Robert Barry takes Citroen’s C4 Cactus for a ride and discovers a comfy city hatchback that’s full of character and easy on the eye.
Now in its second generation, the newly released Citroen C4 Cactus has morphed from a quirky crossover into a more comfortable city hatchback.
Citroen has loaded up the C4 Cactus with features and equipment, as well as giving it a significant cosmetic makeover, to appeal to a much wider market.
It has also introduced new comfort seats with an additional 15mm of foam, as well a new suspension system which uses progressive hydraulic cushions, to bring back the supple ride and taut handling intrinsic to this celebrated French brand.
Our Emerald Blue C4 Cactus arrived with the optional panoramic glass roof with high thermal protection ($1500) and the optional Hype Mistral leather/cloth upholstery ($1000), taking the on road price to $38,490.
The equipment arsenal also includes blind spot monitoring, climate air, satellite navigation, Bluetooth audio and telephony, keyless entry and start, reversing camera, parking sensors and the obligatory Android Auto and Apple Car Play phone mirroring apps.
Another point of difference is the colour pack which provides a white air bump insert trim and white fog light trim.
A 81kW/205Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, makes the C4 Cactus feel quite sprightly on the road, even though nought to 100km/h takes 10.9 seconds.
Citroen quotes urban fuel consumption of 6.4L/100km, ‘lead foot me’ only managed 8.8.
The combination of the chirpy three-pot engine, brilliant ride, and funky interior design gives this car so much character, which made it all the more enjoyable as a daily driver. If you prefer more mundane wheels, then the new C4 Cactus is not for you!
