CITROEN BACK TO ITS INNOVATIVE BEST WITH THE C4 CACTUS

The Airbump panels are the standout features of the all-new Citroen C4 Cactus

Let’s get the prickly subject of the name of Citroen’s new C4 Cactus compact SUV out of the way from the start. To choose a name that in Australian slang means – to put it as politely as possible – something that is broken beyond repair would seem to be inviting trouble.

But Citroen is a carmaker that loves to be different and, once the initial reaction to the name has passed, this quirky little car is sure to grab plenty of attention for all the right reasons, most noticeably its capacity for personalisation through an amazing number of colour, trim and feature options.

The standout feature will undoubtedly be the Airbump panels that are embedded within the doors. Partly cosmetic, partly functional these are hard plastic inserts with protruding soft air-filled pockets that act as shock absorbers to protect the sides of the car from day-to-day bumps and scrapes. There are also smaller Airbumps to protect the headlights and tail lights although the bumper bars themselves remain hard plastic.

If you’ve ever seen the astonishingly adventurous ways drivers cram there cars together when parking in Paris you will appreciate the need for Airbumps.

The Airbumps will be an integral part of the overall customisation of Cactus and as such will come with eight colour options. Different colours will also be available with the roof bars; wing mirrors; wheels and even the Cactus lettering on the rear side panel.

Citroen C4 Cactus has been on sale in Europe for more than a year and, with the compact SUV segment booming, Citroen Australia would have loved to have had it here earlier but for the lack of a top tether and child restraint points for the centre rear seat which prevented it being approved for local sale.

The problem has now been fixed but the delay has meant that Cactus won’t arrive here until late in the first quarter of 2016. Pre-orders are now being taken and, until the end of this year, buyers will be able to select any combination of the 23,000-plus features that are available.

While there will still be plenty of scope for personalisation, subsequent pre-orders and sales will be limited to a more manageable number.

Although full specifications are yet to be finalised we do know that Citroen C4 Cactus will come with the choice of two engines, 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol and 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. The petrol is a 81 kW and 205 Nm PureTech unit and will come with a five-speed manual gearbox; the diesel 68 kW / 230 Nm and six-speed semi-automatic transmission.

With these engines low fuel consumption is a given. We’ll provide actual numbers when we eventually drive the Cactus.

Other features include a fully-digital infotainment interface with a 7.0-inch touch screen; sofa style front seats; roof-mounted front passenger airbag; and optional panoramic glass roof.

Also expected in both models are satellite navigation; reversing camera; 17-inch alloy wheels; digital radio; roof bars and cornering fog lights.

The semi-automatic diesel uses what Citroen calls its “Easy Push” gear selector which comprises three large buttons (Drive, Reverse and Neutral – there is nor Park option) mounted on the dashboard just above the aircraft-style parking brake.

Although we’ve been able to inspect it, even punch its doors!, we weren’t able to drive the Cactus at its recent preview but will do so when it’s launched in about five months.

There’s good interior space with plenty of headroom throughout and acceptable legroom in the rear. It’s bright and airy, especially with the panoramic sunroof which according to Citroen blocks out 99.9 per cent of UV rays.

The rear windows are of the hinge-out variety which may not appeal to everyone. There are plenty of interior storage spaces including an 8.5-litre top-opening glove compartment.

Even with a full-sized spare wheel below its floor the boot is rather low. It has a reasonable capacity of 358 litres, 1170 litres with the rear seatbacks folded.

Prices will be announced closer to the car’s release but Citroen Australia has given ball park figures of “mid-$20k” for the e-THP petrol and “sub-$30k” for the e-HDi diesel.

Like all Citroen cars the C4 Cactus will come with a six-year, unlimited kilometre standard warranty. As a further incentive, buyers who place their order before 31 December 2015 will receive free servicing for the first three years or 45,000 km.

It’s always exciting to see new automotive innovations and Citroen has always been a forward thinker in that regard. Change can be risky at times but we’ll be very surprised if this Cactus ever becomes cactus downunder.