Citroen C4 Cactus

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Citroen C4 Cactus

Review - Nobody is really sure. Part budget hatchback, part spaceship, part pseudo-crossover, the Cactus is in a weird little wonderful niche of its own. Underneath it’s a C3/Peugeot 208 platform, with MacPherson struts at the front and a simple torsion bar for the rear suspension, but it’s bigger than any of the mooted supermini competition, with lots of space.

It’s also refreshingly simple; Citroen has decided to pare back big-car complexity and offer a more calming, simple motoring experience. Cheaper, but no less satisfying. The squidgy blisters on the sides are called Airbumps, and they’re designed to stop annoying door-dings. This is Citroen doing its own thing and ignoring styling convention but basing the mechanicals in the real world. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Citroen C4 Cactus

The Cactus is not a car you buy for the physical sensations associated with driving. There’s a choice of conventional four-cylinder diesel power, or a series of 1.2-litre petrol triples topping out at a heady 109bhp, and none offers face-straining performance – 9.3 seconds to 62mph and 117mph top end, even for the top model. The petrols are the ones to have – the off-beat thrum suiting the oddball styling and lacking the grunt to get you into any serious trouble.

Saying all that, it is kind of fun, though. The raised ride height offers no AWD option, but the car is so light – little more than a tonne – that it bounds around perfectly happily. The Cactus also rides well, corners perfectly satisfactorily and even though the control surfaces are a bit vague (especially the gearbox), it’s a happy little thing  - and absolutely everyone that sees it likes it. Its automotive Prozac – puts everyone in a slightly better mood.

Citroen C4 Cactus

Very, very simple. Most of the car’s less immediate controls are migrated onto a single touchscreen in the middle of the dash, with a small digi-pod taking care of the speedo in front of the driver, so the inside is remarkably clutter-free. There’s masses of storage, the option of a front bench seat if you go for the (admittedly not very desirable) auto, and a surprising acreage in the back given its supermini-derived roots. It’s a really very pleasant place to be – simple, but not stark.

it looks good, but the Cactus isn’t expensive. Starting at under £13k and running to £19,260 for the BlueHDI 100 with Stop&Start, there’s plenty to like for reasonable money. Every variant is looking at 50+mpg in the real world, and the insurance/tax/servicing costs look eminently pleasing (the Airbumps will stave off parking damage too). Cheap, but not beige. Source by topgear.com

Tag : Car, Review, SUV