Road test: Citroën C4

In the fiercely contested market for small family cars, such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf, you have got to be good to survive. More than good — brilliant.

So the new second generation of Citroën’s contender, the C4, has a big job on its hands.

In terms of sheer breadth of talent, beating cars as good as the Ford and VW is extremely difficult.

So the only way to compete is on price. The C4 ranges from £14,645 to £20,045, so the starting price undercuts the Ford and the VW by about £2,500.

The two versions I tried at the C4’s launch were the BlueHDi 100 six-speed four-cylinder manual diesel and the Pure Tech 110 three-cylinder petrol model with automatic transmission.

The diesel will probably be the bigger seller, but the petrol auto was the more engaging, feeling lighter and more willing. The auto box operated smoothly and quickly and was never wrong-footed during testing.

This is a gentle refresh rather than a brand new car. It gets new front and rear lights and updated upholstery materials, the dashboard has been decluttered and there’s a new seven-inch touchscreen to keep the tech-savvy happy.

Other techie touches of note include optional massaging front seats, a panoramic sunroof, hands-free keyless entry and blind-spot monitoring. The simple and easy-to-read dials are illuminated in a restful purple glow and head and legroom are well up to par. On the road, noise levels are pretty good — the car has a soundproofing film within the windscreen to absorb vibrations, and the C4 remains the same size as before.

If it suffers in comparison to its more premium feeling rivals it is because it lacks a sense of specialness that they have in spades. But it provides good value and should find plenty of takers.

Citroën C4
BlueHDi 100 manual
Top speed: 111 mph
C02: 98g/km
MPG: 74 Price: £17,545