- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.2T, 3 cyl.
- Engine Power
81kW, 205Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 4.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2018 Citroen C4 Cactus new car review
- Funky looks.
- New gearbox better than old model.
- Great interior.
- Polarizing looks.
- New gearbox jerky at low speeds.
- No AEB.
What is it?
Citroen is known for its ‘outside the box’ thinking and the C4 Cactus is a prime example. At its heart it’s a compact SUV, a competitor to the likes of the Mazda CX-3 and Suzuki Vitara. But the French brand has done it in an unconventional way, with head-turning styling inside and out, including the radical ‘Airbumps’ on the doors that protect it against carpark knocks and scrapes.
How much does it cost and what do you get?
Citroen offers a single model of the Cactus priced from $26,990 (plus on-road costs). For that money you get a reasonably well equipped small SUV with 17-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, auto headlights and wipers, a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, navigation, digital radio, Bluetooth and a reversing camera.
There’s also a big range of customisable options including the Airbumps, which come standard in black but can also be chosen in grey, light brown and dark brown. You can also choose from different mirror cap colours and other coloured trim inserts as well as a panoramic sunroof.
What’s under the bonnet?
Citroen made a major change mechanically in 2017, ditching the diesel engine with its disappointing robotized manual gearbox in favour of a new six-speed automatic mated to the petrol engine.
The 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine produces a modest 81kW of power but has a healthy 205Nm of torque. That’s enough to give the Cactus good performance on the road and feel zippy in urban environments.
The gearbox helps get the best of the engine and is a major upgrade over the old robotized manual. The old gearbox was, to be frank, one of the worst on the market with an incredibly jerky action. Think back to your first driving lesson in a manual car and that’s how awkward each shift was with that gearbox.
But thankfully it has been replaced by a traditional torque converter auto that is much smoother and quicker with its shifts on the move. However, our test car displayed a habit of hesitating slightly at low speeds, particularly off the mark, in a similar manner you expect from a dual-clutch auto. It’s less than ideal but the new ‘box is a massive step forward compared to the old unit.
What’s it like to drive?
Surprisingly for a car with such outlandish looks, the driving experience of the Cactus is rather anonymous. It’s not the class-leading SUV dynamically but it doesn’t have any major vices. In other words, it’s good without being special, which it needs to be to stand out for reasons other than its looks.
What’s it like inside?
The Cactus has one of my favourite interiors on the market today. It blends modern technology, in the form of a pair of tablet-style screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment screen, and old-school design touches, such as the door handles designed to look like they’re from attache case. There are other cool design elements including the glovebox that looks like a piece of luggage.
But the highlight for me are the seats. Citroen has tried to create a car seat that feels like a sofa - with surprisingly effective results. The seats are soft and comfortable but still offer enough support to keep you in place.
Being a compact SUV, space in the back seat is tight for adults but adequate for kids. One thing to note though, if you plan on having regular rear seat guests the rear windows don’t wind down, they just pop-out slightly at the back..
Is it safe?
While the Cactus ticks the obvious boxes - there’s full airbag protection and the usual electronic safety aids - unfortunately it misses out on the latest in active safety systems, so there’s no autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning or blind spot monitoring available.
For many that may be a deal breaker, especially when you consider most of its key rivals offer some if not all of those features listed above.
Would I buy it?
The Cactus is a polarising car and you either love it or hate it. But you can’t deny it’s easier to love now with its better transmission. Personally, I like the funky styling, however the lack of safety features means its still an SUV you have to buy with your heart more than your head.
What else should I consider?
There’s no shortage of compact SUVs to choose from. At Drive we still believe the Suzuki Vitara is the pick of the class, but there’s also the CX-3, Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Subaru XV, Toyota C-HR and others to choose from.
2018 Citroen C4 Cactus pricing and specifications
Price: From $26,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 81kW at 5500rpm
Torque: 205Nm at 1500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Fuel use: 4.9L/100km
- If you like the look of the Cactus, shop for one in our Citroen showroom.
- Go behind the scenes on Drive at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.