Citroën has released more details about its forthcoming C4 Cactus, and it looks like nothing else on the market.
I don't normally get excited about new Citroëns. I haven't even driven one since owning a 1.6 BX back in the mid 90s, although I took a passenger ride in a C1 recently and hated it.
But the C4 Cactus looks intriguing. In essence it's a jacked up, chunkified version of the C4 hatchback. This isn't a new trend - remember the Rover Streetwise? However the Cactus is much more than just a chunky parts-bin special.
For a start it weighs 965kg. That is light as a feather in car terms. It's 40kg less than a Ford Fiesta Zetec Ecoboost and is 200kg less than a standard C4. It's also less than half the weight of an Audi S6 Avant.
Fuel consumption is 91.1mpg and CO2 emissions are 82g/km - again both better than a Fiesta Ecoboost.
The design is simple but attractive. I love the dash, the materials, the doors (and leather door pulls, something Porsche used in the Cayman R to lose weight), the sofa seats and colour schemes.
The exterior is similarly attractive with all those plastic panels and air bumps integrated into the design rather than looking like an afterthought, although those diamond alloys will be expensive to repair if they get kerbed.
It's full of tech too. Full media connectivity (including digital radio), satnav, reversing camera, cruise control, windscreen washers built into the blade tips to save on washer fluid use, LED lights and that sunroof has UV protection equivalent to category-4 sunglasses.
Citroën is also offering pricing plans similar to those offered by mobile phone companies where fixed monthly payments cover purchase, servicing and insurance.
The actual price of the car has yet to be released.
In this game I see thousands of press releases, and ignore most. But the Citroën C4 Cactus stands out from the crowd. I think it'll do very, very well.
By Matt Hubbard
