2022 Citroen C4 Shine v Haval Jolion Ultra comparison

Some may think this urban SUV battle is a mismatch. How can we put an SUV from an iconic French centenarian up against a Chinese newcomer that, if it were human, would still be in primary school? And how can we compare two vehicles with a not inconsiderable $9000 price discrepancy?

Blame the rich diversity of the Australian new car market that pits upstarts against established players in Auto Alleys around the country. With 52 brands on the new car market, buyers have plenty to choose from.

There are 23 different vehicles on offer in the small SUV market segment, each trying to tempt buyers with a unique combination of style, value, dynamics and practicality. The best sellers are the MG ZS and Mitsubishi ASX, followed by the Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona.

Between them, these four account for half of all small SUV sales, leaving the other 19 to scrap for the other half.

Sometimes, though, it's worth looking at the also-rans. Sometimes, it's the underdogs that show the most spirit because they have to fight for every scrap.

Australia is a fundamentally conservative country, which means we favour conservative cars that tick the most boxes across the board. That's why brands like Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai and Ford do so well here. We have a history together, and we trust them.

That can make it tough for newcomers like Haval to gain a foothold, but it can also make it tough for long-standing brands that take a more avant-garde approach to car design and engineering.

That's why we've thrown these two underdogs into the ring. Both have a lot to offer the Australian buyer who doesn't want conservative or mainstream.

As for the price discrepancy... Both of these cars are priced sharply for what they have and what they offer. But we acknowledge that the Citroen shopper is extremely unlikely to test-drive a Haval, and anybody on a Haval budget won't stretch to Citroen money.

But that's not what this is about. We want to see how Haval's newest model stacks up against a fresh contender from a long-established brand.

So let's get started.

There was a time when Citroen engineered and made some great cars. Marvels that not only moved the game forward in technological terms, but also defied conventional design trends, adding truly ground-breaking ideas to the automotive landscape. On the surface, the 2022 Citroen C4 isn’t one of them.

But, dig a little deeper and suddenly there’s enough of Citroen’s almost signature quirkiness to give pause with the thought, ‘ah yes, it’s a Citroen’.

The Citroen C4 landed here late last year as the long-awaited replacement for the more conventional C4 hatchback. That hatchback genesis is evident in the new C4, its sloping roof line lending it the air of a large, high-riding hatch.

For its part, Citroen says the C4 “succeeds in combining the refined and dynamic lines of a compact hatchback with the generous volumes and robustness of an SUV”.

While that might sound like marketing guff (because it is), there’s no denying Citroen is daring to defy the prevailing convention when it comes to how a small SUV should look. Yes, we know there are other ‘coupe SUVs’ on the market, but they can be counted on one hand, the more traditional ‘two-box’ shape dominant in an important segment.

Scratch a little further and you’ll find another oh-so-typical-Citroen trickery under the skin – the trademarked ‘Citroen Suspension with Hydraulic Cushions’. Bit of a mouthful, but Citroen promises a feeling like “driving a real flying carpet”. More on this later.

The French brand isn’t exactly a volume player in the Australian market. In 2021, Citroen sold just 175 cars. Ferrari sold more cars (194). Whether the C4 is the car to turn around its fortunes remains to be seen.

To keep it simple, there’s just a single variant available to Australians – the Citroen C4 Shine. It’s priced at $37,990 plus on-road costs, or around $42,000 drive-away depending on which state you live in.

That pricing brings with it some pretty stiff opposition, even if you’re only looking at French cars.

The Peugeot 2008 GT (with which the C4 shares its drivetrain) is priced at $38,990, while the similarly styled Renault Arkana Intens asks for $37,490, both before on-road costs. More mainstream offerings include the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos and Volkswagen T-Roc, all available with variants at a similar price and with comparable levels of equipment.

The standard equipment list in the Citroen C4 is impressive. In fact, everything is standard, bar an opening sunroof ($1490) and several shades of $690 paint (only Pearl White is standard). Everything else is crammed into the Citroen C4’s package.

Key highlights include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen running Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, DAB+ radio, a 5.5-inch digital instrument display complemented by a head-up display, LED daytime running lights and fog lights, dual-zone climate control, leather seat trim with contrast stitching, heated front seats, and a massage function for the driver’s seat.

A single variant means just a single drivetrain, and it’s one found in the broader PSA Group stable. Under the bonnet lies the same turbocharged 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine as found in the Peugeot 2008. And like the Peugeot, drive is sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed conventional automatic transmission. But has Citroen messed too much with what is, in the Peugeot, a charismatic and willing drivetrain? Let’s find out.

The Haval Jolion is a good car that mounts a compelling value argument in the hotly contested small SUV segment.

The Jolion range in Australia has just been upgraded to four tiers, and has had a round of minor price rises, kicking off at $27,490 drive-away for the Jolion Premium. Then there's the Jolion Lux at $29,990. The variant we’re testing today is the top-spec Haval Jolion Ultra priced at $32,990 drive-away.

Those with a dark side can get the Jolion Vanta, which matches the Ultra's equipment but swaps the exterior chrome for a more brooding black finish on the wheels, grille, mirrors, door mouldings and more, for $34,485 drive-away.

Powering all models locally is a 110kW and 210Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Identical power and +10Nm compared to the outgoing Haval H2 from a re-engineered engine paired to a new gearbox.

Six colours are available on the Ultra: Hamilton White, Mars Red, Energy Green, Ayers Grey, Blue Sapphire and Golden Black. All colours bar the Hamilton White of our test car command a $450 premium.

Externally, the Jolion Ultra makes a good first impression. The design is modern, classy and compact, although the front grille does look a touch cheese-grater.

In size terms, the Jolion five-door may share the same 2700mm wheelbase as a Mazda CX-5, but its true Mazda rival is the smaller CX-30, against which it is 77mm longer, 46mm wider and 34mm taller. This all translates into more interior space.

The Jolion Ultra comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and tyres, a panoramic sunroof with soft cover, sharp-looking LED headlights, fog lights and DRLs, and a 360-degree camera to aid manoeuvrability.

Before we get to how the Citroen C4 drives, it’s worth spending time in the interior. And it’s a peach, if a little odd.

There’s an overall feeling of spaciousness, and the design and materials visible throughout are excellent. The leather-trimmed seats with their distinctive quilted pattern highlighted by contrast stitching feature another party trick – memory foam. Citroen says this creates “living room comfort on wheels”, and sitting in the driver’s seat for the first time, it’s hard to argue the point.

There’s a plush softness to the seats that are supremely comfortable yet strangely supportive. You don’t sink into them like an old lounge chair, but there’s a cushioning that’s hard not to like. Adjustability is good and the massage function is nice to have but not really necessary. Use it once, then forget.

The quality of materials throughout is good, a mixture of satin chrome and gloss black (although not too much) highlights enhancing what is already a well-resolved cabin. Some of the plastics err on the side of firm, although the dials for the climate control are finished in a lovely textured rubberised material.

Storage options include the usual cupholders, central storage bin and door pockets capable of holding bottles. A two-level shelf with a removable base lives under the climate-control interface, and while it looks like it might accommodate wireless phone charging, it doesn’t.

And another Citroen party trick is the integrated tablet holder that slides out from the dash on the passenger side. It holds devices, such as Apple’s iPad, and while one can envisage a use for it, it’s gimmicky at best and potentially distracting for the driver.

The 5.5-inch digital driver display isn’t the last word in the technology. Not only is it small, but it’s also static and that means no configuration to taste. It’s an odd size, too, housed inside an area that could take a bigger display.

A head-up display is cast onto a plastic screen that pops up from the dashtop. It’s not the most elegant application, but it does offer clear and easy to read information such as speed.

Second-row comfort mirrors that of the front seats, with plush seating again accented by some nifty patterned contrast stitching. There’s a decent amount of space back there, certainly in terms of leg and knee, although it does start to run out of space a little up top, the C4’s sloping roof line impacting on headroom.

There are air vents back there to keep things nice and cosy, while a single USB-A point keeps devices juiced up.

The boot can swallow 380L up to the parcel shelf with the back seats in play for passengers. That’s on par for the segment. Stow away the second row and there’s 1250L available. A space-saver spare lives under the floor.

First impressions of the interior are overwhelmingly positive. This is a very classy cabin that would not look out of place on a car charging twice the Jolion Ultra’s $33K ask. 

The materials all exude high quality, from the soft etched leatherette covering the lower dashboard, to the knurled chrome transmission dial clearly inspired by Jaguar and Land Rover's rotary transmission selector. A big 12.5-inch touchscreen dominates an otherwise minimalist cabin, and at first glance, the lack of switchgear is confronting – especially if the driver before you left the radio blaring. 

The main bank of audio controls is embedded in one of the steering wheel’s three spokes, which for a guy used to having two or three ways to do things does require a bit of mental rewiring. Once you get used to it, though, the lack of clutter gives the cabin a serene ambience. 

That said, easy access to air-conditioning temperature controls would be nice to have. Instead, these require a swipe down on the screen before you can access them.

The seats in the Jolion Ultra are all faux-leather, and the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable. Both front seats also have heating, but you’ll have to go hunting for it in the infotainment screen – hint: ignore the climate-control menu and look under car settings instead. 

The driver’s seatbase is flat, there’s no tilt adjust to correct its pitch, and the electric motor whines noisily as you lower the seat. The seatback has good bolstering but needs more support in the middle. 

The steering wheel is leather-rimmed and has chrome accents that make it look classy, but it feels a bit thin and flimsy in hand. It also doesn’t adjust for reach. The indicators’ loud clacking noise when operating is jarring in a cabin that presents with such a refined air.

In terms of storage up front, there are bottle holders in the door and cupholders in the centre console. There’s also a secret cubbyhole under the centre console, big enough for a handbag, where a pair of USB-A ports and a 12V charging port also reside.

The back seats have loads of leg room thanks to the Jolion’s long wheelbase and headroom is good too. The seat base is at a good angle, if a tad short, which might become uncomfortable on longer journeys. 

There are map pockets in both back seats, bottle holders in the doors and cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest. There are also two USB-A ports back here, air vents to aid airflow, grab-handles and lights.

There are two ISOFIX points in the outer back seats and three top-tether points. 

The boot is a decent 430L with the back seats in place, expanding to 1133L with the 60/40 split fully folded – although they don’t fold down far enough to present a flat loadspace. The boot has a hard cargo blind that doubles as a parcel shelf, and there’s a space-saver spare tyre under the floor. 

Interestingly, the car’s key has a boot button… That does nothing. If this weren’t the top-spec Jolion, the button would make us think there was a higher-spec variant with an electric-opening boot. Maybe there is overseas, but not here.

The 10.0-inch touchscreen sprouting from the dash looks a cut above thanks to its thoughtful design. While some screens still look like they are Blu-Tacked on to the dashtop, Citroen has offered some flair with its nicely angled housing that looks integrated and part of the dash.

The C4’s infotainment system is familiar to anyone who’s driven a recent Peugeot, and that’s no bad thing. The graphics are crisp, the menus and sub-menus easy to navigate, and responses to touch inputs are quick. There’s also an array of shortcut buttons to take users to the requisite menus quickly and easily without the need to scroll through a host of screens. Nice.

The satellite navigation mapping is acceptable, too, although with the inclusion of smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a little redundant, certainly for urban dwellers where we imagine the bulk of C4s will spend their time.

The inclusion of a 360-degree surround-view camera looks on paper like a good one. But it falls down in terms of image clarity and resolution, requiring a little guesswork. Would you trust it in a tight parking situation? Probably not. We’ve experienced much better uses of the technology elsewhere, so it can be done.

There’s no wireless charging tray despite, as already mentioned, the enticing-looking, smartphone-sized tray located directly under the screen. Helpfully, two USB-A points in the front (and one in the second row) mitigate that omission.

The Jolion Ultra comes with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen (compared to a 10.25-inch display on lesser models) that, just like the cabin, presents beautifully. The graphics are very classy and intricate – with a choice of two visual themes – but that can make them hard to use, especially in a moving car with the Jolion’s firm and sometimes jiggly ride.

The controls also aren’t as intuitive as they could be. For example, the home screen offers controls for radio, phone, audio, picture gallery and video gallery. Does any car really need those last two? 

The eight-speaker sound system puts out a decent sound, but AM radio reception is sub-par, and it is hard to figure out how to tune manually when the auto-tune misses your desired station. After two minutes of searching I gave up, but I admit, I didn’t check the climate-control menu.

The Jolion Ultra has wireless phone charging and wired smartphone mirroring for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It does not have digital radio or satellite navigation.

If the Citroen C4 has a big black mark against its name, it’s here. Australia’s safety body, ANCAP, scored the new C4 at four stars following the results of crash testing conducted in Europe by Euro NCAP.

The new C4 scored 76 per cent for adult occupant protection, 81 per cent for child occupant protection, 57 per cent for vulnerable road user protection (pedestrians and cyclists), and 62 per cent for safety assist (active safety systems).

ANCAP highlighted the C4’s poor performance in the side-impact test, where the small SUV scored a lowly 0.12 out of 4.00 points, largely because of a lack of centre airbag, increasingly employed by other manufacturers and a requirement to attain a five-star rating under new ANCAP protocols.

Other areas the C4 fell short include vulnerable road user protection, while its autonomous emergency braking system was labelled ‘marginal’.

While the C4 is equipped with some active safety technologies – autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring – it misses out on rear cross-traffic alert and AEB junction intervention. Other included safety technologies include tyre pressure monitoring, speed limit recognition, driver attention monitoring, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function.

A suite of six airbags covers both rows of occupants, although, as already noted, the centre airbag is notable by its absence.

ANCAP has not crash-tested the Jolion at the time of writing. The only two Havals tested so far are the H2, which earned five stars in 2017, and the H9 large SUV that was rated four stars back in 2015.

A good level of safety features is standard across the Jolion’s three-tiered range. This includes seven airbags, electronic stability control, emergency brake assist with cyclist awareness, secondary collision mitigation and tyre pressure monitors. 

The Jolion also has active cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, forward and rear collision warning, lane-keep assist (which is a touch crude), intelligent speed assist and a drowsy-driver monitor.

The Jolion’s rear-view mirror hub has a USB port, presumably for powering your dash-cam should you install one. 

To aid low-speed manoeuvring, the Jolion has reverse parking sensors and cameras all around. 

Citroen covers the C4 with its standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Citroen’s capped-price servicing means you’ll pay $429, $585, $429, $598 and $443 for the first five visits to the workshop, a total of $2484 for the first five years, a smidge under $500 per annum. That’s getting up there for the segment.

The French maker claims a miserly 6.1L/100km on the combined cycle. In the real world, our week with the C4 showed an indicated 7.3L/100km. The C4 requires 95RON premium unleaded petrol in its 50L fuel tank.

The Jolion Ultra is very well specified in terms of equipment and safety for $31,990 drive-away, which makes it fantastic value. 

As per all GWM Haval vehicles, buyers get a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, five years of roadside assist, and five years of capped-price servicing, the latter requiring services every 12 months/15,000km (or 10,000km to the first service only), and equating to a total spend of $1550.

All models claim to consume 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle, with support for 91RON regular unleaded offered across the range. During our test we hovered in the 10s (10.2L/100km), which is not great for a small SUV.

There’s a lot to like about how the Citroen C4 performs on the road. And it starts with the characterful 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine under the bonnet.

As we’ve discovered in other vehicles from the Peugeot-Citroen stable with the same engine, the turbocharged three-pot is a delight. It’s responsive and with a gruff engine note characteristic of three-cylinder mills that’s hard not to like.

It makes the same 114kW and 240Nm as its Peugeot 2008 twin under the skin, and is mated to the same eight-speed automatic transmission sending drive to the front wheels. And that’s no bad thing, the drivetrain combination both responsive and eager.

Acceleration is predictable and linear, with enough urgency to inspire confidence in traffic. The eight-speed auto is slick and intuitive, its knack for swapping ratios commendable.

Around town, the C4 is easy to drive, with a nimbleness underscored by its relatively svelte 1299kg kerb weight.

Citroen claims a 0–100km/h sprint time of 8.5 seconds, which is rapid enough for getting out of tight situations. It’s not a manic performer, by any stretch, but there’s enough performance on tap to elicit a wry smile.

Out on the highway, the C4 is happy to purr along at the signposted speed limit and, thanks to the 1.2-litre’s very usable torque band (all 240Nm comes on song at 1750rpm), responds well enough to the bigger questions for an overtake or merge.

The C4’s real party trick, however, is its trick suspension. It’s not the full hydropneumatic set-up the French carmaker pioneered and is famed for, but the ‘Suspension with Hydraulic Cushions’ is commendable in just how well it isolates the cabin from road nasties.

While the C4 doesn’t exactly float over road rash and the like, there’s a cushioning under wheel that makes for a calm and unflustered driving experience.

Navigating tight city streets is a breeze thanks to the C4’s light steering. It feels, if anything, a little too light, but does firm up noticeably as speeds increase. Toggling the C4’s drive-mode selector also adds some reassuring heft.

If value is the Jolion’s strength, driving is its weakness. 

Let’s start with the positives. The Jolion’s steering is light, and the drivetrain accelerates with moderate enthusiasm when pushed. Apart from that, well, the Jolion will get you where you want to go, it just won’t do it with the refinement, comfort, composure or competence of other cars in the heavily populated small SUV marketplace. 

The Jolion’s 110kW and 220Nm turbocharged petrol engine is loud, suffers from turbo lag and has poor throttle response. Every increase in accelerator pressure comes with a marked delay before the engine and transmission respond. 

When it does respond, it often drops gears instead of relying on what is a decent whack of torque for a car weighing just 1400kg. And those gear changes are not as smooth as we’ve come to expect from dual-clutch transmissions, either. 

Engine noise is not the only refinement factor; the Kumho Solus tyres kick up a fair bit of noise as well. Wind noise is also noticeable off the A-pillar each side of the windscreen and the wing mirrors. 

The Jolion’s suspension is okay on smooth roads, but that’s faint praise. When the road surface deteriorates, the Jolion does not have the smarts to isolate occupants while maintaining its dynamic poise. Instead, the ride gets choppy and brittle, and takes longer to settle after a hit than popular rivals.

If you’ve skipped to the ratings results before reading this, then you might think this a foregone conclusion. The Citroen C4 Shine was rated 7.7 out of 10, whereas the Jolion managed just 7.2. Remember, though, that the Citroen is 25 per cent more expensive than the Haval. So, if we reduce the Citroen’s score by 25 per cent, it ends up well below the Haval.

Neither of those scenarios fairly depicts the comparison here. To really understand how these two stack up, we need to go through them in more detail. 

Let’s start with mechanicals. Both cars have small-capacity turbocharged petrol engines driving the front wheels. The Citroen’s small 1.2-litre engine makes slightly more power and torque, and is charged with moving a 100kg lighter vehicle, so in terms of straight-line performance and fuel efficiency, the Citroen has the advantage. 

The Citroen is also the more accomplished drivetrain in the real world. More polished, more predictable, more responsive and more characterful. The C4 also has a more refined ride quality and sharper driving dynamics. In short, it handles Australia’s varied conditions with more aplomb.

The Haval’s strongest subject is value. For starters, the $33K drive-away price buys it a big lead on the Citroen from the get-go. It extends that lead when you factor in servicing costs over the first three or five years, but falls back a touch day-to-day because of higher fuel use, although the Citroen does demand more expensive premium unleaded. 

Resale value is another area the Haval trails the Citroen, and that one, ironically, is largely due to Citroen’s scarcity on the second-hand market relative to the Haval. 

As for the feature-set comparison, despite the lower price there are a few areas where the Haval outshines the C4. For example, the Haval has a phone charging mat and a few safety features that the Citroen doesn’t.

Speaking of safety, whereas the Citroen has a good but not great four-star ANCAP rating, the Haval has no rating. Given the marketing power of an ANCAP rating, there must be a reason why Haval has not provided a car to ANCAP for testing. A pessimist would suggest it anticipates a poor result; an alternative could be that Haval is too small a company to give cars to be crash-tested, although 18,000 sales in 2021 suggests it might be time to update that thinking.

Lastly, let's look at interior fit-out and space. Both of our combatants have what we’d call premium-look interiors, so this might come down to personal preference. Surprisingly, it’s the Citroen’s interior that is more intuitive and easier to live with – despite the odd French quirk. The Haval’s, however, is bigger and more spacious. 

So, the Citroen is the better choice if driving dynamics, cabin useability, and passive safety are your priorities. The Haval if the sharper price, lower running costs, bigger boot and longer equipment list attract your eye.

As for the $9000 price difference… That’s not what this comparison is actually about. There’s no denying that’s a big margin, and we acknowledge that somebody shopping for the Citroen probably won’t take the Haval seriously. Similarly, a Haval budget won’t extend to the Citroen’s RRP. 

We said at the start we wanted to see how Haval stacks up against a long-established brand like Citroen. Equally, we wanted to shine a light on Citroen because the brand’s current-generation vehicles deserve more attention from Australian shoppers. 

Our findings prove that both these cars should be on more small SUV shopping lists and more buyer consideration sets, because they both have areas where they shine strongly. And, if nothing else, they might help buyers put more conservative favourites into starker perspective.