Citroen C4 Cactus (2014 – 2021) Review

The Citroen C4 Cactus represented a true return to form for the brand when it first arrived in 2014. With funky looks yet a practical interior and low running costs, it makes for an excellent family car and a solid purchase on the used market. Read our full Citroen C4 Cactus review to find out if it's the car for you.

The bold exterior styling on the Citroen C4 Cactus will still turn heads today, even against a growing backdrop of other small SUVs on the market. It's a shame the 'Airbumps' were slimmed down when the car was facelifted in 2018. These are the air-filled panels fitted to the side of the C4 Cactus, intended to defend the doors against parking dents (as well as look a bit quirky).

The interior is as style-led as the exterior with an elegant and minimalist design that was apparently inspired by luggage and travel. It has a bespoke and boutique feel that's unlike any other car on the market with nice features such as leather straps for door handles. There's also plenty of space thanks to a thin dash design and the option of a front bench-style seat.

Citroen included some useable technology too, with a simple digital instrument display that not only looks great but is easy to read. The rest of the cabin is very simply laid out, with an iPad-style touchscreen on top of the centre stack. Even the upholstery is outside of the ordinary, with fluffier fabrics used in some places instead of the usual materials.

The engine range includes Citroen's strong HDi diesels but we've been most impressed with the 1.2-litre PureTech petrol. This may seem small but thanks to the light weight of the C4 Cactus the turbocharged three-cylinder engine provides nippy performance with good refinement. It's not as economical as official figures suggest, though – expect to see mid-40s MPG at best in the real world.

On the road, the Citroen C4 Cactus drives well with a forgiving ride and decent refinement, while there's little wind or road noise even at motorway speeds. With prices for early examples now dipping below £6000, the C4 Cactus represents a lot of car for the money. It's the ideal family car provided you can live with how it looks.

The Citroen C4 Cactus is a solid used purchase today but if you want a more conventional used hatchback, you may also want to look at the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf. Crossover SUV alternatives include the Dacia Duster, Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka X.

Citroen has a somewhat hit-and-miss record when it comes to ride and handling. Thankfully, the C4 Cactus gets the balance spot on. The ride is smooth thanks to a perfectly judged suspension set-up, which means it's comfortable around town and deals very well with uneven roads and rough surfaces.

Given this is designed as a family car that's a key strength. Fortunately, though it doesn't come at the expense of handling. The C4 Cactus has plenty of grip and most crucially, doesn't roll too much in corners, helped by the short overhangs. Of course it's no sports car, yet still copes well through bends meaning your back seat passengers won't feel sick on twisting country roads.

The steering is somewhat light but it's no surprise to discover that the C4 Cactus is based on the same chassis as the DS3, a car we rate very highly.

On the motorway it's equally as impressive with minimal road or wind noise. In fact it makes a very good long distance car thanks to its relaxed nature and comfortable seats. Visibility is very good too and thanks to the semi-raised ride height, you get a slightly elevated view, which is useful in town or when parking. The square shape of the C4 Cactus means it's easy to judge the extremities.

Thanks to the relatively light weight of the C4 Cactus (it weighs 200kg less than an equivalent C4 hatchback), Citroen was able to use smaller engines which consequently meant better fuel economy. The petrol engine is a 1.2-litre PureTech unit, an engine we've now seen across a wide variety of Peugeot-Citroen models and have been thoroughly impressed with.

There are several versions of this three-cylinder PureTech engine with the entry-level developing 75PS, a mid-level 82PS version that also came with the semi-automatic ETG6 gearbox and the top 110PS model that came with a 5-speed manual. While it may seem small, don't let its size put you off the PureTech unit - it's a real gem. Thanks to the fact it's turbocharged, it has plenty of low down pulling power and the most powerful 110PS version delivers 205Nm of torque from low revs.

It's also very smooth for a three-cylinder unit, yet still has some of the character in the way it accelerates, which gives it a nicely sporty feel. It's further helped by a decent five-speed manual gearbox with an easy shift, although it does feel a little woolly and has a long throw.

The engine does get a touch noisy at high revs - it's not as quiet as in the Peugeot 308 - but at motorway speeds you can barely hear it. The 1.2-litre unit it also very economical with all the manual versions returning 61.4mpg according to the claimed figures. Low CO2 of under 110g/km means cheap tax.

Alongside the petrol engine is the 1.6-litre diesel. There are two versions, a lesser powered 82PS model that only came with the ETG6 gearbox and the top 100PS. Go for the latter and you'll get the most efficient model in the range with an incredible claimed 91.1mpg and CO2 of just 82g/km thanks to ultra low rolling resistance tyres.

The HDi diesel is a strong and refined engine that's well suited to the C4 Cactus if you're going to be covering long distances. The semi-automatic ETG6 gearbox is best avoided though. It's a development of Citroen's much maligned EGC system and although it has new software and is marginally better, it's still jerky and slow. Unless you must have an automatic we'd suggest sticking with the fine manual.

The Citroen C4 Cactus was awarded four stars (out of five) when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2014. It lost a star for its lack of safety-assist features, such as a lane-guidance system or autonomous emergency braking.

With a feeling of spaciousness and comfortable seats, the interior of the C4 Cactus has a real lounge feel to it. It's a lovely place to spend time. If you go for an ETG6 model you also get a front bench-style front seat, further adding to the comfortable feel.

That feeling of space is helped by the simplified dashboard which is thinner thanks to the fact the passenger airbag is cleverly roof mounted - a first on any car.

There are a few quirks. The central storage tray and cupholder in front of the gear lever are both shallow and not very useful while there's only one air vent for the front passenger, which although bigger isn't as effective as having a traditional vent by the door.

The rear bench seat is a single piece rather than a 50/50 split and so it can be a little cumbersome to fold down. The back windows are also pop-out affairs rather than proper wind-down ones.

On the plus side, there's generous rear passenger space, with plenty of legroom while the boot is large with a wide opening and 358 litres of carrying space. A panoramic glass roof is available as an option on all models and comes with advanced heat insulation although it's still surprising that there's no blind to slide across. However, overall, the interior of the C4 Cactus has a high quality feel to it with an impressive level of fit and finish.

In terms of exterior dimensions, the Citroen C4 Cactus measures 4157mm in length, 1729mm in width and 1530mm in height. These figures changed slightly with the facelift – post-2018 models measure 4170mm in length, 1710mm in width and 1480mm in height.

Often with design led cars, you get an exciting exterior only to be disappointed with a run-of-the-mill cabin. Thankfully that's not the case with the C4 Cactus. Citroen has managed to create a truly bespoke and boutique interior that's unlike any other Citroen. In fact, it's unlike anything else on the market and helps the C4 Cactus stand above many of its rivals.

The minimalist design blends modern elements with some neat design details like the door handles and dashtop glovebox that are inspired by luggage straps. Instead of the usual plastic, the doors can be specified with softer and fluffier materials as part of three interior 'ambiances', Stone Grey, Purple Highlight and Habana Highlight.

Even today, the cabin in the C4 Cactus looks pretty modern with a completely digital instrument display that's clear and uncluttered (although there's no rev counter which is a little odd).

In the middle of the dash is a large seven-inch high resolution touchscreen that controls all the main functions. It means the C4 Cactus is indeed minimalist with just six buttons. The touchscreen system controls all heating and ventilation, media, navigation, vehicle settings and Bluetooth. There are useful shortcut touch sensitive buttons on the side so you can navigate easily.

It's a good system and easy to work, helped by those shortcut buttons. Sometimes it can be a little annoying, for instance if you jump in and are trying to set the navigation but then decide to change the air conditioning temperature, you have to go to a different menu. But that aside, it's one of the best in-car systems we've come across. It also looks good, much like a sleek tablet atop the dash. It's another feature that gives the C4 Cactus an upmarket feel.

When it was new in 2014, you could pick up a Citroen C4 Cactus from as little as £13,000 – a figure that won't even get you a new Ford Fiesta today. The start price crept up over time and, by 2019, the most affordable C4 Cactus would set you back around £20,000.

The wonder of depreciation means you won't have to pay that kind of money for a C4 Cactus today. Early examples start from around £6000 - although they're likely to be a little ropey for this price, with high mileages and questionable service records.

A budget of £10,000 will get you a good example of the Citroen C4 Cactus – maybe even a facelifted example, although we'd personally prefer a high-spec pre-facelift car with its funkier looks.

Running costs should be low, with our Real MPG data showing around 44.0mpg on average from the 1.2-litre Puretech petrol engine and more than 60.0mpg from the diesels. Don't limit your search to diesels, though – particularly if you're planning to use the C4 Cactus for short journeys or regular around-town use. Doing so could quickly rack up repair bills due to a blocked diesel particulate filter (DPF).

Issues with the Citroen C4 Cactus seem to be fairly rare, although we have had a few faults reported with the semi-automatic ETG gearbox. It's probably worth avoiding this on older examples unless you really must have an automatic.

Buyers could choose from two core trim levels: Feel and Flair.

The Citroen C4 Cactus Feel featured 16-inch alloy wheels, gloss black door mirrors, body-coloured door handles and black Airbumps. Inside, the C4 Cactus Feel came with a wild grey interior ambiance, the brand's Advanced Comfort seats, front armrest and height adjustment for the driver's seat as well as adjustable lumbar support.

In-car entertainment was provided by a seven-inch touchscreen display, DAB radio (with six speakers), Bluetooth and Mirror Screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Citroen C4 Cactus feel also came with air conditioning, rear parking sensors, cruise control, an alarm system, a space-saver spare wheel and two rear Isofix mounting points.

The Citroen C4 Cactus Flair added 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, dark tinted rear windows, electric folding door mirrors, Citroen Connect navigation with TomTom mapping, automatic air con, a panoramic glass roof, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers. The Flair also added desriable safety features including an Active Safety Brake, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Sign Recognition and Driver Attention Alert.

Available for a limited period, the Citroen C4 Cactus Feel Edition was available in a choice of five exterior colours (Polar White, Cumulus Grey, Platinum Grey, Obsidian Black and Pearl White). The Feel Edition also featured a deep red colour pack, a Metropolitan Red interior ambiance and 16-inch black alloy wheels.