The Citroen C4 Cactus developed from a concept car and it retains that funky anything-goes heritage. The car has a bold shape with rubberized panels on the side doors that have real-life application.
Citroen has rethought the interior, moving away from the drive column to push buttons for drive, reverse and neutral.
The French carmaker, part of PSA Peugeot Citroen, also has raised the digital speedometer and odometer to sit on the dashboard instead of embedded in it, and put a tablet-like interactive screen at nearly eye-level for entertainment, in-car telephone as well as temperature control. The roomy glove box opens trunk-like from the top, a simple solution to prevent contents from spilling out when opened on the go.
So, why name the car Cactus, which hardly evokes aerodynamics or speed?
'It expresses robustness, solidity and sympathy,' Banzet said. 'Don't ask me why but that is the public reflection when you mention `cactus.' It expresses savings, too, because it doesn't need more water as a simple Cactus doesn't need more petrol.'
In fact, a diesel model can average 3.1 liters per 100 kilometers, or 75 miles per gallon, thanks also to weight savings in the car, Banzet said.
