Citroën C4 Cactus has been named ‘Production Car of the Year’ by Car Design News.

The bold design and styling of the New Citroën C4 Cactus has been recognised by Car Design News, which has named it their ‘Production Car of the Year’. Judged by a panel of design experts and industry professionals, the award was presented at the Car Design Night in Geneva earlier this week.

Car Design News is a leading resource for automotive design industry professionals. Since 1999 it has provided invaluable information, advice and insights to students and design directors alike, thanks to its network of writers and industry analysts. Car Design News’ primary presence is online, allowing it to deliver the latest news, reviews and opinions to the design community.

The Car Design News awards are completely independent and the judges simply had to choose their top three production cars from 12 contenders to decide the victor in the production car category.

Editor of Car Design News, Owen Ready, said; “Every so often, a product appears that manages to side-step the usual product replacement-driven development cycles and rigid marketing requirements. A design that is both against the grain, yet perfectly adapted. 

Citroën’s C4 Cactus is a prime example of this rarefied breed, a fact illustrated by its dominance in this year’s judging process.”

Bek Hassan, Citroën’s Brand Director in the UK, said; “It’s fantastic that C4 Cactus has been honoured by Car Design News. This award is presented by professionals who design cars themselves, so it speaks volumes about the creative talent we have working for the brand. I would like to congratulate Alexandre Malval, the Head of Citroën Design, and his team on their success. The C4 Cactus embodies the positioning of the Citroën brand, so it’s a ringing endorsement for our future design strategy.”

The C4 Cactus has been honoured with a variety of industry awards since it first launched in September 2014, including the highly-prized BBC TopGear Magazine ‘Hatchback of the Year’ accolade.

The Citroën C4 Cactus will be on display on the Citroën stand at the Geneva Motor Show from 5 to 15 March.

UK COTY - SMALL HATCHBACK - Citroen takes title with multi award winning Cactus.

The New Citroën C4 Cactus has been voted ‘Small Hatchback of the Year’ in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2015. The awards are presented annually by an independent panel of UK journalists who vote for the best new cars on sale in the UK. The winners are announced to coincide with the arrival of the new vehicle registration plate in March.

The Citroën C4 Cactus has been named ‘Small Hatchback of the Year’ in the 2015 UK Car of the Year Awards (UKCOTY). The awards are voted for by an independent judging panel of expert motoring journalists, who are proud to offer impartial advice that is specifically aimed at the British car-buying public.  

The awards are judged across 12 categories, with the winners being selected by professional journalists who are experts in various sectors of the automotive industry. Many of the judges will test drive more than 300 cars per year and reach a combined audience of over 80 million consumers.

The bold and distinctive Citroën C4 Cactus won over the judges in the highly-prized small hatchback category thanks to a variety of attributes, including its “genuine innovation” in this sector. The C4 Cactus is described as “the quirkiest car of the year” with “refreshing looks” and “a sense of fun.”

In addition to this latest accolade from the UKCOTY judging panel, the New C4 Cactus has been presented with a variety of industry awards since its launch in September 2014, including BBC TopGear Magazine ‘Hatchback of the Year’. The New Citroën C4 Cactus is also shortlisted with 6 other finalists for the 2015 European Car of the Year Award.  

QUOTE, UNQUOTE: COMMENTS FROM THE UKCOTY JUDGING PANEL

Tom Ford

“For so long the small hatch has been the place where manufacturers play it safe with styling, afraid to push the boundaries. But no more. The Cactus might be based on humble bones, but the styling and ethos of simplicity are a true breath of fresh air. Making an expensive car appealing is easy – making a cheap car with character is hard.”

Chris Russon

“A great all rounder. Quirky looks, but very functional.”

Alex Goy

“Citroën’s C4 Cactus is a funky French car that doesn't deal in pretention. It deals with the 'eco' issues by being uncomplicated and light, not overly fussy with eco tech as heavier cars would be. The air bumps offer a fun, though aesthetically divisive, solution to the rigors of family life too. Looks the biz and drives nicely.”

Richard Yarrow

“Genuine innovation, great design and honest in its qualities.”

David Ross

“Citroën is back to doing what it does best, making quirky and stylish cars with family appeal.”

Olivia Gauch

“The quirky styling with the Airbump technology makes this car so appealing to buyers. Always refreshing to see something look so different that stands out on the roads. It is also well-priced, comfortable and has a good range of engines available.”

Simon Harris  

“The car is distinctive, attractive, inexpensive to buy and run, and injects a sense of fun into a sector whose products often lack the first and last of those ingredients.”

Matt Joy

“A genuine attempt to reinvent the small car; finally a vehicle that obviously wasn’t honed at the Nurburgring, and is all the better for it.”

Alisdair Suttie

“Quirky, fun and affordable, the C4 Cactus is also practical, safe and all the things a great Citroën – and small hatch – should be.”

Paul Barker
“Exactly the car Citroën should be doing and the kind of thing no other manufacturer is capable of doing. Very efficient, clever and innovative.”

Graeme Lambert
“More innovation from the French. It’s in danger of becoming another ‘journalists’ car, but the Cactus is genuinely different, and like Citroëns of old to drive.”

Guy Bird
“The most original affordable small car launched for years, with a genuinely innovative exterior and a thoughtfully designed interior.”

John Challen – UKCOTY Editor & Managing Director

“Proof that daring to be different when it comes to styling can work. An impressive vehicle to drive and spend time in as well.”

Peugeot celebrates five wins in the 2013 MPG Marathon

• New Peugeot 308 and 208 GTi take five MPG Marathon awards in both diesel and petrol classes
• Stylish new 308 achieved an average 82mpg over the 350-mile journey around the UK
• Performance-model 208 GTi demonstrates economy capability with nearly 60mpg overall

In the ever-challenging MPG Marathon, this year held from Tankersley, near Sheffield, three new Peugeot cars were pitched against their latest competitors to highlight real-world economy driving.

Two New Peugeot 308 HDi 92 models were entered with sub 100g/km CO2 and a Combined Drive Cycle exceeding 75mpg, along with the 208 GTi, more likely to be sought for its 200bhp output, agility and acceleration, but with CO2 at an impressively low 139g/km and a Combined Drive Cycle at 47.9mpg is clearly an accomplished all-round performer.

This year’s event for the first time had five set locations across the UK (Lincoln, York, Manchester, Burton-upon-Trent & Tankersley) but relied on the navigation skills of the co-driver to chance the best route in real-world driving conditions.

The final results show that with the intention of economical driving, it is possible to exceed the Government’s 'New Car Fuel Consumption and Emission Figures' (Directive 93/116/EC as amended by Regulation (EC) 692/2008) as John Kendall and Paul Nieuwenhuis in the petrol-powered 208 GTi achieved 59.39mpg over 341.1 miles – ‘the best percentage improvement’ (24%) and ‘best MPG in Class 2’.

Driving the New 308 Chris Russon, who writes for the Trinity Mirror Regional Newspaper Group, with co-driver Kevin Jones achieved 82.04mpg over 350.5 miles - the ‘best percentage improvement in Class 3’ (10.4%) and the ‘2nd best percentage improvement’, while Ian Robertson of DieselCar magazine and co-driver Marc-Antoine Negre achieved 77.15mpg over 353 miles - ‘3rd best percentage improvement’ (3.8%).

Full details of the 2013 MPG Marathon are available at http://www.thempgmarathon.co.uk/

Commenting on his achievements in the MPG Marathon, Chris Russon said: “While it is important that most new cars are declaring improved economy, the fact that the New Peugeot 308 has reduced its weight by some 140kg – equivalent to two adults – means that achieving good economy is much more likely, and driven with that in mind it not only brings great achievements but makes for safer driving too.”