12 Sep 07
The C-Cactus is intended to show that low-impact cars needn't be complex or expensive. Based on the C4, the four-door C-Cactus has a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain with a 70bhp diesel engine and 30bhp electric motor delivering 83mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of just 78g/km. Its top speed is a modest 93mph and it has an electric-only mode for zero-emissions running at low speeds, such as stop-start town driving. The diesel motor then kicks in for greater acceleration and progress at higher speeds.
Simply constructed, with half the number of components of a conventional equivalent and many parts made from recycled materials, the C-Cactus has no non-essential features and many functions combined into a single unit. There's no dashboard, for example: the essentials are all on the centre console or the fixed-hub steering wheel, and the ignition key doubles as an MP3 player.
The front seats consist of a solid frame with moulded foam, while the rest of the cabin makes good use of recycled materials, including a leather floor made from offcuts.
There's no conventional bonnet, just a flap giving access to the oil and screenwash fillers. The unpainted doors, made of recycled steel, have just two parts, and the windows use sliding panes instead of opening mechanisms.
The large windscreen and glass roof panel make the cabin light and roomy-feeling, and a two-piece tailgate/rear bumper section gives access to a load bay big enough to hold 1,000 litres of luggage. Neat touches include a clip-on bag in place of a conventional glovebox.
And the C-Cactus name? Because it's low on consumption, like the cactus, says Citroen.
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