Mazda 3 vs Citroen C4

What's the difference?

Half a decade on, the current-generation Mazda 3 has weathered a world of change.

Cheap cars have vanished. Electric vehicles are commonplace and the small car class it belongs to has been decimated by SUVs. Big names like the Ford Focus, Holden Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer are history.

But while it looks identical to the car unveiled at the 2018 LA Auto Show, today’s Mazda 3 has also evolved, albeit gently.

Let’s see how competitive the latest and improved (as well as more expensive) version is.

Citroen is a brand in a state of flux as it, once again, finds itself fighting to find a distinct identity from its Peugeot sister brand under its new Stellantis parent company.

It’s also had a shocker of a year in Australia, racking up just over 100 sales in 2021, but the brand is promising new beginnings, and a new crossover-y identity as it heads into 2022.

Leading the charge is the new-generation C4, which has morphed from a funky hatchback to a funkier SUV-like shape that it hopes will set it apart from related cars like the Peugeot 2008.

Other Citroens are set to follow in its footsteps in the immediate future, so is the Gallic marque onto something? We took the new C4 for a week to find out.