A bit confusing, the history of C4 Cactus. The first cute incarnation appeared in 2014 as a quirky, air-filled small SUV. It uses Citroen’s old-fashioned design to stand out from the crowd, but it also provides a practical, comfortable and fuel-efficient driving experience. However, it is sold only by appearance, because it looks different from anything else, and has a series of bright colors that contrast sharply with the protruding bumps on the side.

The 2018 facelift ushered in the sharper but less cute Cactus, which minimized Airbumps and adopted a more mainstream approach. In the process, it was sold as an ordinary family hatch instead of an SUV. It was retired this year and its position was replaced by the new C4. This car has been a family incubator until then but is now sold as an SUV. Clear? OK. Then we continue. 

Click here to buy the next used C4 Cactus from Autocar

Well, first a series of frugal gasoline and diesel engines are provided. For gasoline, there is an 81bhp three-cylinder 1.2-liter and two turbocharged versions of the same device, which can produce 109bhp or 128bhp. Originally the only diesel was 99bhp 1.6 liters, which was replaced by 1.5 liters (also 99bhp) as part of the car's facelift. The pre-facelift example has four different decoration levels: Touch, Feel, Flair and Flair Edition. Touch is equipped with a 7.0-inch touch screen infotainment system, DAB radio, USB port and cruise control. Feel adds air conditioning, Bluetooth and leather-trimmed steering wheel, as well as bright black exterior and door handles of the same color as the body. Flair has added more kits, including satellite navigation and rear-view cameras. The Flair Edition provides you with exquisite seats and panoramic sunroofs. 

The revamped car gets more safety kits-including emergency brake assist and lane departure warning-and only offers Feel and Flair decorations. Feel has inherited many of the previous features, but Flair is equipped with all the features of Flair Edition, as well as additional safety technologies, including automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and speed limit recognition. Internally, all car infotainment systems are mirrored by Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink smartphones. 

In terms of ride and handling, it is clear that Citroen is trying to prioritize comfort. The modified car is equipped with progressive hydraulic cushions designed to slow the suspension's response to large compressions. In other words, riding can be grasped because the soft suspension allows the body to tilt forward and backward. In the corner, too light steering will not give people a sense of confidence. At least the grip is strong enough, if you cross the mark, it will understeer in an easy-to-control way. 

There is plenty of space in the front, and the super soft seats give the impression of sinking into your favorite armchair. The rear space is suitable for two instead of three because the C4 Cactus is not very wide. Despite this, there is still plenty of leg and head room, and its boots are of reasonable size. However, it has a high lip and the opening is not that large, which makes it more difficult to load larger items. 

Prices for high-mileage early cars start at around £5,000. A low mileage 2015 car with a complete service history is about £6,500; £7,500-8,000 can be purchased for 2017 cars, and £9,000-10,000 can be obtained from dealers for low mileage 2018. Spend between £13,000 and £18,000 on refurbished 2019 and 2020 cars. 

The fuel consumption of the 1.6-liter diesel engine was 78.5mpg and 95g/km; later, the 1.5-liter diesel vehicle tested by WLTP returned 70.6mpg. The gasoline turbocharged Puretech 110 returns 65.7mpg and 100g/km, or 61.4mpg after the replacement, or Puretech 130 returns 56.5mpg.

Engine: Diesel engines need to be driven on highways regularly, so the diesel particulate filter (DPF) will not be clogged. 

Electrical: Many electrical problems have been reported, including air conditioning and satellite navigation. 

Suspension: Some disgruntled car owners have reported suspension problems. 

Recall: Certain models of DPF produced between January and May 2018 may be damaged by a piece of plastic in the exhaust. Please contact the dealer to find out if your car is affected. The glue on the bumper trim of some 2016 models may come off. The dealer will be able to stick it together with better glue. 

The hood latch on cars produced from May 2014 to September 2015 may not be able to maintain the speed of the hood. If your car is affected, please consult a Citroen dealer. Some 2016 cars with automatic "boxes" may have gear shifting problems and require a new part. 

The starting motor may overheat due to problems, and in extreme cases may catch fire. The affected vehicles were manufactured between June 2016 and October 2016. Please check with your dealer whether repairs have been carried out. 

The protective sleeve on the fuel pipe may wear out other engine components, causing fuel leaks in cars produced between September 2016 and February 2017. Please consult your dealer.

Reliability C4 Cactus did not appear in the latest reliability survey of our sister magazine What Car?, but Citroen, as a brand, ranks 11th among 30 brands, which is worthy of respect. 

1.2 110: We like the three-cylinder 1.2-liter gasoline, but we only recommend the turbocharged 109bhp version. The smaller 81bhp petrol is quite slow, and the 128bhp version is not that frugal in the real world.

1.2 130 Flair version: Cactus does not have a popular version, but, leaving fuel consumption behind, we will choose 128bhp petrol in the top Flair version decoration to get a little panoramic roof magnificence. 

Feel: Go feel trim to get air conditioning. This is because the rear window of the C4 Cactus just pops up instead of closing, which may not satisfy some of your back seat passengers.

2015 C4 Cactus 1.2 Puretech 82 Feel, 35,000 miles, 7,000 pounds

2017 C4 Cactus 1.6 BlueHDi Flair, 30,000 miles, £9,995

2020 C4 Cactus 1.2 Puretech Flair, 3000 miles, 18,000 pounds

"The glue on the bumper fascia of some 2016 models may come off." This seems to be a small problem, but it is a typical problem of Citroen's quality engineering and control. My Citroen has plastic parts, which makes me ashamed of Citroen's material engineers.