First Drive: 2014 Citroen C4 Cactus [Review]

Join us as we put Citroen\'s funky C4 Cactus crossover through its paces on the outskirts of Paris.

Citroën displayed two classic cars at this year's edition of the Paris Motor Show. One was a 1971 DS 21, a large, luxurious and futuristic sedan that many will recognize from the TV show The Mentalist. The other was a 1988 2CV 6 Spécial, a Spartan open-top four-seater powered by an air-cooled flat-twin engine with a displacement of just 602 cubic centimeters.

The classics weren't there to simply embellish Citroën's display. They were brought over from the company's large warehouse on the outskirts of Paris to quietly announce that Citroën has split into two distinct companies.

The plan was outlined by company executives a couple of months ago. Starting early next year, Citroën's premium DS-badged models will be branched off into a newly-founded standalone brand that will gradually take on major players in the luxury segment like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Peugeot will move up a notch to compete head-on against Volkswagen, and Citroën will shift down a little in order to sell cars that are more basic and more affordable than Peugeot's. The first car designed with Citroën's new positioning in mind is a crossover called C4 Cactus that was presented last March at the Geneva Motor Show.

What is it? Aimed at the quick-growing compact crossover segment, the C4 Cactus competes against the rugged Dacia Duster and the ever-popular Nissan Juke. It stretches 163 inches long, 68 inches wide and 58 inches tall, dimensions that make it roughly the same size as the Juke. It tips the scale at 2,127 pounds in its lightest configuration thanks in part to a platform that it shares with many of Citroën's small hatchbacks.

The Cactus turned a surprising amount of heads during our drive - it would have been more discreet to putt around Paris in a Wankel-powered spaceship. Its front end features a polarizing design that the general public seems to either love or hate, and it further stands out with large plastic strips called Airbump that are designed to protect the body from dings, dents and scratches. Available in four colors, the Airbump panels can be easily replaced if they get damaged or if the owner wants to change the color.

To keep costs in check, the Cactus shares its three- and four-cylinder engines with other members of the Citroën lineup. The model tested here is powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder mill that sends 110 horsepower and 151 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. Citroën is not planning on offering a four-wheel drive variant of the Cactus because the crossover is largely aimed at city-dwelling buyers who rarely venture off the beaten path.

Life AboardThe Airbump cladding is just the beginning of the Cactus' story. Step inside and it becomes immediately evident that the cabin is unlike anything else on the market today.

The dashboard is surprisingly clean because the connectivity, climate control, entertainment and navigation functions are all accessed exclusively via a seven-inch color touch screen that pops out from the top of the center console. Similarly, the instrument cluster has been replaced by a thin rectangular digital display and Citroën has mounted the front airbags right above the windshield, a first in a regular-production vehicle. The setup allowed designers to clear up space for a large glovebox whose lid is designed to look like a vintage suitcase. Overall, the uncluttered look creates a welcomed sense of openness.

The touch screen runs Citroën's MultiCity Connect infotainment system. It is highly intuitive to use and it responds quickly to input but some of the displays - notably for the navigation - look a little dated. The navigation system requires the use of a USB-like key that plugs into a slot located below the lone passenger-side air vent on the center console. While it's not an overly disturbing feature, we can't help but feel like the slot should have been placed in a more discreet location in order to put the real estate it takes up to better use.

Citroën went to great lengths to make the Cactus as comfortable as possible without resorting to giving it a boat-like ride. The front seats are supportive and surprisingly wide considering the size of the car, and even the arm rests integrated into the door panels are plush. Headroom is generous up front but the gently sloping roofline will make taller passengers feel a little cramped in the back.

The Cactus offers 12.6 cubic feet of trunk space with five passengers on board. The rear seats folds down when extra cargo space is needed but a split bench is not available, a telltale sign of the crossover's decidedly downmarket positioning. Similarly, the rear windows pop out instead of rolling down, an annoying feature that we expect to find in a small economy car, not in a crossover.

On the RoadThe 110-horsepower turbo three delivers power in a linear manner, there isn't as much turbo lag as you'd expect from such a small engine and the vibrations typically associated with a three-banger are largely kept in check. The five-speed manual stands out as one of the best-geared units we've driven in a long time - it's certainly among the best transmissions Citroën has ever built.

The Cactus is nimble to drive around town because of its small footprint and its well-weighted steering. Getting up to 60 mph from a stop takes a little over nine seconds, a respectable statistic for the segment, and once there the Cactus is relaxing and comfortable to drive, though a sixth gear would go a long ways in reducing engine noise. In mixed driving we averaged about 47 mpg.

Handling is relatively tight, the Cactus takes on twisty back roads in the countryside in a composed manner. The suspension is soft enough to provide a cushy ride and filter out imperfections in the road yet the Cactus doesn't corner with an exorbitant amount of body roll. However, buyers whose primary concern is comfort will certainly bypass the 17-inch alloys fitted to our test car and opt for smaller 15- or 16-inch rims wrapped by bigger tires.

Front visibility is adequate because the Cactus offers a high seating position and its A pillars are thin, but rear visibility is compromised by the thick C-pillars and the small rear window. This is partially offset by the rear-view camera that comes standard on many trim levels.

Leftlane's Bottom LineThe Citroën C4 Cactus is a back-to-the-basics machine that is devoid of most superfluous equipment and, consequently, it isn't for everyone. There are buyers who will inevitably not like the design and others who will look at the competition because they're after more features and more powerful engines.

That doesn't mean the Cactus is rudimentary, far from it. It's comfortable and versatile thanks to a highly-innovative design that is equal parts form and function. Close in spirit to the iconic 2CV, the quirky Cactus stands out as one of the most interesting Citroëns introduced over the past quarter of a century.

Photos by Ronan Glon.