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Citroen C4 Cactus Rip Curl Special Edition Review

Citroen have launched a special edition of their game changing C4 Cactus model.

Starting price:
From £18,840

From £18,840
Pros:
  • A crossover that is quirky in design
  • Comfortable ‘sofa’ like front seats
  • Fuss-free interior
Cons:
  • Ride lacks stability and comfort
More On This Car
Take one for a spin or order a brochure
Request a Citroen C4 Cactus brochure
Request a Citroen C4 Cactus test drive

Introduction

When Citroen unveiled their C4 Cactus it marked a new design era, not only was it quirky with it’s distinctive airbumps on the side panels, it was also bold enough to stand out from the crowd and be a success. Now the manufacturer has brought out a new trim level in partnership with Rip Curl, the legendary surf brand with their C4 Cactus Rip Curl Special Edition.

On The Road

Performance

There is a petrol and diesel available with the C4 Cactus Rip Curl; the petrol PureTech 110 S & S was 2015 and 2016 International engine of the year and the three-cylinder, 110hp 1.2-litre is available only as a manual and has a top speed of 117mph.

The turbocharged BlueHDi 100 does 0-62mph in 10.6 seconds, produces 100hp with 254 Nm of torque and is also available as a smooth, five-speed manual.

Both engines work well, the three-cylinder petrol humming along with its trademark sound.

Ride Handling

The ride is questionable on the Cactus; it is very jittery on less than smooth road surfaces and doesn’t feel too planted when pushing it into corners. It does handle better though, steering is heavy but with good feedback but unfortunately it’s the ride which lets it down from being a really good driving experience.

A first for the Citroen C4 Cactus range is a grip control system which comes as standard and with five driving modes to tackle snow, mud and even sand then these sorts of conditions can be tackled with plenty of traction on the all-season tyres.

Styling

Citroen have produced a really good car and what differentiates this special edition to the standard Cactus is white door mirrors, Rip Curl graphics on the bodywork and black airbumps as standard although there is the option of Dune, Chocolate and Stone Grey coloured ones.

Roof bars are not just a stylish add on buy can be used to carry a surfboard, maybe...and the aluminium effect protection plates have been added at the front and rear just in case you take it over a sand dune while on the way to surfing...

The diesel is quite noisy, especially at high revs but the cabin is well insulated from road and wind noise.

In The Car

Behind the Wheel

If you’re looking for something a bit different in an interior then jumping into the Cactus and you won’t be disappointed.

Firstly, front seats are large and extremely comfortable, think of your favourite sofa transferred into your car and that about sums it up. The only negative is that the arm rest can get in the way when changing gear.

Forget analogue dials as a rectangular digital screen sits in its place but add the luggage style handles on the doors, orange coloured seatbelts, speaker surrounds and car mat edging and it looks very ‘rad’.

A 7-inch touchscreen comes as standard along with rear parking sensors, air-conditioning, navigation, cruise control and tinted windows.

Space & Practicality

The Cactus has lots of space, a bright panoramic glass roof as standard, leg room is good at the front and for rear passengers too while there are plenty of storage spaces around the car. The topbox holds 8.5-litres, much more space than a glovebox and because of its design the passenger airbag is now situated in the roof.

With a split rear bench seat that can be folded down, boot space can be increased from 358-litres to 1170 and it’s spacious enough to fit in four large suitcases.

Ownership

Running Costs

The Citroen C4 Cactus Rip Curl Special Edition is priced from £18,840 so it’s over £5,000 more than the entry level Cactus, but if you’re an adventure seeker and want a car to match then this is a good choice. It comes with a three year warranty and twelve year anti-perforation and three-year paint warranties.

Running costs will be very good as Citroen reckon the diesel can achieve a class-leading, combined 91.1mpg and emit just 82g/km of CO2, so will cost nothing in road tax.

The petrol has CO2 emissions of just 100g/km so will also be free from road tax and combined mpg is around the early sixty mark.

Quality & Reliability

The C4 Cactus Rip Curl is quality car, the black gloss inserts, leather steering wheel and orange styling additions make it look stylish and we also like the simplicity of the interior - even the rear windows pop out, rather than wind down.

The C4 Cactus has garnered quite a few accolades, it was Top Gear Magazine’s Hatchback of the Year the year it was released and it also won the World Car Design of the Year in 2015, but despite this Citroen doesn’t always have the best reliability.

Safety & Security

The Citroen C4 Cactus took four stars in the Euro NCAP tests in the year it was launched with 82% adult protection and 79% for children, so it’s fundamentally still a safe car.

Safety systems and driving aids include hill start assist, electronic stability control, park assist which manoeuvres the car into a space and all the driver has to do is control acceleration and braking.

A world first was the front passenger airbag in the roof instead of being where a glovebox usually is but it also comes with front, driver and curtain airbags.

The airbumps are a good protective barrier against dents and scrapes, especially from errant shopping trolleys and those other cars that always park too close (!) and can be replaced cheaply.

The car can be secured with remote central locking and an immobiliser.

More On This Car
Take one for a spin or order a brochure
Request a Citroen C4 Cactus brochure
Request a Citroen C4 Cactus test drive
By Olivia Gauch
Sep 13, 2016

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