Citroën C4 Cactus is equipped with 12 driver assistance systems, providing extra reassurance and safety in day-to-day driving, fighting against drowsiness or simple moments of inattention and preventing the risk of accidents. Running costs are also low, with simple engineering needing only simple maintenance. You also have four 'colour packs' to add contrast highlights to the exterior with gloss highlights around the fog lights, wing mirrors and on the air bumps. It's a shame that it still bumps really heavily over a sharp pothole, though, so while it's more settled on patchy or coarse surfaces than just about anything else, you'll still get the odd harsh bump and some passengers may find the amount of body movement a bit unsettling. Less interesting, you might say. If you wish to ramp things up a bit, the Cactus accepts bit of keener driving, too. Performance is more than sufficient with this new 128bhp addition to the range, which achieves 0-62mph in 8.
Haymarket Media Group, publishers of Autocar takes your privacy seriously. Does the C4 Cactus really get interior comfort right? Speed bumps and tougher sections of road will still be telegraphed to the driver, especially on the fancier 17in wheels. Business users will also find the Cactus really affordable thanks to those impressive emissions. The interior is simple: it has a touch of premium on the dashboard, but below that its mostly cheaper plastics. You just have a very old-school latch that inches open a gap. A seat that now comes with extra padding and lumbar support. C4 Cactus Hatch offers 31 exterior personalisation combinations with: - 9 body colours - 4 trendy colour packs: Gloss Black, Silver Chrome, Gloss White and Deep Red.
It only has 82bhp, though, and does without the fancy hydraulic suspension. While the dashboard layout is the same, there are new materials to make it a bit plusher, and you can have a large, knee plaster-shaped glass roof above your head. Soundproofing is a vital part of driving comfort. You also get front fog lights, air-con, cruise control and electric front windows, although the hinged rear windows you get on every C4 Cactus still seems a disappointingly old-school feature. Suzuki Ignis Smaller and less practical than the Cactus but at least as characterful and more fun to drive for more of the time.
Citroen is working on a in the meantime. C4 Cactus benefits from a global soundproofing work: thicker windows, improved window and door sealing, acoustic windscreen, more sound deadening around the dashboard and the floor. The diesel - which is rated the same as the petrols at Euro 6. These colour touches are skillfully implemented, playing in contrast with the body colour, highlighting the Airbump® on the lower part of the doors and the foglight surround. The way it works is quite simple. The result is a car that does float and roll quite a lot, but is also satisfyingly squidgy and supple over high-frequency surfaces. Get one of these as a hire car and you could have a lot of fun.
The steering is quite slow to respond, but it's predictable and well weighted enough that you can place the C4 quite precisely; you won't be adjusting the steering all the time to get it swung accurately through an awkward car park or tight corner. It all means base versions no longer weigh under a tonne only just, mind. The core engine is a 108bhp, three-cylinder turbocharged 1. Wildcard How about something completely different? The suspension adds a pair of secondary hydraulic dampers into each coil-sprung suspension corner, replacing the traditional rubber bumpstops at the top and bottom of the wheel travel. Nowhere was this more obvious than its famous Airbumps across the doors; Lego-like pimpled rubber strips that would deflect away small car park dings.
C4 Cactus offers optimal insulation from road noise for its passengers. In a World Exclusive, the Advanced Comfort Seats, guarantee unprecedented levels of seating and driving comfort. While traditional suspension systems are made up of a shock absorber, spring, and mechanical stop, the new system developed by Citroën adds two hydraulic stops, one for compression the other for decompression. This technology enables you to dispense with a sunblind and grants the same thermal and acoustic performances as a normal roof. Where that comfort tag really rings true is the seats. C4 Cactus Hatch adopts the classic cues of the segment in terms of technology and engines while continuing to stand apart with its unique personality and levels of comfort.
Sensors are installed at every seat to give an audible warning if anyone unbuckles a belt during a trip. C4 Cactus brings a breath of fresh air and originality to the hatch segment. The dashboard top is also dark red, while armrests, door and Top Box straps are in contrasting Beige. Rivals Nissan Juke Extremely popular and often heavily-discounted small crossover, but it's not practical or great to drive. The new model provides unrivalled ride comfort in typical Citroën fashion.
Feel is the cheapest and gets the touchscreen with all the key connectivity stuff you could want, although nav isn't available. The upholstery on the seats feels nice to the touch, and the four varying upholstery finishes all look good, too. The dash is logical to use, too, with minimal buttons because you control almost everything through the 7-inch touchscreen, although it's irritating to have to use the screen to change the air-con temperature as you have to leave the nav screen or whatever other function you're using. Thanks to its panoramic sunroof, Citroën C4 Cactus has permanent light in its interior, giving all passengers a feeling of well-being and space. For many, the temperature controls on the screen are a step too far, and indeed, it does seem less natural than more traditional buttons and dials.