Citroën C4 Cactus loses Airbumps, enhances comfort

The design item that really makes the C4 Cactus stand out, is scrapped on the facelifted version. Indeed, the black plastic air cushions intended to avoid parking damage are nowhere to be seen on the flanks of the revamped model, which gains more refined facial features and 3D rear lights.

Either standard or against payment, Citroën now equips the Cactus with the latest ADAS, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB, called Active Safety Brake in Citroën lingo), lane departure warning (LDW) and traffic sign recognition. An active lane keeping assist remains unavailable, though, and the AEB has no pedestrian recognition function.

Comfort with a capital C

On the inside, the redesigned seats offer more support whilst lifting the level of comfort. So do the secondary hydraulic dampers in each coil-sprung suspension corner. Called Progressive Hydraulic Cushions (PHC), this C4 Picasso-derived system is claimed to make driving feel like a “magic carpet ride” – just like in the heyday of Citroën’s hydropneumatic suspension.

Other comfort-enhancing evolutions are focused on reducing interior noise. The windows are made of thicker glass, the door rubbers have been re-engineered, and both the bulkhead and floor feature thicker padding. Clearly, Citroën has pulled out all stops to make its B-segment cross-over the most cosseting on the market.

Picture copyright: Citroën, 2017