Citroën C4 Cactus '14
At a special preview event held in Paris, designer Mark Lloyd told Auto Express: “People have moved on in the way that they use products, but the car industry is very traditional, and has not moved at the same pace of change as consumers.”
For the Cactus, that means offering C-segment styling and space with B-segment running costs. Thanks to clever packaging and extensive use of lightweight materials – like for the bonnet – the Cactus is a huge 200kgs lighter than a standard C4.
The newcomer shares the same 2.6m wheelbase as the C4, but it’s actually based on the smaller chassis that underpins the DS3. The roof rails and chunky body give it a big car look, but the Cactus is shorter than hatchbacks like the VW Golf.
With a 358-litre boot and decent rear legroom, it also boasts better practicality than compact crossovers like the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur - both of which Citroen sees as key rivals for the Cactus. To save weight the rear windows pop-out rather than winding down, and there is no split/fold action for the rear bench.
Four engines will be available at the UK launch in October. The first are a pair of three-cylinder petrol engines, one turbocharged and naturally-aspirated, making 81 hp and 110 hp respectively.
The diesel models both have a 1.6-litre capacity, and both meet the strict Euro 6 emissions regulations, with 91 and 100 hp each.
The entry-level petrol tips the scales at just 965 kgs – almost 300kgs less than rivals like the Nissan Juke and Fiat 500L and as a result the cleanest diesel model will emit just 82g/km while returning an amazing 91.1mpg.
0-100 km/h time = 9,3 seconds
Top Speed = 188 km/h