Vive le difference

By Eric Blair
THEnew Citroen C4 has the sort of stunning styling for which the French marque has won plaudits over the years.
The clever treatment of the front of the car featuring Citroen’s traditional ‘chevron’ logo works brilliantly.
Importantly it also gives the highest ever marks for pedestrian protection as tested by European New Car Assessment Program.
One interesting feature has the steering wheel hub remaining stationary whilst the steering wheel revolves around it.
The fixed steeringwheel hub carries a lot of minor controls for the audio system, trip computer, cruise control with inbuilt speed limiter, and some ventilation items.
However, the primary reason for the fixedhub design is that the airbag always comes out at the same angle instead of at an angle dictated by the position of the steering wheel. Thus the airbag has a nonsymmetrical shape for optimum protection.
Citroen C4 in coupe format starts with a 1.6litre powered VTR model for a very reasonable $25,990 and there’s also a higherperformance 2.0litre model with a higher range of equipment that sells for $36,990.
The midsized Citroen has an excellent steering feel and reacts precisely to all commands.