Review
One of my colleagues recently described our long-term Cactus as a ‘love it or hate it’ car.
I’m firmly in the former camp. It’s not without its flaws (more on those in a future test report), but for me the positives far outweigh the negative points.
One of those positives is its low running cost: powered by a 1.6-litre HDI engine producing 100hp, our model has an official combined fuel economy of 83.1mpg. So far, I’ve driven just over 7,000 miles and the Cactus is averaging 68-70mpg over each tank of fuel.
Its CO2 emissions of 90g/km put it in the 16% benefit-in-kind tax band, which, with a P11D price of £16,635, will give 20% taxpayers a monthly company car tax bill of just £44.33. An employer will pay £30.58 for Class 1A NIC.
One of the ways it is able to produce this level of efficiency is through its light weight: at 965kg, it is 200kg lighter than its Citroën C4 sibling.
This has been achieved through a range of measures, such as the use of high-strength steel and aluminium in its structure, while more visible signs are that its rear windows pop open rather than wind down (saving 11kg). The weight reduction gives the Cactus an agile, sprightly feel, in keeping with its fun, quirky character. I’ve found it to be an extremely likeable car.
Andrew Ryan is the features editor at Fleet News. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and has specialised in the fleet industry for the past 12.
