Citroen C4 Cactus


Debut: 2014
Maker: Citroen
Predecessor: No



 Published on 19 Jul 2014
All rights reserved. 


Yes, I know you are wondering why you see an SUV here. Is AutoZine abandoning its anti-SUV rule? Well, let me first ask you what an SUV is, or a crossover for that matter. If you define the car as SUV or crossover just because it looks tough, and ignore the fact that it actually weighs less than a conventional family hatch of the same class, the fact that it is no taller than a Ford Focus at 1480 mm, and the fact that it is more frugal than most, then yes, maybe I was eating my words.

No, the Citroen Cactus is not an SUV or crossover. It just looks like one, but underneath its sheet metal is actually a very environmental friendly concept. I am very impressed with its idea. This is a true Citroen that we are always expecting (but usually failed) to see. It is designed and engineered with unconventional thinking. On the outside, it breaks the mould of all the current automotive design practices. The smoothly rounded front end does away the conventional grille and emphasizes only the double chevron logo. The main headlights are located beneath the daytime running lights and surrounded by tough rubberized portion, which is scratch resistant and can be easily replaced after minor collision. Likewise, the door sides are protected by large pieces of air-filled rubber pads (dubbed "Airbump"). The aim is to reduce the cost of ownership over the entire life time.



The Cactus is about the right size. At 4.16 m long, 1.73 m wide, 1.48 m tall and runs a 2.6 m wheelbase, it is marginally smaller than a Volkswagen Golf but still falls in the C-segment. However, it is built on the smaller platform of Peugeot 208 rather than the EMP2 platform of C4 Picasso. Lightweight is an essential part of its design and engineering. In base form it weighs only 965 kg, some 200 kg less than the lightest Golf, whose MQB platform is already known for lightweight!

Part of this weight saving comes at the price of convenience. For example, it employs a one-piece folding rear bench seat to save 6 kg.  Another 11 kg is trimmed by fitting the rear doors with pop-out windows, saving the power winding mechanism. This also allows the rear doors to accommodate extra storage cubbies. An aluminum bonnet and crash beams and an all-alloy 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine also saves considerable weight. Because the Cactus is designed for not very powerful engines, its transmission, axles, suspensions and brakes could be sized to cut weight. Or put it this way, a B-segment platform supersized to the border of C-segment has an inherent advantage in weight. It just lacks the potential to offer more powerful versions, but that doesn't care to Cactus.


The interior design is equally a radical rethink of current practices. Citroen found out by installing the front passenger airbag to the roof, just behind the header, it can reduce the size of the dashboard and free up the space in front of the passenger. The interior design is very modern, furniture like. As in BMW i3, the main instrument is a minimalist LCD screen standing freely above the dash structure. The same goes for the infotainment screen. There is no conventional instrument pod or center console. The dashboard has only 12 buttons, as most functions have been incorporated into the touchscreen. The simple door panel is visually enhanced with a leather door pull like luxury baggages. Most plastics are hard ones, but that doesn't hurt the unusual appeal of this cabin.

Like many Japanese Kei-cars, the front seats can be converted to bench seat with the extra cushions in place. It intends not to sit an extra passenger but to create a sofa-like relaxing environment. It is soft and comfy, if not too suitable for long journeys. The driving position is not as high as its crossover looks suggested, but the seating position is generally faultless, although the steering wheel lacks reach adjustment. There is plenty of room up front. At the rear, legroom is good but head room is too tight for 6-footers to fit in.




You won't expect this car to be good to drive, but it does surprise in a number of areas. First is the engine. PSA's new Puretech 1.2-liter 3-cylinder Turbo motor is unusually advanced. It has an all-alloy construction, direct fuel injection, dual-VVT and a balance shaft. The flexible cam timing of dual-VVT system allows it to run Atkinson cycle under certain part-load conditions to save fuel, or implement scavenging effect at full load to enhance output. 110 horsepower and 151 lbft of torque from just 1500 rpm give the car good performance and flexibility, while refinement is excellent. The Puretech 3-pot is also available in cheaper naturally aspirated, port-injected form, which offers 82 hp and 87 lbft of torque at 2750 rpm. Thanks to the low kerb weight and good torque spread it still offers enough performance for everyday use, and the combined fuel economy of 71 mpg is eye-popping for a petrol car of this size. This makes the pricier 1.6 HDI diesel superfluous. Compare to the good engines, the imprecise 5-speed manual and jerky 6-speed automated manual gearbox are weak points.

Surprisingly, the low-cost, comfort-oriented chassis is not that bad to drive. While it is by no means a rival to Focus or Golf, it suppresses body roll reasonably well, grips hard in corners and tracks straight on motorway. The electric power steering gives decent feel. The lightweight 3-cylinder motor makes the car feel light and eager to steer. The soft suspension does a reasonable job of ironing out rough surfaces, although big bumps could thump through the less-than-rigid chassis into the cabin. The lack of sound insulation also fails to filter out tire roar and wind noise generated by the roof rails. Those are the inevitable drawbacks of building on a supermini platform.

However, the C4 Cactus is still a surprisingly appealing package. It looks special, feels upmarket inside and, most important, it is cheap to buy and run without feeling cheap. This sounds very much like a modern 2CV. It might set a template for all future Citroens.
Verdict:
 Published on 15 Feb 2018
All rights reserved. 
C4 Cactus 2018 facelift


Its biggest selling point has been abandoned by stupid guys in the name of getting wider audiences...


The original C4 Cactus, especially in light yellow, was one of the most eye-catching cars on the street. It was extremely funky and unusual, not just the famous anti-scratch “airbumps” on its sides but simply every detail, no matter exterior or interior. In the enthusiast circle it was an icon. However, it might be too radical for the wider car buying public. In 2016, Citroen sold just over 80,000 copies of the Cactus, far fewer than the aging C4, which shifted more than 260,000 units. Market positioning of the two models were largely overlapped. In order to simplify the range and direct more resources to the rising SUV segments, Citroen decided to terminate the production of C4 at the end of last year and let the C4 Cactus to take care of its residual customers. To that end, the Cactus gets a facelift and has its styling turned more conventional.

In this facelift, the hardpoints of the car are left untouched, of course, so the Cactus is still a high-riding, crossover-style hatchback completed with cost-saving pop-out rear side windows. However, nearly all sheet metals have been altered. The front end has added a conventional upper grille accompanied with traditional double-chevron logo. Headlights, foglamps and bumper design are all heavily revised. While these changes don’t lack of style, they make the car indistinguishable from the seas of compact SUV-crossover, including the smaller C3. More problematic, Citroen has nearly wiped off the side airbumps, substantially reducing their area and moving them down to the door sill level. Do they still fulfill the function of anti-scratch? I doubt. At the rear, the tailgate has lost its large black section and becomes conventional. Sadly, the Cactus is no longer Cactus. Its biggest selling point has been abandoned by stupid guys in the name of pleasing wider audiences.

Mechanical changes are not many. Under the bonnet still see the 1.2-liter PureTech 3-cylinder engine in the form of naturally aspiration (82hp) or turbocharging (110hp), although the most powerful, 130hp, version of the latter is finally available to the car. It is a good small engine, being smooth, willing, quiet and frugal. Although the car gets some weight, it still easily undercuts a conventional C-segment hatchback by 150kg, so performance is quite respectable.



PHC suspension gives it big Citroen refinement.


The car gains weight because it has added extra sound insulation and, except the 82hp model, a new kind of tricky suspension called PHC (Progressive Hydraulic Cushion). It is no Hydractive or Airmatic, but for this class it is quite sophisticated – 2 hydraulic dampers are added to each shock absorber, one at each end, to replace conventional rubber bumpstops. It enables the car to ride over large bumps and undulations more smoothly. Meanwhile, thanks to those hydraulic bumpstops, softer springs and dampers can be adopted thus long-distance ride comfort is improved as well. On the road, this gives the small Citroen an unusual sense of big-car refinement. We won’t call it “magic carpet”, but considering the car’s flyweight and its B-segment-based platform (derived from Peugeot 208, remember), it was surprisingly absorbent. Like all the good old Citroens, it rolls noticeably in corner, but ultimately it will settle on its hydraulic bumpstops and rarely affect handling. That said, the Cactus is not a car to be hustled. Its higher center of gravity and its light, slow and numb steering do not encourage spirited drives.

Update to the interior is limited. Most notable is the new front seats, which gets thicker and high-density foams proved to be more supportive and comfortable over long distances. The cabin still looks stylish and modern, although the touchscreen infotainment system and the plastic materials are far from standard-setting.

All in all, the updated car is more comfortable and refined than before, but it loses a big chunk of style and, now priced directly against the true C-segment rivals like Golf, Astra, Megane, Focus etc., I suppose the mainstream route could be too bumpy for its new suspension to handle.
Verdict:
Specifications





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout

Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
C4 Cactus 1.2 VTi
2014
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4157 / 1729 / 1480 mm
2595 mm
Inline-3
1199 cc
DOHC 12 valves, DVVT
-
-
82 hp
87 lbft
5-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
-
205/55R16
965 kg
106 mph (c)
12 (est)
-
C4 Cactus 1.6HDi
2014
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4157 / 1729 / 1480 mm
2595 mm
Inline-4 diesel
1560 cc
SOHC 8 valves
VTG turbo
CDI
100 hp
187 lbft
5-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
-
205/55R16
1070 kg
114 mph (c)
10.1 (c)
-
C4 Cactus 1.2 THP
2014
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4157 / 1729 / 1480 mm
2595 mm
Inline-3
1199 cc
DOHC 12 valves, DVVT
Turbo
DI
110 hp
151 lbft
5-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
-
205/55R16
1020 kg
117 mph (c)
8.7 (c)
-




Performance tested by: -





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout

Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
C4 Cactus 1.2 PureTech 82
2018
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4170 / 1729 / 1480 mm
2595 mm
Inline-3
1199 cc
DOHC 12 valves, DVVT
-
-
82 hp
87 lbft
5-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
-
205/55R16
1008 kg
105 mph (c)
14 (est)
-
C4 Cactus 1.2T PureTech 110
2018
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4170 / 1729 / 1480 mm
2595 mm
Inline-3
1199 cc
DOHC 12 valves, DVVT
Turbo
DI
110 hp
151 lbft
5-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
PHC
205/50R17
1030 kg
117 mph (c)
9.7 (c)
-
C4 Cactus 1.2T Puretech 130
2018
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4170 / 1729 / 1480 mm
2595 mm
Inline-3
1199 cc
DOHC 12 valves, DVVT
Turbo
DI
130 hp
170 lbft
6-speed manual
F: strut
R: torsion-beam
PHC
205/50R17
1045 kg
120 mph (c)
8.6 (c)
-




Performance tested by: -





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