Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019) Review

Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019) Verdict

New name for C4 Picasso but with same practical and flexible interior. Available with excellent Puretech petrol engine.

Clunky manual gearbox.

Reviews for Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019)'s top 3 rivals

BMW 2 Series

Seven-seat practicality, navigation as standard, fuel-efficient engines, the best people carrier to drive.

Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer

New name for Grand C4 Picasso.

Skoda Octavia

Extremely comfortable with excellent ride quality. Great practicality and a large boot. Even better quality...

Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019) handling and engines

• Engines range from 1.2 Puretech 110 to 2.0 BlueHDI 160 EAT8
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 39–61 mpg

The C4 SpaceTourer excels at comfort. It's an enjoyably relaxing car to drive or travel in, ironing out uneven roads and gliding along with little fuss. There's a little wind noise at motorway speeds, but overall you feel well insulated from the outside on the move.

What's not so good is the steering. It feels artificial and over-assisted - great for parking but not so good for corners. Not that an MPV is designed for being thrown into bends, but the two don't have to be mutually exclusive. However, the C4 SpaceTourer is an MPV that's happier when it's not rushed.

That said, it does actually handle very tidily, with good grip and decent body control too. We like the visibility with lots of glass, especially at the front quarters, making it easy to see at junctions or when parking in tight spots. Unfortunately the view out the back is not as good, but thankfully rear parking sensors are standard on all models.

Indeed, in town the C4 SpaceTourer is easy to park for an MPV. Despite all the space inside, it's not that much bigger than a standard family hatchback on the outside at less than 4.5 metres long.

The engine range is simple. There's one petrol - the excellent 1.2 PureTech with 130PS - and two diesels. The big seller is the new 1.5 BlueHDi 130PS which also is the most economical while the more expensive version is a 2.0 BlueHDi with 160PS that is only available with the EAT8 automatic.

Originally there was a 1.6 BlueHDi diesel with 120PS (carried over from the C4 Picasso) available with an EAT6 automatic, but this was dropped after a few months in favour of the newer 1.5 BlueHDi.

The petrol and smaller diesel come with six-speed manuals as standard, but there's also the option of the EAT8 automatic, which makes the mid level 1.5 BlueHDi very appealing as an easy-to-drive and economical people carrier.

The new EAT8 is a conventional torque converter automatic, Citroen having thankfully dropped the awful EGC6 semi-automatic transmission. Eight gears may seem excessive but the gearbox works really well in the C4 SpaceTourer, particularly with the BlueHDi engines. It pulls through the gears smoothly and there's none of the hesitation you get with dual clutch gearboxes.

Our choice would be the 1.5 BlueHDi with the EAT8 gearbox. It's not the quietest of engines from the outside, but has more than enough pulling power thanks to 300Nm of torque. It should prove economical too.

Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019) interior

• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

The interior of the C4 SpaceTourer is pretty much identical to the Picasso version. No surprise there. But if it ain't broke then don't fix it and as MPVs go, this is one of the best for space and comfort. It feels light and airy thanks to the large glass area and thin pillars while the high up rear seats mean kids will be able to see out on the move, handy to prevent car sickness.

The huge windscreen reaches almost above your head which is a nice design idea but not so useful in reality. You can slide extra visors down if it's too bright and most people end up driving with this as the default, which kind of defeats the object. Still, it's handy if you're parked at the end of an airport runway and really like planes.

The back is well designed with plenty of legroom and good head room too. It feels more spacious that something like a Ford C-MAX and the seats can be slid forward or back. They also tilt which is a nice touch. All four doors open wide which makes getting in and out - or fitting child seats - much easier than in a conventional hatchback.

The boot is large with 537 litres and the seats can be folded flat if you're off to a particular Swedish furniture shop and are buying more than just meatballs and tealights. There's no one handle system for folding them down, which can be annoying, but at least the C4 SpaceTourer comes with a space saver wheel - not always the norm these days.

Citroen people carriers have always delivered lots of useful storage and the C4 SpaceTourer has a huge compartment between the front seats, clever boxes under the floor in the back and trays under the front seats (if you go for a Feel model or above). But the best is the area in the centre dashboard which is like a little media centre with a USB port, an aux-in and a plug socket.

You'll need to go for a Feel model to get the upgraded infotainment system which comes with two screens. It's a decent system once you've got used to it, although does have a few annoyances, like having to go into a particular screen to change the climate control.

Standard equipment from launch:

Touch Edition gets 16-inch Viper alloy wheels, a space saver spare wheel, ESC, electric parking brake, hill start assist, driver, front passenger, front lateral and curtain airbags, three Isofix points with top tether, remote central locking, cruise control and speed limiter, panoramic windscreen, automatic lights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, heated and electrically folding door mirrors, dual zone climate control, rear seat air vents, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, front and rear electric windows, engine start button, 12v socket in rear and boot,  tilt and height adjustable driver's seat, 7-inch touchscreen interface, DAB, Bluetooth plus MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay. 

Feel has 17-inch Mamba alloy wheels, cornering lights, puddle lights in door mirrors, chrome bumper trim, tinted rear windows, aluminium dashboard trim, front parking sensors, 12-inch panoramic HD central display, front seat adjustable armrests, massage function for driver and front passenger,  rear seats with individual sliding fore/aft adjustment, storage under driver and front passenger's seat and rear underfloor storage.

Flair comes with slate grey half leather upholstery, 18-inch Python alloy wheels, blind spot monitoring system, driver attention alert, speed limit recognition system, Active Safety Brake, Forward Collision Warning, panoramic sunroof (with dark tinted glass and electric sliding blind), 3D LED rear lights, child observation mirror, foot operated motorised tailgate, keyless entry and start, Park Assist self-parking system, fold-down aircraft style tray tables and integrated retractable rear side window sun blinds.

Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019) models and specs

On sale until January 2021

On sale until October 2018