Citroen's cactus car is no joke

Citroen has revealed the final production version of its oddly named C4 CACTUS, complete with door-protecting ‘Airbumps’, sofa-style seats and ‘Easy Push’ gear selection.

Described by the audacious French brand as “a real alternative to the compact hatchback”, the off-beat C-segment five-door is on the wish-list for Citroen Automobiles Australia, which is awaiting approval of its business case with PSA.

The new member of Citroen’s C4 small car family rides on the same 2.6-metre wheelbase as the standard C4 hatchback and has a similar length (4160mm) and width (1730mm), but is lower at 1480mm and wears shorter overhangs.

Citroen says its proportions have been optimised for styling, space and driving comfort, making it more attractive, functional and relaxing to drive in the city than a regular hatchback.

It claims weight savings of up to 200kg, frugal petrol and diesel engines from the mainstream C4 and the car’s trademark design feature -- huge air-filled front and side mouldings dubbed Airbumps, which protect the paintwork and double as customisable graphics – also reduce the cost of ownership.

No shots of the production interior have been revealed, but Citroen says the wide, sofa-style front seats offer an “airy, connected” driving position thanks also to a low dashboard and controls grouped around a standard seven-inch touch-screen.

The latter controls all vehicle functions (climate, media, navigation, phone, connected services and driving aids), while a conventional instrument panel is replaced by a digital screen.

In cars with an ETG clutchless transmission, the traditional gear shifter is replaced by the ‘Easy Push’ system comprising a ‘D-N-R’ selection knob on the lower fascia and steering wheel paddles for manual gear changing.

A roof-mounted front airbag (Citroen says its cunningly named ‘Airbag In Roof’ technology is a world-first) is said to create more room and storage space for the front passenger, while boot capacity is a respectable 358 litres.

Like the C4 Cactus concept that appeared at last year’s Frankfurt motor show (and the 2007 C-Cactus concept, the C4 CACTUS features a panoramic glazed roof with advanced heat protection, plus curved roof rails.

Other design cues include flowing lines with no aggressive edges, a ‘floating’ roof and quarter lights, daytime-running LED light signature, matt-black wheel-arches, side skirts and lower front and rear bumper sections and headlights built into the front Airbumps.

The Airbumps will be available in four colours (Black, Grey, Dune and Chocolate), in combination with 10 exterior paint colours and three interior hues -- Ambiance Stone Grey, Pack Habana Inside and Pack Purple Inside.

With a kerb weight of just 965kg, overall running costs are claimed to be 20 per cent less than a conventional small hatchback. Weight savings of 200kg over the regular C4 were achieved by an aluminium for the bonnet and front and rear beams, pop-out rear windows (saving 11kg) and single-piece folding rear bench seat (saving 6kg).

Citroen says the diesel version consumes just 3.1L/100km and emits only 82g/km of CO2 – undercutting the Toyota Prius hybrid – while the petrol version also emits less than 100g/km.

Citroen revealed the C4 CACTUS in Europe overnight – precisely five years since Citroen launched its DS model line and 136 years since the birth of company founder Andre Citroen.

It is believed to be a precursor to a new range of Citroen models aimed at customers prepared to pay a premium for simple, no-frills city-cars that are stylish and distinctive.

The C4 CACTUS will be produced in right-hand drive, but a decision on local availability won’t be made until later this year.

“We are still very interested and we want to make this available for Australians,” said Citroen Automobiles Australia National Marketing Manager, Manuel Tyras.

“We've put a business proposal to PSA in Paris and we are in the initial stages of review now that we know a RHD is available. Things should be a lot clearer in the second half of this year.”

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