Citroen has reworked the trim levels for its electric e-C4 following changes to the Government’s plug-in car grant late last year. Having already adjusted pricing on its van-based electric cars, the French firm has tweaked its e-C4 line-up to allow customers to drop two trim grades under the new qualifying price.

Last December, the Government announced that the grant for new electric cars would be cut from £2,500 to £1,500 while the threshold was lowered from vehicles costing up to £35,000 to £32,000. As a result, Citroen’s e-C4 no longer qualified for the grant - making it more expensive to purchase. 

Now, Citroen has revised the specifications for the e-C4 while introducing a new entry-level ‘Sense’ trim, bringing the car’s starting price back to under the grant’s threshold. As a result, the e-C4 range now starts from £28,495 including the plug-in car grant, having previously been available from £33,395.

The new Sense trim includes LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and rear parking sensors. It also comes with a 10-inch touchscreen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while dual-zone climate control is fitted as standard too.  

Citroen has also replaced the outgoing Sense Plus trim with a new Shine Edition specification, but at a reduced cost of £30,495 after the grant has been applied. It builds on Sense trim with a head-up display, active cruise control and active blind spot detection. 

At the top of the range sits Shine Plus cars, but since these start from £34,995, they don’t qualify for the Government’s grant. This trim does, however, remain the current best-selling e-C4 version according to Citroen. 

Read our review of the eC4 here

Price reductions mean Citroen's eC4 is now better value