The new C4 is vastly more intriguing than its predecessor – the almost wilfully unexciting Xsara – especially as the three-door coupé. This 2.0-litre VTS is priced at £17,195, although Citroën’s cashback deals already knock this back to £16,095.
You could easily spend an hour pointing out the C4’s interesting bits to a friend. But the tour would undoubtedly start with the styling, this three-door version being particularly arresting with its reverse-rake D-pillars and upright tailgate glass. Unlike the Ford Focus or VW Golf, the C4 three-door has a highly distinctive bodyshell that further distances itself from the five-door version, its profile cutting a far better coupé silhouette as a result.
Pop the bonnet and you’ll find PSA Peugeot-Citroën’s 2.0-litre 16v engine with variable valve timing, as found in the Peugeot 206 GTi 180. It produces 178bhp, which arrives right on the rev limit at 7000rpm. The engine’s 149lb ft of torque doesn’t arrive early, either, peaking at 4750rpm, and this has quite an impact on the way this car feels.
The VTS’s engine breaks no new technical ground, and neither does its suspension. Riding on a platform shared with the Peugeot 307, MacPherson struts suspend it up front, while a simple torsion beam provides a rear axle. Rather than spend money on independent rear suspension, as found on the Focus and Golf, Citroën has invested in features that customers can see, such as fresh cabin architecture, the fixed-hub steering wheel, swivelling headlamps and a fragrance dispenser. Given the high dynamic standards set by Ford and Volkswagen, the issue here is whether Citroën’s emphasis on novel features undermines the VTS’s effectiveness as a performance car.