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A Cactus. Can it survive hostile environments thanks to its soft waxy skin?
Yup, the C4 Cactus has a unique solution to the biffs of hard urban life. The outside is bubble-wrapped. Or more precisely it has 'Airbumps', oval pads of air embedded in sheets of a soft but high-tech and durable plastic. If an errant supermarket trolley or the door of the adjacent car nerfs the side of the Cactus, it will simply bounce off.
And a Cactus can survive on very little fluid?
Indeed. There's a diesel that rates at better than 90mpg. Even this handy turbo petrol one manages better than 60, for 105g/km. That's partly because of newly developed engines, but also because it's sensationally light – some models under a tonne. And the turbo I'm driving only 1020kg. It weighs less than a Fiesta, but is the size of a Focus.
Very admirable I'm sure. But this isn't the Consumers' Association site. You're not making it sound like much of a Top Gear kinda car.
Then look at it. This is a beautiful piece of true design, wrapping function and desirability into a distinctive form. It cannily marries straight lines with pure curves in a modern but probably dateless way. It's instantly recognisable from a distance, but it bears close inspection too. And refreshingly, it's not at all aggressive. Not sure why they sell this My First Caterpillar shade of toy yellow, because that's the wrong colour. You can get the Airbumps in four shades too, so you'll seldom see two the same.
Isn't it a bit crossover-y?
Well, it has some of those elements – the slightly raised ground clearance, and the protective perimeter. The height is good for visibility and kerb-climbing, especially given the soft suspension. No doubt with winter tyres it would be fine for the odd gravel track. But there's none of the indelible whiff of pointlessness and confusion that haunts every on-road off-roader. It's an honest Focus-size hatch, albeit one with a very different ethos.
Ethos? Sounds a bit quasi-intellectual.
Well, it's unashamedly non-sporting and comfort-biased. An immense amount of thought-power has gone into making it a car to relax and soothe you. The result of that objective could have been a car for people who don't like cars. Luckily the opposite has happened.
It has soft springs and small engines – the most rip-roaring of them is 110bhp. With no need for hard cornering, they gave it squidgy, sofa-like seats. You won't find any references to 'cockpit' design in the interior. It's all very homely.
It feels spacious. The dash has been pared right back. There's no bulky instrument binnacle, just a digital plate. No heater controls or stereo buttons – they're all on the central touch tablet. The passenger airbag has, in a first, been displaced to the roof. Result is a distant, minimal dashboard and a huge top-loading glovebox. Instead of bulky padded door pulls, luggage-like straps do the job just as well.
It's refreshingly simple to drive. No complex electronic aids, no difficult decisions, not much power or grip. It keeps your heartbeat low.
That sounds like an excuse for a dull-driving blancmange.
Well, in the melee of everyday roads, there's often more fun to be had driving a slow car briskly than a quick car slowly. The Cactus wallows a bit and rolls a lot, but it always tells you what it's up to and is actually a cheery companion.
Written By:- Paul Horrell
More of this article on the Top gear website
