A case of history repeating itself, as Citroen goes off in search of a comfortable future, echoing some of its much-missed greats of the past. It’s called Citroen Advanced Comfort, and it sees the Double Chevron returning to its roots to establish a market USP. The more mature and grown-up exterior is the most visual indication that original design doesn’t sell, but the significant changes lie beneath the mostly Airbump-free body. The raft of changes to the Cactus feel like so much more than a facelift of an existing model, and Citroen should be applauded for delivering a convincing Cactus 2.0.
Citroen’s decision to swim in a different pool is significant because, while the Cactus once occupied its own island of quirkiness and charm, it’s now swimming against the tide in a segment dominated by the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and other family hatchbacks. I prefer the old one, with all of its faults.
And the suspension is so good it feels like your bottom is being tickled when riding potholes.īut I no longer love it. Which seems at odds with current market trends.īut what’s in a name? Do Mr and Mrs Public really buy into car industry speak? C-segment this, crossover that: most buyers see a car they like, and if it fits their needs and the PCP allows, they’ll part with their cash. “The hatch gets a reboot,” proclaims the brochure, as Citroen goes to great lengths to convince us that, as far as the Cactus is concerned, the crossover is dead, long live the hatchback. It turns out the world wasn’t ready for “a new interpretation of crossover”, so Citroen is off in a different direction. For the Citroen C4 Cactus, that moment came in 2014, when the innovative French crossover managed to upstage the more expensive metal at the Geneva Motor Show.įour years later, the Cactus has been given a makeover, stripped of many of its quirky features to gain mass-market appeal. It will also be fully electric, and showcases what Belloni describes as a “new mobility system”.You only get one chance to make a good first impression. The concept will be small city-focused and previews an "affordable” production car. Belloni describes it as being “as important to Citroën as the 2CV was” and showcasing a “revolution” for the brand. We can expect to see a familiar range of Puretech petrol and BlueHDI diesel engines alongside the electric version.īefore that car’s launch, in 2019 Citroën will show two new concept cars, the first of which will debut at the Geneva motor show as the centrepiece of its centenary celebrations. It will also feature further developments of Citroën’s Advanced Comfort strategy, with more comfortable seats and better refinement. The new models form part of the PSA Group’s wide-reaching electrification plans, which will see a plug-in hybrid or electric version of every Citroën, DS, Peugeot and Vauxhall launched from next year onwards.įurther details of the new C4 Cactus are thin on the ground, but we know it will usher in a new design language with inspiration from the Cxperience concept of 2016.
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