THE humble hatchback is rather like the forgotten member of Citroen's C4 family - the more reserved sibling fighting for attention among all of it's brash big brothers.

For years the Picasso and Grand Picasso have been the stars of the show with all their extra space and versatility - and then along comes the Cactus crossover with its ‘air bumps' and eye-catching looks to hog the limelight.

In contrast, the hatchback is more subtle and understated - but Citroen have just given it a boost with a mid-life refresh.

The only changes of note to the exterior are new light signatures front and rear created by new LEDs and daytime running lights.

Otherwise design and dimensions remain unchanged with the distinctive chevrons on the grille instantly recognisable and the wraparound bonnet and strong shoulder line giving the car a purposeful look.

While the outward appearance remains largely familiar, though, the C4 gets new trim level names and will now come in Touch, Feel and range-topping Flair versions such as the one I drove.

And it's all-change under the skin too, with a range of new, more efficient power plants and added technologies - although some of these are only available as cost options.

A choice of two petrol and four diesel engines should meet the needs of most with the 120hp, 1.6-litre diesel in this car set to be the popular choice thanks to its good balance of performance and economy.

Acceleration off the mark is modest, with the 0-62mph sprint coming up in 10.6 seconds, but once on the move there is plenty of grunt throughout the rev range and a sharp dab on the gas pedal produces a quick and decisive pick up.

Typically of Citroen, the C4 is set up for comfort and cannot really be described as an exciting car to drive, you have to go for the French car-maker's DS branded models for that these days.

Nevertheless the steering is accurate and the handling composed and controlled, inspiring confidence on winding roads. And the C4 is equally at home in town or on the motorway, where improved soundproofing makes it a quiet and refined cruiser.

It's also an economical one with an automatic engine start and stop system helping to produce impressive average fuel-consumption figures of more than 78 miles per gallon with carbon emissions pegged-back to a road tax-exempt 95g/km.

Inside the C4 remains a comfortable and classy feeling proposition which has been enhanced in this refresh by new upholstery and a less cluttered dashboard.

Touches of chrome trim adorn the interior while dense, soft touch materials are much in evidence and everything has a high-quality feel about it.

This range-topper gets a new seven-inch touchscreen with an intuitive interface to access the car's main functions which sits above large, easy-to-use physical switches to access the main menus and the heating and aircon systems.

There is plenty of space for four adults, five for shorter journeys, to get comfortable with good head and legroom in the back and, generous door bins and space under the front armrest provide ample personal storage while the boot is one of the biggest in the class.

Getting Citroen's eMyWay navigation system integrated into the touchscreen, as my car had, will cost an extra £440 while the optional (£300) keyless entry and push-button ignition also added to the premium feel.

Even without these extras, though, equipment on this flagship C4 is generous with standard kit including a customisable colour instrument panel, cruise control, rear parking sensors, electric windows all round, stereo with DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and automatic lights and wipers.

Safety is taken care of by ABS brakes, stability and traction control, hill start assist and all the usual airbags, helping the C4 to the top five-star rating in European crash tests.