Let’s face it: French cars aren’t known for their functionality, aesthetics, or safety. But with the C4, French automaker Citroën set out to shatter the stereotype. Available in Europe and parts of Asia, the C4 nods to the brand’s avantgarde heritage with a fluid design that sets it apart in the hypercompetitive European hatchback market. “There’s no angle from which it looks bad,” says Richard Homan, online editor at car website Edmunds.com. The interior is downright Zen, with a dashboard that diffuses sunlight and an air-freshening system whose scents were developed by a French perfumery. Juror Lisa Iwamoto, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, posed a crucial question: “Is this a good French car, or a good car?” The answer, it seems, is both. One major innovation is the fixed-center steering wheel, whose middle remains static so the airbag is always released at the correct angle. Other safety details, such as seat cushions that vibrate if the vehicle drifts into another lane, helped earn the C4 a perfect five-star crash rating.

BOTTOM LINE: Citroën has sold nearly 300,000 C4s since late 2004, upping its total market share by 6.7 percent.