to tackle the open-road or overtake.

The ride comfort is good with the suspension cushioning most bumps. The road noise can creep up a bit, especially at higher speeds but the e-2008 is otherwise fairly quiet around town.

I like the concise steering. It makes the e-2008 super fun to drive in the city! When you hit corners or wind at higher speeds, it can feel a bit light footed, though.

It sits low at 1550mm in overall height and that can mean that sometimes the visibility isn’t great if you pull up to a roundabout or traffic lights with a big SUV beside you. Otherwise, the windows are nice and wide and provide decent visibility.

The e-2008 is a good size to fit into small car spots in the city but the 180-degree rear-view camera isn’t as clear as I’d like. It’s still serviceable and I like the back up provided by front and rear parking sensors. It takes out some of the guesswork!

The e-2008 has a solid list of safety features and I like the adaptive cruise control's stop and go function. 

Other standard safety features, include blind-spot monitoring, daytime-running lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, lane departure warning, intelligent seatbelt reminders, traffic sign recognition, 180-degree view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors.

The rear seat also features ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard positions and three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best. Front passenger comfort will be compromised when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

The e-2008 doesn’t have an ANCAP rating but its fuel-based siblings achieved a maximum five-star assessment in 2019.

Surprising that it only has six airbags, which is low for a family car, but the curtain airbags do cover the back row.

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.

The e-2008 comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, as well as an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the battery.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months, but it is normal to see EV servicing at around 24 months.

You can pre-purchase either a three- or five-year servicing plan, which are both cheaper than the pay-as-you-go option.

On the five-year plan, services average $200, which is good for the class.