The Citroen Cactus is more than a concept car; it is an insight into future models in the C line. Citroen says it is shifting the paradigm with the concept, shedding the superfluous and bringing well-being firmly into the limelight.

Pure and functional styling:
•    Strong styling choices focused on efficiency (light weight, aerodynamic)
•    High-tech gaze and flowing surfaces free of any form of aggressiveness
•    “Airbumps”, customisable design components covered with a soft skin featuring air capsules that protect the body

Ingenious design:
•    An airy driver’s station housing all the controls in a 100 percent digital interface
•    Sofa-style front seats for more human warmth and comfort
•    Authentic, natural materials laid out in a stylish, relaxed atmosphere

User-friendly technology:
•    A Hybrid Air drivetrain for attractive running costs and reduced environmental footprint

The origins of the Cactus date back to the reveal of the C-Cactus concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt show. The C-Cactus was a radical approach that posed a number of key questions: What do motorists expect from cars in today’s world? And which equipment and features really count? The exercise pushed engineers and designers to make sweeping changes and explore new solutions. They concentrated on what makes motorists feel good.

The styling of the Cactus marries the aesthetic to the practical. The idea was to keep only the essentials. This allowed the designers to explore solutions to bring customers real equipment and features.

The body styling of the Cactus is original and the styling is easy to identify, with:

•    Pure and smooth surfaces in pearlescent white
•    Flowing, aggression-free shapes
•    Floating quarterlight and roof
•    Contrasting design components, each one with a function (protection with Lama grey Airbumps and textured black wheel arches; transport with lacquered black roof arches; cabin light with the large panoramic roof).

One component stands out immediately through its originality: the Airbump.
Located on the sides and the bumpers of the car, the design component expresses a new approach that gives style a function. The Airbump strengthens the styling of the Cactus, heightening its personality. The supple skin of the Airbump features a soft treatment that resists scratches and includes air capsules that dampen impact.    

Cactus styling evokes technology and perceived quality and is entirely free of aggression.

The front end, which previews future styling of the C line, is characterised by:
•    Smooth surfaces showcasing the chevrons
•    Flowing forms with a seamless progression from bonnet to wing
•    A high-tech light signature with LED daytime running lights and lamps built in to the Airbumps

The styling at the back respects the same principle with 3D-effect LED lights built in to the wide Airbump protecting the boot.

Inside the cabin a floating dashboard frees up the floor below and on its upper part offers the front passenger easy-access storage space. The dashboard design was made possible by using a 100 percent digital interface and by optimising the driver’s station by:

•    Replacing the instrument cluster with a 7-inch screen
•    Switching control buttons for an 8-inch touchscreen connected to all vehicle functions (air conditioning, audio, satnav, connected services and driver aids)
•    Installing the passenger airbag on the ceiling
•    Replacing the traditional gearstick with push-button controls on the lower part of the dashboard and steering-wheel paddles

The new architectural approach also informs the front seats, which were designed sofa-style for extra comfort and warmth.

Extra comfort is also delivered by the panoramic roof, thermally treated to let in the light but not the heat. It protects passengers from UVs with technology similar to that used for category-4 sunglasses.

In a nod to the luggage sector, the design of the door handles and the storage space on the upper part of the dashboard was informed by decorative travel-trunk components.  

The Cactus offers technologies focused on the new needs of motorists.

The new Hybrid Air drivetrain is a case in point. The full-hybrid technology combines compressed air and the hydraulics of a PureTech petrol engine. This powertrain excellence is written into the Brand’s DNA and has led to breakthrough performance, with fuel consumption of under 3 l/100 km.

Hybrid Air technology has a reduced environmental footprint (no additional battery) and is broadly affordable thanks to:

•    Attractive cost in use (45 percent reduction in fuel consumption in urban driving)
•    Easy maintenance and servicing through the combination of proven technologies
•    No compromises on interior space

All the controls are grouped on the 8-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard, ergonomic, easy to use and offering access to Citroen Multicity Connect. The driver and passengers benefit from a portal of web-connected applications that takes vehicle data – including mileage, speed, range and GPS position – into account to generate information adapted to motorists’ needs, warning them of risk areas, locating service stations and identifying tourist destinations, among other advantages.