When I reacquainted myself with it earlier this year during two days of intensive judging on the WesBank / SAGMJ Car of the Year competition I liked it even more. Of course the Cactus didn't win the title. The Volvo XC90 did. But that's only because it was up against some seriously stiff competition.
Now, as I write this, I've just spent another week with the halo model Cactus - Citroën C4 Cactus 1.2l PureTech Turbo e-THP 81kW SHINE (there are three variants in the range) with the result that I like it yet more. It's so...individual in a Gallic idiom. Yet it never gets too pretentious and precious about its individuality, much of which is the happy result of putting form before function. And in a sea of increasingly anodyne "world cars" that appear to have had anything like national characteristics engineered out of them, this happy, extroverted, entertaining little machine openly celebrates its Frenchness.
The most striking aspect of the Cactus is naturally its Airbump technology. These are the bold, pliable protective plastic panels comprising air-filled cells that dominate the sides of the vehicle. And while they come as black as standard, they can be ordered in different colours.
It's a small but capacious car this, at 4.16 metres long, and it weighs fractionally over one ton.
Powering it is the award-winning 1.2-litre PureTech Turbo e-THP motor (the entry-level Cactus is naturally aspirated). This delightful little powerplant puts down 81kW and 205Nm, and with three cylinders makes a happy thrum while moving the car from rest to 100km/h in 9.3 seconds, topping out at 188km/h. Fuel consumption is a claimed 4.7 litres per 100km, and power is to the front wheels via a five-speed gearbox.
The interior is pretty cutting-edge and fun too, with a seven-inch full-colour screen housing most functions. This includes adjusting the ventilation. Something I'm not entirely happy about as physical controls are more user-friendly and perhaps safer on the move as you don't have to glance down at a screen.
Equipment levels in the capacious cabin are good, and in Shine spec as tested here, you can figure on a four-speaker sound system, multifunction steering wheel, power front windows and mirrors, reverse camera, and auto-activating headlamps and windscreen wipers.
You also get six airbags - including a passenger one that is cleverly roof-mounted to free up space - plus ABS, of course, and emergency braking assistance (EBA). Yet another great touch is a full-size spare wheel. An increasing rarity these days.
Yours for R314,900, remembering that this is the top-spec model. That includes a three-year/100,000km warranty, and a five-year/100,000km service plan.
No wonder this remarkable little vehicle has been heaped with international automotive awards. I adore it.
