Citroen C4 Cactus review - driver appeal of a different kind

By most metrics, the Citroen C4 Cactus is not an ‘evo’ car. It’s chunky rather than lean, it’s not particularly fast and there isn’t a constant stream of feedback filtering back through the controls to your hands and feet.

And yet, it’s a likeable car all the same. It’s very light for a car of its size, which is certainly an evo characteristic, and there’s a certain brio to its engines and styling that makes it easy for people like us to appreciate. And it’s proof Citroen can still make interesting cars, which is a real relief.

Will you get a kick driving it down a B-road? Probably not, but as frugal daily foil to something more raucous on the weekends, it’s better than most at this price point.

Here’s where we recommend the best spec for your Cactus. Opt for the PureTech 110 petrol engine, since it’s the quickest available and still returns sensible economy. This defaults you to the manual gearbox, which is certainly better than the tardy automated manual. And much though the higher trim levels are pleasing, we’d skip the satnav (it’s not one of the better ones available and it’ll be out of date soon enough) and opt for Feel trim, which nets some funky alloy wheels and aircon. Just be aware that at over £17,000, such a spec gets temptingly close to some proper hot hatchbacks…

‘Although unable to invoke, in any way that will make your heart beat faster, ‘the thrill of driving’ (it’s a personal thing, I know, but trust me here), the Citroën C4 Cactus isn’t without a certain ‘evoness’. It splits three ways. First, for a medium-sized crossover, it’s properly light at just 1020kg, some 200kg less than the regular C4. Second, what kit remains from the radical paring-down process is useful and well-designed. And third, in certain of the darker colour combinations, it looks like it’s auditioning for a part in the next Robocop film. Let’s call it future dystopia chic.’ David Vivian, contributing editor