Citroen C4 X is 50% crossover, 50% sedan, and 100% weird

Citroen isn't done spreading eccentricity across its lineup. After releasing a segment-defying flagship called C5 X and an entry-level model named Ami that's smaller than a Smart ForTwo, the Paris-based company unveiled the mid-range C4 X that's half sedan and half crossover.

We didn't see this one coming: it wasn't announced, endlessly teased, or even previewed by a concept car. It simply landed, and it's a sight to behold. Stretching about 181 inches long, the C4 X shares its CMP platform with numerous other cars in the Stellantis portfolio, including the Peugeot 208 and the Opel Mokka. The front end falls in line with Citroen's current design language and the back end isn't too far from it, but it's the full package that's intriguing here: the C4 X features the proportions of a sedan with the ground clearance of a crossover.

Is that a good or a bad thing? You tell us. Citroen stresses that "many customers" have said they want something like it. Other companies have tried this concept, including AMC with the Eagle, but it has never really caught on. Time will tell if Citroen has cracked the code.

The interior is more conventional than the exterior. Step inside and you'll find seats designed with a clear emphasis on comfort ("occupants can expect to feel like they're sitting in a snug armchair," according to the French company), a minimalist dashboard design, and the My Citroen Drive Plus infotainment system displayed on a 10-inch touchscreen. Designers gave the sedan, assuming that's what you want to classify it as, a regular trunk lid rather than a hatch but cargo space nonetheless checks in at reasonably generous 18 cubic feet.

Globally, the palette of available engines includes a turbodiesel four-cylinder tuned to develop 130 horsepower and bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline-powered unit offered with 100 or 130 horsepower. The triple can be linked to either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, and front-wheel-drive is the only configuration available. Citroen will also make an electric powertrain with 136 horsepower and up to 224 miles of driving range available — some countries will only get the EV.

Built in Madrid, Spain, the Citroen C4 X will reach showrooms across Europe in the fall of 2022. Pricing hasn't been announced yet.

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By Ronan Glon