Citroen C4

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

The mid-size pick for renters who prioritise comfort over performance, perfect for a week mixing the Herceg Novi base with day-trips out to Budva, Stari Bar, or the north.

• Comfort-first couples
• Renters with back issues
• Four adults on a slow tour

On Montenegro roads

Behind the wheel

The C4 is the mid-size with the softest ride on the Herceg Novi rental roster. Citroen's Advanced Comfort suspension, progressive hydraulic bump stops plus thicker foam in the seat base, was engineered specifically for patched, imperfect roads, and the old Risan-Perast inner-bay coastal stretch is exactly that. The 1.2 PureTech 130 hp three-cylinder is fine rather than fast, the six-speed manual is light, and the 10-inch touchscreen is a generation ahead of the 308's interface. This is the mid-size for customers who prioritise comfort over every other metric on a long Herceg Novi base.

On Montenegro roads

From a Herceg Novi base the C4 plays to its strengths on the inner-bay loop and the cross-border drives. The Risan and Perast cobbled patches and asphalt seams that chatter through a 308 or Golf simply disappear in a C4, the hydraulic bump stops turn sharp impacts into muted thumps. The Dubrovnik border run via Debeli Brijeg is noticeably quieter at 100 km/h than either German or Japanese rivals. The Trebinje cross-border via Lastva is effortless at cruise. The Lovcen serpentine across the bay is the one weak spot, the comfort-biased setup rolls more than a Golf under hard cornering, although the ride advantage remains on bumpy switchback apexes.

Space and load

The 380-litre boot is usefully rectangular and fits four adults' full luggage for a two-week hire, or two adults' luggage plus a week of beach-and-hiking kit for the Lustica peninsula. The load lip is low, which matters when loading heavy cool-boxes or fragile kit at the Topla seafront curb. Back-seat knee room is generous, a six-foot passenger sits comfortably behind a six-foot driver, rare in this price bracket. The cabin is also surprisingly quiet at 120 km/h cruise, the Advanced Comfort seats have a reputation for long-distance comfort, and on a Herceg Novi to Mostar to Sarajevo loop that reputation holds up.

Best journeys for this car

The C4's natural customer is the comfort-first couple on a one- to two-week stay, the four-adult group mixing Igalo spa-base nights with Dubrovnik day-trips and Trebinje cross-border lunches, or renters with back or joint issues for whom ride quality is not optional. It also suits older travellers who want a mid-size that drives like a traditional Citroen, unhurried, quiet, gentle, rather than the firmer European mid-size norm. Enthusiast drivers will prefer a Golf or Fiesta, families needing maximum load space lean to a Megane.

Practical notes

Real-world petrol economy is 5.8 L/100 km in mixed Herceg Novi driving, a touch thirstier than a Yaris and in line with the 308 diesel on short trips, better than the Golf DSG on short magistrala runs where the auto box shifts often. A 50-litre tank yields 850 km. At 4.36 m parking requires more thought than a hatchback, the tightest residential terraces above Topla are out, but the Kanli Kula overflow lot, the Skver metered bays and the Igalo seaside free parking all work fine. All-season rubber handles bay work year-round in the mildest coastal winter in Montenegro.

The verdict

Pick the C4 when ride comfort over the patched inner-bay road is the priority and you want a mid-size cabin without a mid-size firmness penalty. Skip it if dynamic handling matters (the Golf outshines it there) or if maximum cargo is the brief (the Megane wins).

Inside the car

• Advanced Comfort Suspension
• 10-inch Touchscreen
• Adaptive Cruise
• Wireless CarPlay