Key facts:
Model tested: Citroen C4 1.6HDie EGS Exclusiv, Citroen C4 2.0HDi 150 Exclusiv, Citroen C4 1.6VTi VTR+
Price: £21,095, £21,495, £17,595
Date tested: November 2010
Road tester: Andy Goodwin

The new Citroen C4 will reach its first customers in January 2011. It will arguably be Citroen's most important model for the next five years.

At its UK launch, Citroen claimed the C4 will bring something different to the table. Its main aims are to provide class-leading comfort, refinement, quality and reliability.

The interior is certainly a big improvement over its predecessor, with a solid and attractive feel for the inside as a whole, and the dashboard in particular.

The C4 boasts a bigger boot than many of its rivals. Able to carry 408 litres of luggage, it's also usefully wide and long, allowing larger items to be loaded than all of its competitors bar the Honda Civic, with its huge 485-litre boot. There will only be a five-door hatch.

Engines available at launch include a 1.6-litre and 2-litre HDi diesel with 110 and 150bhp, complemented by BMW co-produced 1.6-litre petrol engines producing 95, 120 and 155bhp.

The small diesel is impressive, with ample performance and a quiet, smooth delivery and feels more modern than the 2-litre unit. However, to enjoy stop and start technology, the best 67.3mpg fuel economy and the lowest 109g/km of CO2 emissions it needs to be specified with Citroen's six-speed EGS automated manual gearbox.

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The stop and start system works unobtrusively, but the transmission makes slow changes which cause the car to lurch during acceleration, particularly when climbing inclines.

Better, for now, is the 1.6-litre HDi with a manual six-speed gearbox. The 2-litre does offer notably more performance, but it's rarely necessary.

We also tried the 1.6-litre petrol with 120bhp, which is quiet until worked hard, and efficient when cruising with an average fuel consumption of 44.8mpg and emissions of 146g/km of CO2. It's a worthy alternative to those who want to save on the purchase price and a contender if you plan on fewer miles.

Trim levels are VTR, VTR+ and Exclusiv, with highlights including air-con, six airbags, cruise control and a speed limiter included with VTR, adjustable instrument colours, alloy wheels, Bluetooth and USB connectivity with VTR+ and part leather upholstery, climate control, parking space gap measurement, emergency assist and massage front seats in Exclusiv cars.

These are good levels of equipment, with several interesting new features. eTouch Emergency and Assistance adds an SOS button at the top of the windscreen, which can be pressed to automatically call for breakdown or emergency assistance. The car's position is automatically sent to the service via GPS, and in an accident where airbags are deployed the system automatically activates.

Citroen has taken the right approach in setting the C4 apart for its target audience, and its improved quality, comfort and practicality should suit them very well. It will appeal to a different audience to the Focus and Astra, and might even tempt a few buyers who find the Golf too firm.