Citroen always tried to make cars different than anyone else, and sometimes it managed to offer something completely different than its competitors.
After four years on the market, the first generation of the C4 was not explosive, but its sales were good. In 2008, the French carmaker had to update its engine lineup to comply with the Euro5 standards, which became mandatory in January 2009. Along with that improvement, Citroen considered that it would be wise to upgrade the rest of the car as well.

The front side featured a curvier hood and a different bumper design that incorporated a broader grille on the lower side from the outside. Its “double-chevron” badge followed the same design pattern from its bigger brother, the C5, with longer chromed lines that spread between the headlights. Citroen changed the lights both front and back and installed clear-lenses on them.

Inside, the most important change was for the infotainment system, which was available as an option with a new screen installed on the center stack. The carmaker improved the interior materials used for the door panels, seats, and dashboard. It kept the same steering wheel as before, with the fixed center-mounted buttons.

Citroen worked closely with BMW for the engine lineup and developed the turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline and the 1.6-liter turbo-diesel unit. These were offered in a few power options. The other two versions, a 1.4-liter gasoline and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel, were developed in-house.