Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/487054
XIV maltatoday, Sunday, 29 March 2015 Motoring Rubberised space-age glamour Aimed at bringing back some of the appeal attributed to the Citroen 2CV, the Citroen C4 Cactus lands in the car market with a soft, rubbery bump – as Citroen's Airbump panels protect its sides and front. While looking the part of a crossover due to its tall body, the space-age inte- rior brings with it the feel of being behind the control panel of a space ship. But this is no 4x4 SUV. The design adheres to simple styling down to the push out rear windows, but don't let simplicity stand in the way of personality. The Cactus comes in 10 paint colours, four different Airbump colours, five seat upholstery choices and three dashboard colour schemes. All three variants come with a seven-inch colour display, front elec- tric windows, remote central locking and LED daytime running lights. The real eye-catcher of the Cactus is the Airbump side-protection sys- tem. The rubberised air pockets are aimed at protecting the car's panels from scratches and shopping-trolley knocks. This feature leads to the Cactus being described as a car park scratchproof vehicle. The C4 Cactus's cabin is a treat to the eyes. The dashboard is trimmed with glossy plastic material, and the controls are moved behind the steering wheel, giving it a clean, space-age look. The front seats give plenty of room for tall passengers, though it does lack the adjustable lumbar support and the steering wheel's reach cannot be adjusted. Thick padding on the door armrests gives it a touch of class. The 358-litre boot offers over 100 litres of space more than its com- petitor, the Nissan Juke, in luggage capacity. A large top-loading glove compartment and extra storage in the centrally mounted armrest also offer advantages over the competi- tion. While simplicity was paramount, Citroen did not hold back on safety. Developed and supplied by TRW, the airbag for both front seats has been moved to the roof, right behind the windscreen. The bag fills the gap between the glass and occupant completely as it inflates, acting as a better restraint than a normal air- bag. All versions come with plenty of standard safety kit, including six airbags, stability control and a tyre- pressure-monitoring system. The Cactus is quicker than you might expect, however priority was given to comfort rather than performance. This results in a comfortable ride with corner rolling. The car is available in three petrol- engine configurations. The 81bhp PureTech 82 version, fitted with the automated manual gearbox, is the most economic returning 65.7mpg and 100g/km of CO2 emissions, while the most powerful 108bhp version is capable of over 60mpg. Yet Citroen's bang was on the diesel version. The basic e-HDi 92 gives 80.7mpg while the BlueHDi 100 goes up to 83.1mpg. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION