Cactus sets the bar high
Multi award-winning newcomer sets tough act to follow on all fronts
THE new Citroën C4 Cactus, launched last week, is going to be a sharp pain in the butt for its competitors. Like the prickly desert bloom, the Cactus will be a difficult act to follow for the likes of the Kia Soul, Nissan Juke and Ford EcoSport, which lead the pack of crossover vehicles in this segment.
Power comes from 1.2 petrol engines delivering either 60kW or a respectable 81kW.
At the entry level, the 1.2-litre PureTech unit has a maximum power output rating of 60kW, and a 118Nm torque peak, while achieving a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of just 4.6 litres/100 km.
The CO² exhaust emissions come to just 107g/km. This engine is only available on the entry-level C4 Cactus Feel model.
The more powerful 1.2-litre PureTech Turbo e-THP engine features turbocharging to boost output to 81kW and 205Nm.
The result is swifter performance, but not at the cost of fuel efficiency: consumption remains impressive at just 4.7 litres/100km for the combined cycle, linked to an identical CO² emissions rating of 107g/km.
The 1.2 PureTech Turbo e-THP unit can be specified in conjunction with both the Feel and the Shine equipment levels, while a five-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels is standard across the range.
The launch drive took place in the rarified Gauteng atmosphere, which usually drains smaller engines of power.
However, with only the 1.2 turbo model available to drive, World of Wheels found this vehicle exhilarating on the road, when coupled to the five-speed manual gearbox.
The peppy drive and acceleration is going to be a difficult act for the competitors to match or beat. In fact, the Cactus stands out as one of the most enjoyable vehicles we’ve driven recently.
The quirky interior dashboard styling takes a bit of getting used to, with a centre tablet-type display one finds on Ipads and similar devices.
Most of the vehicle control functions can be found on the tablet, including odo readings, various settings for aircon, etc.
Citroën claim there are a number of world firsts in the vehicle.
These’s a roof-mounted airbag for the front passenger, magic wash system for the windscreen and the Airbump rubber strips fitted to the side of the vehicle.
The Airbump is made of supple thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and encompasses air-filled cells that absorb small impacts.
The Airbump panels are fitted in black as standard, but can be optionally ordered in different colours, including Grey, Dune and Chocolate.
The new Cactus has already won the newcomer a raft of awards internationally.
These include Car of the Year awards in Croatia, Finland and Denmark, while the two-million members of Austria’s OAMTC automobile club voted the C4 Cactus as their favourite car.
The C4 Cactus was also crowned Car of the Year and MPV of the Year in Spain, while it received the Small Hatchback of the Year title in the UK, and Golden Steering Wheel awards in Bulgaria and Slovakia.
To crown it all, the C4 Cactus won the 2015 World Car Design of the Year Award at the recent New York International Motor Show. Cactus prices are: 1.2l PureTech 60kW FEEL: R224 900 1.2l PureTech Turbo e-THP 81kW FEEL: R259 900
1.2l PureTech Turbo e-THP 81 kW SHINE: R284 900