Citroën is known for its willingness to be different, which could be endearing and infuriating in equal measure. But the recently facelifted C4 plays more of a straight bat in a bid to take sales from the likes of the Focus and Astra.

The result? Well, it’s driven here in Flair trim, but despite including a lot of good kit like dual-zone climate and a 7” multimedia interface, it’s actually a bit grey.

The cabin is roomy enough, at least up front, and the boot is both spacious and well designed, but there’s way too much in the way of tedious plastic for it to have any, well, flair. So it doesn’t feel like a quality cabin when you first sit in it – and that impression is comfirmed by the amount of trim noise you get when driving.

That 7” screen is slower to respond than the best of its rivals, too, and nor is it as crisp.

Maybe what’s under the bonnet will put more of a smile on your face. The latest addition to the C4’s engine range is the 1.2-litre turbocharged three-pot in our test car, which comes with a six-speed manual box. With 128bhp and 170lb ft, it pulls well from low revs and gets you up to speed nice and smoothly. It sounds funky, too, as is so often the case with three-cylinder units, though once you’re cruising it doesn’t exactly leap forward at the first sniff of gas.

Not that you’ll feel much urge to push on, because bad road surfaces (or just ‘road surfaces’, this being Britain) upset its ride and cornering upsets what poise it has. Body roll is prevalent: steering and brake feel are not. We found its gearbox baulky, too.

It’s not all bad, though. If you don’t care about driving quality and interior style, 58.9mpg and 107g/km should put a bigger smile on your face than the car itself ever does.

Taste is personal, however – and if you like the Citroen C4 anwyay, you’ll love it with this engine. But whether for driving pleasure or practicality, you’ll never have to look far for something by which it’s outclassed.

Citroën C4 1.2 PureTech 130 Flair

On sale: Now

Price: £18,510

Engine: 1199cc, petrol

Power: 128bhp

Torque: 170lb ft

Gearbox: 6-spd manual

Kerb weight: 1205kg

0-62mph: 10.8sec

Top speed: 124mph

Economy: 58.9mpg (combined)

CO2/tax band: 107g/km, 16%