Family car review: Citroen C4 Cactus 1.2 petrol

This is Citroens new family hatchback, the C4 Cactus. It is a raised (crossover) version of the brands original family hatchback, the C4. As you may have guessed from the pictures, the differences don’t stop there. Citroen has gained a reputation for building funky, quirky cars over the years, and the designers must have been promised a hefty bonus to make the Cactus stand out from the crowd – it certainly does that!

First things first – ‘Airbumps’. That’s what those plastic things down the side of the C4 Cactus are. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are not just there for decoration. They are tough, air-filled panels designed to stop the car getting dinged and scraped in car parks. These are available in different colours and can be changed over time to give your car a whole new look. Cool or what? The front and back of the car look just as funky as the sides; it is a real head turner. The coolest car we have tested this year? You bet.

The fun continues inside, too. A ‘travel’ theme runs through the interior, with leather strap briefcase-style leather door handles, and a unique and very useful luggage case themed storage unit instead of a traditional glovebox. These are available in different colours; the brown themed interior on Citroens website looks very stylish. Another ‘first’ is the old style sofa type seats which are wider and longer than typical car seats, and ridiculously comfortable – you can sink into them and relax in a way that other cars just don’t allow.

We have talked a lot about style, but what about substance? For all its charm, is the C4 Cactus actually a useful family car? During our week with the test car we realised just how family orientated it actually is. In the back for example, the sofa style seats mean three adults can ride in comfort without the middle person feeling like they are sitting on an armrest. The materials are a welcome break from the plastics you find in most cars these days, and are tough and durable, with soft seats and arm rests. The driver’s seat is wide with loads of knee room, meaning larger drivers won’t feel cramped. The steering wheel does not adjust outwards though – only up and down, so finding your ideal driving position is not as easy as in some cars.

The minimalist cabin means that there is no feeling of claustrophobia with the whole family on board – the car has a de-cluttered feel to it. There are virtually no dashboard buttons at all, everything is controlled through a large, easy to read touch screen. Our one criticism is that the most of the air controls are not separated from the touch screen – you can’t just reach over and turn on the air con like in traditional cars, you have to find it on the screen which means taking your eyes off the road. The radio can be controlled by buttons on the steering wheel which means Mum’s won’t need to divert their attention to change the channel. One other family friendly feature is the super soft suspension, which makes for a really comfortable ride. The Cactus does feel a bit soft on the motorway, although the steering is very light around town and perfect for getting in and out of car parks regularly.

So what about price? The 1.2 petrol version we drove is surprisingly powerful and fine for a families’ needs on short journeys. It starts at just €17,795, which is very cheap for a car of this size. The 1.6 diesel model will be better if you spend a lot of time on the motorway, although it is €3,100 more expensive than the petrol model, which is rather a lot. All Cactus models cost €190 per year or less to tax. Fuel economy is excellent too – based on our week in the Cactus the petrol model should travel about 400 miles (640 kilometres) on €50 fuel. The diesel version should do about 500 miles (800 kilometres) on €50 fuel.

Is there loads of storage space?

Luggage space is similar to that of an average family hatchback like the Ford Focus. The key difference is that the Cactus is slightly higher up, so getting things in and out is easier, there is less bending required! There will be no problem fitting in a large buggy. That briefcase style storage box on the dashboard is much more useful than a traditional glove box. There are a few drawbacks though – you can’t fold part of the rear seat over, you have to fold it all. The cup holders in the front are a bit of a weird shape, too.

Is it baby friendly?

It’s perfectly adequate, although for such an innovative car there are no clever features for young mums. There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts the back seats, and the Euro NCAP safety test noted that fitting child seats was easy. The large seats and higher roofline mean lifting seats and children in and out is easier than in the average hatchback.

Is parking easy?

The slightly higher driving position helps smaller drivers to get a clearer view out the back window of the Cactus while reversing. The bonnet is relatively short and not too sloped, and the minimalist dashboard and narrow side pillars mean that seeing the front corners of the car is not too difficult. The Cactus is no longer than a normal hatchback, and Mums should find it easier to park than other small SUV’s like the Nissan Qashqai. Parking sensors and a parking camera are fitted to the top spec ‘Flair’ model

What about safety?

Euro NCAP awarded the Cactus 4/5 stars in their safety test. Although this is lower than the five stars many cars are awarded these days, the Cactus actually performed very strongly on the occupant protection tests, with a 79% child safety rating and an 82% adult rating, both of which are more than a match for similarly sized cars. It lost points on the safety equipment side, for example hill start assist is only standard on some models.

Verdict:

Thumbs Up:

A totally cool car with a fun interior

Comfortable seats

Excellent value and good fuel economy

Room in the back for three

Thumbs down:

Park assist only standard on top spec model

Mummypages Ratings:

Baby friendliness: 3.5/5

Safety: 4/5

Cool rating: 5/5