The Citroen C4, launched in late 2004, and designed to replace the Xsara, is now in its second generation, and boy has it been improved. My personal biggest hatred of the first generation C4, and some of you might disagree here, was the steering wheel. The wheel was one were the outside moved, but the inside stayed in the same place, so you never knew which way your wheels were pointing until you started moving.
One thing i will say about the first generation, is that it wasn't an ugly looking car, but the this new one, is even better. With its big grills, prominent lines and angry looking headlights, it really is a car that fits in with the 21st century.
Personally, I've never been a huge fan of French cars. The peddles were always to close together, so if you have a shoe size bigger than a 7, your right foot would always be pressing slightly on the brake as you drove a long. And they were plagued with electronic problems. Hands up if you have ever seen a Peugeot 206 driving down the road with its brake lights on.
So, down to business, what is it like from a disability point of view. Well the following review was from Lauren Millgate who owns a C4 VTR+ 5 door manual.
"I got this car on mobility as my disability meant that I struggle to walk, get in and out of the car (we had a 02 plate ford fiesta) and injure more easily than is normal so I needed a car that was easier for me to use. I can’t drive so my husband is helping me with the driving aspect of this review. We chose the C4 as it has a fairly big boot, is 5 door and still looks sleek and stylish and we are a young couple. There is no difference in price or advance payment between the basic range VTR and the mid-range VTR+ when going through motability and the VTR+ has more ‘extras’, such as rear parking sensors."
"I fell in love with the car the first time I went for a test drive in it and didn’t bother to look at any other cars afterward as my husband and I both loved it. The ride is smooth and soft but with enough suspension and shock absorbance that you don’t feel minor bumps in the road. The car (so my husband tells me) has fairly light steering but has enough weight behind it to give you a good feel for the car whilst being very easy to manoeuvre and gear changes are smooth and easy. The display in the car is easy to read and you can change the colour and brightness of it to suit you and you can turn some parts of the display off – this is particularly useful for night driving as it helps your eyes to adjust to the road ahead instead of getting glare off the display. There are lots of controls on the steering wheel that are well placed to make them easily accessible but don’t get knocked and make calls as you try to turn a corner. The controls in the car are soft to touch and don’t need much pressure and are also well sized, which I find useful as I often have trouble using my hands so they would be suitable for people with things such as arthritis also. They are also not complicated and confusing to use in terms of being able to change the settings of the car as to how you like them. The fuel economy is also one of the best in its class; we have managed to do over 600 miles on one tank. There are also display settings to show how you are driving in terms of fuel economy.
"The front seats are soft but supportive and completely adjustable with adjustable lumbar support also. The back seats are also comfortable.There is also an adequate amount of leg room in the back seats when the front seats are back. The boot is 408 litres, so comfortably fits a folding wheelchair and still has room for a few items of shopping. The wing mirrors also have lights underneath them that light the pavement when you unlock the car on returning to it or get out of the car. I find this a really useful feature as I have issues that mean I don’t always know where my limbs are without directly looking at them. The doors aren’t too heavy and they have a fairly long door so that it’s easy to get in and out if you have difficulties bending your legs as I do.
"This car is fantastic for disabled people and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it and it is still functional for an average family also whilst still looking ‘normal’. I love the fact that I can use this car so easily. It blends in and still performs the tasks I need it to as a disabled person and doesn’t, in effect, make a huge statement to everyone else that I am disabled as some cars do."
This one seems to be coming up trumps in all the right places, lets just hope the French have learnt a few things over the past years.
