Citroen C4 SpaceTourer (2018 – 2019) Review

Regardless of what you call the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer, it’s a useful MPV that certainly stands out from the crowd. Most models are well kitted out and the interior is versatile and airy. Rivals include the likes of the Toyota Verso and redoubtable Volkswagen Touran in the battle for used buyers’ business. Read on for our full Citroen C4 SpaceTourer review.

The Picasso name was dropped from the French firm’s C4 MPV range in 2018. Instead, the buying public was introduced to the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer, which also brought new engines and gearboxes, plus styling tweaks.

The space and comfort offered in the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer makes it a more practical alternative to the ubiquitous SUV for families.

It’s also full of useful features, such as a rear view mirror for the back seats (handy for keeping an eye on the kids) and flexible back seats that can fold and flip to create more carrying space.

On the road, it’s hardly what you'd describe as dynamic, but then what MPV is? Still, it handles reassuringly well and it’s a car that’s at its best when driven in a more relaxed manner.

However, it’s a shame the ride isn’t as pillowy as we’d expect of a Citroen.

As well as the exterior facelift, the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer was launched with a 2.0 BlueHDi 160PS diesel paired with the EAT8 automatic gearbox for the first time.

There was also a new safety pack on top-spec Flair models that included driver attention alert, speed sign recognition and active safety braking.

The Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is comfortable, has loads of room and is easy to drive, with lots of glass ensuring good all-round visibility. And if you’re not doing big mileages, the PureTech petrol engines are impressive (albeit not overly economical). 

In short, it makes a lot of sense as a used car for families.

Fancy something bigger? Read our review of the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer here.

The interior of the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is pretty much identical to that of the Picasso version it replaced in 2018.

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, which is 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.

The back is well designed with plenty of legroom and good headroom too. It feels more spacious than a Ford C-MAX and the seats can be slid forward or back.

They also tilt, which is a neat 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 of cargo space, and the seats can be folded flat if you need to transport flatplack furniture, for example.

However, there’s no one-handle system for folding them down, which can be annoying.

Citroen people carriers have always delivered lots of useful storage, and the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer has a huge compartment between the front seats, clever boxes under the floor in the back and trays under the front seats (on Feel models and above).

Also impressive 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.

The Citroen C4 SpaceTourer has a sophisticated look that is backed up by decent quality in the areas you come into contact with most frequently.

Search a bit deeper down the sides of the seats or dash, and you will find some rough edges. But there is not too much to worry about.

The rear-seat folding mechanism seems robust, and generally the cabin is up to dealing with family life. It resists looking scruffy in the way some rivals can as their interior plastics scratch all too readily.

The Citroen C4 SpaceTourer offers a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen as a minimum, along with DAB radio, Apple CarPlay, MirrorLink and Bluetooth.

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 it does have a few annoyances – such as having to go into a particular screen to change the climate control.

A Citroen C4 SpaceTourer in 1.2 PureTech Touch Edition spec with around 30,000 miles under its wheels will cost from £11,000 for a five-year-old car.

Should you want a model with the diesel engine and automatic gearbox, a low-mileage example in top-spec Flair trim will come in at around £18,000.

According to the official claimed figures, tested under WLTP regulations, the most economical Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is the 1.6 BlueHDI 120PS version.

It offers up to 74.3mpg, although 60mpg is more realistic in daily use.

As good as this engine is, you shouldn’t discount the 2.0 HDI diesel for its extra pulling power if you regularly make full use of the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer’s seating and load capacity.

This engine offers an official best of 65.7mpg, and 60mpg is also possible with ease. The same is true of the later 1.5 BlueHDI diesel with 130PS, which claimed 70.6mpg.

For petrol fans, the 1.2 PureTech officially offers economy in the mid-50s, but a figure in the mid-40s is closer in normal driving in our experience.

This engine also does well when it comes to CO2 emissions, producing 116g/km compared to 105g/km for the 1.5-litre diesel.

The 1.6 diesel emits 103g/km, while the 2.0-litre produces 124g/km. All Citroen C4 SpaceTourers pay road tax at the flat rate of £180 per year.

Garage bills shouldn’t be too much of a concern with the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer, as major services come every two years, with an intermediate service in the years in between.

Nor should insurance cause your wallet sleepless nights, as the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer starts as low as  group 14 (out of 50). The highest group rating is 25, but most versions sit in the middle ground.

The Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is an enjoyably relaxing car to drive or travel in, ironing out most roads, although it does become unsettled over more scruffy surfaces.

There’s a little wind noise at motorway speeds, and 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; this may be great for parking, but it’s not so good for cornering.

Of course, no MPV is designed to be thrown into bends, but the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. However, the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is an MPV that’s happier when it’s not rushed.

That said, it does actually handle very tidily, with decent grip and body control. 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 of the back is not so good, but thankfully rear parking sensors are standard on all models.

Indeed, in town, the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is easy to park. Despite all the space inside, it’s not that much bigger than a standard family hatchback, 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 was the 1.5 BlueHDi 130PS, which is also the most economical, while the more expensive version was a 2.0 BlueHDi with 160PS that’s only available with the EAT8 automatic.

Originally, there was a 1.6 BlueHDi diesel with 120PS (carried over from the Citroen 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 EAT8 is a conventional automatic, which replaced Citroen’s truly awful semi-automatic transmission.

Eight gears may seem excessive, but the gearbox works really well in the Citroen 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.

Every Citroen C4 SpaceTourer comes with six airbags, ESC traction control, hill start assist and three Isofix child seat mounts in the rear. There are also rear parking sensors as standard.

The Feel version comes with front parking sensors, but to gain more kit you need the Flair, with its blind spot monitoring, driver attention alert, speed limit recognition system, forward collision warning and active safety brake (better known as automatic emergency braking nowadays), plus Park Assist self parking.

There is no official figure quoted for towing an unbraked trailer with the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer.

However, with a braked trailer, and depending on the model you choose, you can pull between 1300kg and 1700kg.

The Citroen C4 SpaceTourer Touch edition features 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 and remote central locking.

It also has cruise control and a speed limiter, a panoramic windscreen, automatic lights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, heated and electrically folding door mirrors, dual zone climate control, rear seat air vents and height and reach-adjustable steering wheel.

Add to that front and rear electric windows, an engine start button, 12V socket in rear and boot, tilt and height adjustable driver’s seat, seven-inch touchscreen interface, DAB, Bluetooth plus MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay. 

In the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer Feel, you get 17-inch Mamba alloy wheels, cornering lights, puddle lights in the door mirrors, chrome bumper trim, tinted rear windows, aluminium dashboard trim and front parking sensors.

There’s also a 12-inch panoramic HD central display, front seat adjustable armrests, a massage function for driver and front passenger, rear seats with individual sliding fore/aft adjustment, storage under the driver and front passenger’s seat and rear underfloor storage.

Citroen C4 SpaceTourer Flair trim 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 and Forward Collision Warning.

You also enjoy a panoramic sunroof (with dark tinted glass and electric sliding blind), 3D LED rear lights, a 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.