Best Motorbuys: May 03, 2019

"The Cactus
incorporates
all things practical
in a modern,
stylish package"
By Ross Kiddie
Citroen C4 Cactus
Price: Citroen C4 Cactus, $35,990
Dimensions: Length, 4170mm;
width, 1710mm; height, 1480mm
Configuration: Three-cylinder,
front-wheel-drive, 1199cc, 81kW,
205, six-speed automatic.
Performance: 0-100km/h, 10.9sec
Fuel usage: 5.3l/100km
When Citroen’s Cactus first made
its way onto the global market
it raised eyebrows everywhere
with its styling.
The cheeky five-door hatchback was
unorthodox, to say the least, with its
heavy frontal styling and controversial
bubble wrap-type Airbumps on the
doors which protected the bodywork
from damage. Nevertheless, buyers
warmed to the Cactus, and it has been
pretty much a success in all of the
markets it’s been sold in.
In New Zealand Citroen isn’t a big player,
but if you study the product line-up
you’ll find practical, affordable vehicles
which are thoroughly appealing through
design flair. I guess, you’d expect nothing
less from this French car maker which
has had a reputation for bold styling
cues as they are a considerable part of
the appeal.
A new Cactus has just been released, and
while it incorporates the styling elements
of its predecessor, it is a little more
orthodox and gone are the Airbumps
which were a major talking point on the
original.
That’s a bit of a disappointment to me, I
liked the concept, and anything practical
on a car that keeps it looking fresh and
dent-free certainly finds favour with me.
Gone, too, is the predecessor’s diesel
engine, the Cactus arrives here in just
one specification and it gets a 1.2-litre
turbocharged three-cylinder engine
which is also used in Citroen’s C3 and
Peugeot’s 2008. I’ve experienced this
engine before in both those cars and
can safely say it is one of my favourite
engines of this design, it is quiet,
smooth, and doesn’t overly let the
occupants know of its design through
the harmonics often associated with its
three-pot layout.
The twin-camshaft petrol engine is
listed with a 81kW and 205Nm rating,
these are healthy outputs, and if you
take into account the light weight of
the Cactus at just 1090kg, it is a lively
model under acceleration. Citroen claim
a standstill to 100km/h time of 10.9sec
which is all the acceleration you need
in today’s motoring environment. Drive
is channelled through a conventional
six-speed automatic transmission,
together there is reasonable harmony
and gearing which manufactures that
lively performance along with healthy
fuel economy.
The latter is listed by Citroen at 5.3-litres
usage per 100km (53mpg) on a
combined cycle average. The evaluation
car’s dash display was constantly sitting
around 6.7l/100km (42mpg).
If you also take into consideration the
Cactus’ weight, then it has benefits in
all areas, the engine isn’t working hard
to maintain momentum, hence the light
fuel load, and there is a feel through the
chassis and suspension that promotes a
sporty sensation.
The suspension deserves a worthy
mention. Anyone familiar with
Citroen product will relate to the
hydropneumatic and air suspensions
systems of eras gone by.
The Cactus doesn’t get anything quite to
sophisticated; however, it does get what
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Citroen describe as magic carpet ride
engineering. Put simply, what appear to
be conventional shock absorbers actually
incorporate two hydraulic stops, one for
compression and one for decompression,
they dissipate energy from road bumps,
helping to create a smooth ride. In effect,
the ride is well cushioned, I had an
errand to run over the far east side of the
city, and broken roads on that journey
were a good test for the suspension, the
Cactus has a controlled, comfortable
ride.
And that doesn’t affect tidy handling
manners. The Cactus is nimble and
well balanced. Riding on grippy Good
Year tyres (205/50 x 17in) there is a
lot of natural grip in the first instance.
The Cactus can attack corners, there is
strong steering feel, turn-in is also direct
and precise.
In my introduction I mentioned the
Cactus’ styling. It isn’t radical as it could
be, but it is a departure from the norm.
The interior is modernistic and minimalist
in its detailing, however, it all works
cosmetically. You can also mix and match
with interior trim colours and materials.
I particularly like the permanently
exposed panoramic roof which is outof-the-ordinary
but also adds to the
character of the car, it was a $1500
option, but it represents the ideology of
Cactus.
In terms of specification, the Cactus is
also well appointed. You get all of the
kit you’d expect on a $35k car with
many of the functions operated by voice
recognition technology. I guess one
omission is the lack of tachometer.
That aside, the Cactus incorporates all
things practical in a modern, stylish
package. It’s a compact five-seater, but
also a funky purchase for anyone who
dares to be different. The last model sold
well in New Zealand, and I’m expecting
the newcomer to be just as popular.