Style: October 04, 2019

STYLE | motoring 83
Basically, as well as shock
absorbers and springs, there’s a
third element there to literally
cushion your ride and mitigate
the impact felt by passengers.
The seats themselves add to the
good feeling you get behind the
wheel. Consider them the memoryfoam
mattresses of the car world.
Designed to adapt to each driver’s
physical shape, the 15mm layer of
foam that tops the seat squabs is
doing all the hard work to make sure
you travel in comfort.
Not a huge vehicle, and far from
a people-mover. The back seat is
adequate, though its dimensions are
more set to runway model than All
Black prop. There’s no fear of dogs
or small children disappearing out
the back windows as these do not
wind down, but rather ‘pop-out’
via a clip – as per my husband’s
ute. “Why?” I hear you ask. Well,
we’re talking Citroën here, and if
you want something sans quirk, best
look elsewhere. Further elements of
funkiness are presented through the
luggage-strap interior door handles
and glovebox that opens upwards.
Sport mode is its not-so-secret
weapon and a must for all those who
like a bit of a thrill. I referred to it as
‘go-cart’ mode, and I liked it, a lot.
The new Citroën C4 Cactus has
the basics covered, and covered well.
It has personality and a slight sense
of the underdog that makes it all the
more appealing when you leave those
larger cars lagging in the distance.
CITROËN C4 CACTUS
HATCH
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT CAN
The 1.2-litre three-cylinder Turbo PureTech engine has won
Engine of the Year for four consecutive years in a row, in the
1-litre to 1.4-litre category. It was launched five years ago in
the Citroën C4 Picasso and the Peugeot 308, but features in
more than 60 models worldwide, including the C4 Cactus. The
engine has 120 patents and holds two fuel economy records
– one of which was in 2016, when an automatic model
achieved 2.93l/100km, travelling 1878km on one tank.
LIKES:
Super comfortable seats.
Smooth ride.
User-friendly functions.
DISLIKES:
The rear manual windows
open via clips.
Start button being further
away from the steering
wheel than is usual.
VEHICLE SIZE:
Length 4170mm; width
1710mm; height 1480mm
SAFETY:
Euro NCAP 4 out of 5 stars
FUEL TANK CAPACITY:
50 litres
BOOT SPACE:
358 litres
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
5.3l/100km
ENGINE:
1199cc, 3-cylinder Turbo
PureTech, petrol
TRANSMISSION:
6-speed automatic
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
81kW, 205Nm; 0-100km/h
10.9 sec