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Citroen C4 Cactus 1.6 Blue HDi 100 Flair: First report

cactus longterm oneA
The Citroen C4 Cactus long-term test car

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25 February 2016

MY Dad has only ever bought one new car – a Vauxhall Chevette. And he regretted it soon after. Not one of the Griffin’s high points, apparently it was nothing but trouble and was replaced within a year by a far more interesting Citroen GS, which certainly encouraged my love of cars.

So it seems fitting that over 35 years later I should be running Business Car Manager’s new Citroen C4 Cactus. We placed the order for this 100 BlueHDi Flair in July last year, but the popularity of this quirky crossover meant the car didn’t arrive until late January with just 175 miles on the clock.

Truth is, that despite a love for the brand, it hasn’t always been producing models that I’d like to own. So, I’m pleased to say that with Citroen’s high-end DS brand going out on its own, I think this has freed up Citroen to find its quirky mojo with the Cactus.

This five-door’s looks might split opinion, but love or hate the Cactus, design features such as the distinctive, door-protecting ‘Air Bumps’ work.

Inside, the wide front seats remind me of those fitted to the iconic ‘Goddess’, the original DS. I also admire the sheer simplicty of the electronic speedo and the fact that the other major controls are grouped in the touch-screen infotainment system.

The mileage of this Citroen has quickly increased, with a couple of airport runs, two trips to the Cotswolds, another to Andover and other general running about equalling 1,000-miles springing on to the Citroen’s mileometer.

So after all these miles what do I like about the Cactus? Well the Citroen C4 Cactus smooth 1.6 HDi 100 diesel engine, with its low 95g/km emissions equalling 17% company car tax band is a positive. I managed to squeeze 602 miles out of the first full tank of diesel. Although, the second tank wasn’t quite as memorable at 461 miles – but in the Cactus’s defence there was more in town work involved with this tank.

Surprisingly, if you go for the Cactus with this engine, you only get a five-speed gearbox. Before this car arrived, I thought I’d miss the extra gear, but so far this hasn’t proved to be the case – the gearchange is reasonably slick too.

1,000 miles has involved a lot of sitting in that wide driving seat. Good thing then, that it has  proved to be squashy but supportive and the driving position comfortable.

On top of a comfortable driving position, another key feature for a enjoyable drive has to be the ride. And after a week’s loan of a Cactus Feel, with smaller 16-inch alloys and very Citroen-like slushy ride, I was worried about the 17s that were going to come with the range-topping Flair.

Anyway, despite the the bigger wheels, I’m pleased to say, the ride still cossets the way I believe that a Citroen should do – the only 17-inch wheel giveaway being the slightly fidgety low-speed ride.

Also, despite many hours on Citroen’s configurator, I still wasn’t sure if we’d made the right decision opting for Tapenard Grey with red highlights. The grey and red combo has grown on me and received positive comments from others.

Another plus point is that it hides road grime well – as wet winter weather has so far stopped me from giving the Cactus a well-deserved clean!

What about the gripes? Well, thankfully there are only a few. Having tried other Cactus before, I was worried about the reliability and connectivity of the central touchscreen infotainment system. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised for a couple of weeks and I thought I was wrong.

However, I’m sure the welcome screen seems to stay on for longer now – it also seems to take some time to connect my phone to the Bluetooth. The sat-nav also seemed to have a senior moment on my way back from a trip to the Cotswolds recently – taking me through Oxford’s very busy city center, which was both stressful and annoying.

Another gripe is rear legroom in the Cactus, which is only just adequate for my two-year old with the front seat adjusted for my perfect driving position. The lack of courtesy lights in the back makes getting both my kids in and out of their seats in the dark a bit of a chore too.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my first month with the Citroen Cactus, but would be interested to hear any comments or questions from Business Car Manager readers – get in touch via the comments box.

Citroen C4 Cactus 1.6 HDI 100 Flair – the figures

Doors and body style  Five-door hatchback
P11D: £18,140
Engine/gearbox: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder Euro 6 turbo diesel/5-speed manual gearbox
CO2 Emissions: 95g/km
Economy (combined): 80.7mpg
Power/torque: 100PS/ 254Nm
0-62mph/top speed: 10.7secs/ 114mph
Company Car Tax band: 17%
Company car tax at 20% yearly/monthly: £617/£51.42
Company car tax at 40% yearly/monthly:  £1,234/£102.83
Insurance group:  N/A

 

 

 

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