THE Citroen C4 is a car which comes with an 'a-hah'.

With the family MPV sector booming but so many models almost indistinguishable the C4 stands out from the rest.

Not only is it very different from the outside with its finely detailed lights and body style but inside you enter a new-world experience with its column gear selector on the automatic we drove, the very big centrally mounted flat-screen instruments' panel and looking up the sun-blinds are themselves located on panels which slide back to reveal more of the massive windscreen.

It is a visual experience like nothing else you can buy at the moment in this sector.

The powertrain in the C4 Exclusive was a perfect match for the car. It was powerful with four up, smooth, flexible and quiet with seamless changes which you can select to be fully automatic or manually through the column paddles.

Steering had a particularly tight turning circle for town use and turning but it was not fidgety or needing constant correction at speed.

There is a facia-mounted switch for the electric parking brake and the sophisticated system includes a hill-hold assist function when stationary.

I liked the very well balanced, powerful and progressive brakes underfoot which inspired confidence in their ability and needed only modest pressure to effect rapid deceleration.

The column gearchange is probably the most unusual control to most drivers of today and it has a familiar "gate" but mounted to the right of the column and operated through a slender lever. It requires a firm hand to move the lever but once selected that's it and you even have a manual mode to pick with the paddles for up and down selection closer to the wheelrim.

The steering wheel and column carries the majority of secondary functions and needs familiarity to pick the right one each time and both lights and wipers behind the wide spokes are not as clear as they could be placed.

The central display carries the flat screen instruments and the combined info-tainment package with further controls below them on buttons but I was a little puzzled by the need for another display screen lower down. With a little more thought these could be rationalised.

Heating and ventilation was very good in such a big car. It was easy to use, worked well and had good output with powered windows as well.

The oddments room was also very good throughout and it really fulfilled its role as a family hold-all.

The bootspace was enormous behind a low lip and it's a very flexible arrangement with the individual rear seats extending capacity from 537 to 1,851 litres. They are very large, supporting and there's a lot of adjustment on the front pair.

Access is really good with big doors and openings and the room inside is generous for five. It's a real family car first and foremost.

For a large car weighing 1476kg it was agile and able to cover ground quickly thanks to the available power and the way it was spread and delivered. Over a mixture of roads and over 600 miles we recorded 46mpg.

Visibility is good thanks to the high riding position throughout and it comes with a high quality reversing camera and sensors front and back to aid parking. Wipers are big and sweep a big area of glass both ends while the lights are bright and far-reaching on main beam with a broad spread to illuminate verges.