Citroen C4 Cactus claims bragging rights as most efficient non-hybrid vehicle on sale in Australia
The Citroen C4 Cactus is on-sale this month and has claimed bragging rights as the country’s most efficient non-hybrid or electric vehicle according to the Government.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S Green Vehicle Guide has listed the Citroen C4 Cactus as the country’s most efficient non-hybrid or electric vehicle on-sale in Australia. Citroen says it’s also the “most efficient compact SUV available,” but that likely depends on your definition of an SUV; the C4 Cactus is two-wheel drive only.
Here’s what Citroen said about the news, “In nature Cacti are known as plants which use few resources and the automotive version is no different.” Okay.
Buyers can choose from either a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol which produces 81kW at 5500rpm and 205Nm of torque from just 1500rpm. It’s mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and drinks a combined 4.7L/100km and emits 107g/km CO2. Or a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel fitted with a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with drinks 3.6L/100km and emits a combined 94g/km CO2.
According to the Green Vehicle Guide, the manual-equipped C4 Cactus does indeed drink 4.7L/100km and emit a combined 107g/km CO2 with a predicted annual fuel cost of $761. The claim for the turbo-diesel are also confirmed on Green Vehicle Guide; the predicted annual fuel cost is $617.
Let’s compare this to the Toyota Prius C. The Prius has long been considered a darling of the green set. The Prius C with a 1.5-litre hybrid petrol powertrain and CVT drinks a combined 3.9L/100km and emits a combined 90g/km CO2 with a predicted annual fuel cost of $723.
Citroen said it had been able to achieve its impressive ‘laboratory’ fuel consumption and emission figures because it had made elements of the car stronger but lighter, indeed it said the C4 Cactus has achieved weight savings of around 200kg compared with similarly sized vehicles. Even, it said, the digitisation of its instrumentation had saved weight.
National Marketing Manager for Citroen Australia, Dimitri Andreatidis, said the all-new Cactus brings with it a number of segment, market and industry firsts.
“The Citroen C4 Cactus is a vehicle that ushers in a range of advanced design and engineering solutions, combining to deliver one of the most efficient and striking vehicles available today,” says Andreatidis.
“From the outset the Citroen Cactus has been designed to reduce weight and wastage, while increasing efficiency and the latest Green Vehicle Guide figures reinforce that focus.”
Arriving this month, the Citroen C4 Cactus will carry a recommended retail price of $26,990 (+ORC) for the turbo-petrol manual and $29,990 (+ORC) for the turbo-diesel semi-automatic.
Who cares when motoring is this ugly, Cactus is an apt name for this turkey. Is that code for Toyota
The Peugeot 208 (while a wildly different car) has lower claimed fuel economy at 4.5l/100km combined, so the title seems a little off.
Yes, but the turbo-diesel C4 Cactus returns a combined 3.6L/100km… it’s the diesel engine they’re claiming bragging rights with. – Isaac