CITROEN has been in a prickly position of late, with ageing models (C4, C5) in volume segments, fresh models (C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso) in dwindling segments and no sign of a sales spike from either. The C4 Cactus lobs fresh-faced into the booming small-SUV segment with hopes of becoming the maker’s top seller.

The French Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V rival kicks off from $26,990 plus on-road costs for the 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder manual and leads to $29,990 for the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with six-speed single-clutch automated manual transmission.

Both come in a highly specified Exclusive model grade that Citroen says places the C4 Cactus right at the pointy end of middle-tier class benchmarks it hopes to steal sales from.

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