Citroën ë-C4 X Owner Review: Living with the 50kWh Shine Fastback

This is my second electric car, and when I started looking for my next EV, my top priorities were supreme comfort, generous cabin space for four adults, and a proper boot capable of swallowing all the family luggage. I picked up my late-2023 black Citroën ë-C4 X in Shine trim with 20,400 miles on the clock, and in six months and 5,000 miles of driving, it has delivered zero problems and four very happy bums!

Citroën has taken the Stellantis e-CMP platform and turned it into something rather special. For day-to-day driving, the range from the 50 kWh battery (46.3 kWh usable) is more than sufficient. Better still, we recently put its touring credentials to the ultimate test by taking it all the way to Heidelberg in Germany for a week. Covering 140 to 160 miles between stops works very nicely alongside the mature human bladder—after two to three hours at the wheel, I needed a break, and so did the ë-C4 X!

The Positives & That Famous Citroën ‘Waftability’

If you ask me what the best-kept secret about the ë-C4 X is, it comes down to one word: ‘waftability’. The ride quality from Citroën’s Advanced Comfort suspension reminds me of the classic hydropneumatic systems on the old Citroën BX and XM. It is a brilliant way to travel and arrive feeling almost as fresh as when you set off. I don’t get tired on a 330-mile trip down south the way I used to in almost every other car I’ve owned—with the sole exception of my old Jaguar XJ6 (may it rust in pieces!).

Beyond the magic carpet ride, several standout features make this car a joy to live with:

• Fastback Styling & Huge Boot: I love the distinctive saloon/fastback silhouette, which conceals a massive 510-litre boot and leaves plenty of rear legroom for passengers.

   

• Proper Physical Buttons: Thankfully, Citroën retained real physical buttons and dials for the climate control, alongside an infotainment screen that is genuinely nice to use and neat dashboard features for the front passenger.

   

• Effortless EV Powertrain: The whole electric driving experience has to be tried before you form an opinion. There is no manual gearbox or clutch to operate, and none of the hesitation or gear-hopping you get from an automatic transmission that doesn’t like the current speed or load. You just get smooth, effortless power and effective regenerative braking whenever you want it, backed up by surprisingly good standard ADAS safety systems.

   

The Negatives: One Frustrating Gripe

In truth, I only have one real gripe with the car: the built-in voice assistant. It has a habit of waking up at seemingly random moments, interrupting both my satellite navigation instructions and media playback, thinking for ages, and then finally announcing, “Sorry, I didn’t get that.”

It has been told many times to take lessons in reproduction and travel—usually right after it has caused me to miss an important navigation turn! Unless car manufacturers are willing to give in-car AI a serious processor and proper RAM—with strict priority given to navigation and media—I really don’t need it in the car.

Battery Health, Efficiency & Real-World Range

Even with between 25,000 and 30,000 miles on the odometer, the battery performance is completely faultless. When I bought the car at 20,400 miles, I checked the battery using an OBD reader and it showed 100% State of Health (SoH). Six months and 5,000 miles later, I checked it again via OBD and it is still sitting at a perfect 100% SoH.

In everyday driving, the car is remarkably consistent:

• Average Efficiency: I achieve a very healthy 4.1 miles per kWh in Normal driving mode (I only switch into Eco mode for motorway runs).

   

• 80% Charge Range: On an 80% top-up, I average around 155 miles of real-world range.

   

• 100% Charge Range: The Guess-O-Meter (GOM) consistently reads 207 miles in Normal mode and 220 miles in Eco mode on a full charge.

Home Charging Without a Wallbox & Public Networks

You don’t necessarily need an expensive dedicated wallbox to run an EV cheaply. I charge at home using a basic 3-pin granny charger running at 10 amps, paired with the British Gas EV tariff (which I have fixed until January 2028). Plugging in overnight for six hours replenishes around 45% of the battery, which gives me more than enough range for the next couple of days of driving.

When I’m out on long road trips in the UK or across Europe, I rely exclusively on Tesla ‘Open to All’ Superchargers—even managing a seamless top-up at a shopping centre in Luxembourg! Here is my top tip for touring:

• Recommended Network (Tesla): Pay the £9.99 monthly membership fee when you head off on a long trip. You earn that fee back on your very first charge thanks to the member rate of roughly 44p per kWh, compared to 70p+ per kWh on most rival networks. They are reliable, plentiful across the UK and mainland Europe, and completely hassle-free.

   

• Network to Avoid (Shell Recharge): I won’t use Shell Recharge again after dealing with a temperamental screen that refused to let me finish my charging session and wouldn’t unlock my charging port.

Running Costs, Insurance & Reliability

Reliability has been 10 out of 10—nope, nowt, nothing has gone wrong since the day I picked it up. And when it comes to the finances, the ë-C4 X is saving me a small fortune:

• 1p-Per-Mile Home Charging: Because I bought the car at the bottom of its depreciation curve, the savings go straight into my pocket. My normal 800 miles a month of driving costs just £10 in home electricity—working out at just over 1p per mile!

   

• Road Trip Costs: Our entire 1,700-mile European holiday to Germany cost around £220 in charging, and overall I have already saved well over £1,000 in fuel in just six months.

   

• Insurance: I insure the car personally with Hastings (fully comprehensive with full no-claims bonus) for less than £400 a year. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

(Prices correct as of November 2026)

What’s Next on My EV Radar?

Honestly, replacing this car would be a hard task. Any future EV on my driveway would need proper physical climate control buttons, a big boot, zero intrusive AI, and supreme ride comfort.

Right now, I haven’t seen anything on the market that betters my pre-facelift Citroën ë-C4 X!

Review by Duncan Browne