Hello new Citroën C4 and ë-C4, goodbye C4 Cactus

It’s a replacement for the C4 Cactus and it’s shown here for the first time ahead of a proper unveiling at the end of June. To judge from these first pictures, a bit of a leap is required to make the historical connection, for there appears little in common between the high-riding and chunky SUV-style hatch shown here and the lithe, petite and definitely low-riding GS, aside from a similarly fastback roofline.

So why, 50 years on, invoke the name of an acclaimed, but these days little remembered, forebear? Citroën is adamant that the new C4 will live up to the GS’s style, comfort and, especially, its spirit of innovation.

That starts with a choice of power source: petrol, diesel, or battery electric. Unlike some others, Citroën is hedging its bets and taking a single-model approach to energy alternatives. While we can imagine what the conventional engine choices will be – current models use either 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol or 1.5-litre diesel – it is less clear what the electric version, to be called ë-C4, will be like. Citroën is so far not giving us any tech details. The ë-C4 will be Citroën’s fifth electrified model to be announced in 2020.

The design is all Citroën and, says the company, marks the beginning of a new era of Citroën style. From these first pictures, it’s more than a hatchback but less than an SUV, which is a compromise likely to please many. Inside, Citroën is promising a high-ish seating position, lots of glass, plenty of space, high-tech features and an emphasis on the brand’s rediscovered attribute of old: comfort. Seats, “hydraulic cushion” suspension and all else in the firm’s Advanced Comfort programme will feature, along with a so-far undisclosed innovation for the front passenger.

Stylish, comfortable and innovative like a latterday GS half a century on? We’ll know more on 30^th June, and then the new C4, including the electric version, should be in the showrooms later this year when it will replace the Cactus (that’s been spiked) with a likely wide range of models from around £20,000.