Light weight – Cacti start at just 965kg and none break the 1100kg mark – and small engines make the C4 Cactus very frugal, both on paper and in the real world.
We’ll start with our own experiences first: The 1.2-litre PureTech 110 gets an official combined economy figure of 65.7mpg, and in mixed driving we saw MPG in the high 40s, so mid-40s is a realistic estimate and 50-plus if you have a particularly light right foot.
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On paper the turbocharged car is actually a little better than its naturally-aspirated compatriots, but with a figure of 83.1mpg combined the diesel (with the ETG6 gearbox) would be the one to go for if ultimate economy is the goal.
Interestingly, PSA Group – the brand that controls Peugeot, Citroen and DS – recently tested the real-world economy of several of its models. It achieved 46mpg from a Cactus PureTech 110 (matching our estimation) and 55mpg from a manual-equipped Cactus diesel.
Other running costs should be low enough – Citroen has a ‘SimplyDrive’ feature that includes three years’ worth of insurance, routine servicing, tax, warranty and breakdown cover included when buying the car on finance. The Cactus also rolls on fairly sensible tyres and its light weight means you shouldn’t chew through consumables too quickly either.
