Citroen C4 Cactus Crossover Forum banner

New model suspension

40K views 43 replies 13 participants last post by  stocklord63 
#1 ·
Hi, I have just taken delivery of a Flair 110 6 speed on a 3 year lease, and have two major gripes:

1. No connectivity due to third party funder. I should have read the small print, but does anyone know if the Citroen emergency assist and breakdown assist, located by the rear-view mirror, are active?

2. I have noticed a real thump from the rear if I go over a speed bump at 20mph, the whole point of this car is to float over these obstacles. Has anyone else noticed this? Left rear axle seems to be worse than right. The full-width smoother speedbumps are ok, but the small ones, if one wheel goes over the middle, is terrible. It is a noticeably loud thump, worse than I've had on any previous car, which seems to defeat the object.

Any thought welcome, thanks.
 
#28 ·
Mike300 said:
Update. Well I am so fed up with this clunk and thump from the rear of the car .. I had a Rac engineers report done on my car. He was about an hour or so we took the car out and yes he heard the thump from the rear. When we got back to my home. He jacked the car up and checked all round the rear in fact all over the car. His conclusion was the inferior springs ans cheap cost cutting suspension shocks and all where to blame . He wrote to fit a quality shock absorber like billstine or spax monroe x . A much much better damping is needed to stop this thump. So folks there you have it. I hope this helps you. Regards mike
I think I'd be a bit cautious in accepting that an RAC vehicle inspection engineer knows more about the design of modern suspension systems than the Citroen design team, who claim that their approach in the " New Citroën C4 Cactus features a world-first suspension design ..."
The quote of "Cheap cost cutting suspension shocks" makes me wonder on what basis that judgment was made : a detailed inspection of the internal parts of the shock absorbers, or an external visual appraisal?
 
#29 ·
davew said:
Mike300 said:
Update. Well I am so fed up with this clunk and thump from the rear of the car .. I had a Rac engineers report done on my car. He was about an hour or so we took the car out and yes he heard the thump from the rear. When we got back to my home. He jacked the car up and checked all round the rear in fact all over the car. His conclusion was the inferior springs ans cheap cost cutting suspension shocks and all where to blame . He wrote to fit a quality shock absorber like billstine or spax monroe x . A much much better damping is needed to stop this thump. So folks there you have it. I hope this helps you. Regards mike
I think I'd be a bit cautious in accepting that an RAC vehicle inspection engineer knows more about the design of modern suspension systems than the Citroen design team, who claim that their approach in the " New Citroën C4 Cactus features a world-first suspension design ..."
The quote of "Cheap cost cutting suspension shocks" makes me wonder on what basis that judgment was made : a detailed inspection of the internal parts of the shock absorbers, or an external visual appraisal?
I couldnt agree more. The RAC will have no idea about the Unique Shock Absorbers
 
#35 ·
renagade said:
Hi Guy's
Any car that will handle speed bumps. I wish you guys could have a go in a 1972 range of Citroen DS range of which I have had three types and then you will know what a smooth ride is. Just saying.
I think things changed shortly after that date. From 1934 the company had been controlled by Michelin who financed the company's activities including research and development until 1974, when Michelin sold the company to Peugeot who quickly decided to rein in the Citroen finances.
It seems there was a different culture running things after Peugeot took over with their own design ideas, which must have stifled some of the innovative approaches that were associated with Citroens from before 1974.
So unfortunately those suspension concepts disappeared, and were replaced by more conventional and less expensive approaches.
 
#37 ·
Solution to #1: slow down over speed bumps; it's what you're supposed to do. There are no cars made that will defy the laws of physics when hitting obstructions in the road. The new suspension is designed to smooth out normal uneven roads, not to make it possible to go fast over physical speed restrictions.

Solution to #2: the lightness of the car and the form of it's rear suspension is what causes 'hopping'. Most cars of similar axle design will behave in a similar lively fashion - especially if they are lightweight cars like the Cactus.
 
#38 ·
srperry said:
Solution to #1: slow down over speed bumps; it's what you're supposed to do. There are no cars made that will defy the laws of physics when hitting obstructions in the road. The new suspension is designed to smooth out normal uneven roads, not to make it possible to go fast over physical speed restrictions.

Solution to #2: the lightness of the car and the form of it's rear suspension is what causes 'hopping'. Most cars of similar axle design will behave in a similar lively fashion - especially if they are lightweight cars like the Cactus.
Agree completely with this - I think the expectations of amazing performance, ride etc are to do with the OTT descriptions in the Citroen brochures etc.
The original Cactus was announced with great fanfares about the innovative airbumps etc which many people rather like, but they have been quietly dropped for the later model and the current advertising now has to feature some other "innovative" design feature...
 
#39 ·
Well, my take on the brochure descriptions is that they are pretty accurate and not OTT. The new suspension IS innovative and works really well. Over cobbles or rough roads the ride is very smooth. Even over sleeping policemen in my C5 Aircross there is much less of a bump than there was in my previous Cactus.

Apart from wanting something bigger, one motivation of mine for not buying the new model Cactus was the 'de-Cactusing' of the car, the removal of all the features that made it stand out from the crowd rather than blend in.
 
#40 ·
srperry said:
Well, my take on the brochure descriptions is that they are pretty accurate and not OTT. The new suspension IS innovative and works really well. Over cobbles or rough roads the ride is very smooth. Even over sleeping policemen in my C5 Aircross there is much less of a bump than there was in my previous Cactus.

Apart from wanting something bigger, one motivation of mine for not buying the new model Cactus was the 'de-Cactusing' of the car, the removal of all the features that made it stand out from the crowd rather than blend in.
I'm just comparing by noting some of the comments on this forum by drivers who seem to not be satisfied, with what the current 2019 brochure contains - I'll give you some extracts:

SUSPENSION WITH PROGRESSIVE HYDRAULIC CUSHIONS
A Citroën world exclusive providing pure driving comfort.

THE HATCH THAT REDEFINES COMFORT

A NEW KIND OF COMFORT
CITROËN ADVANCED COMFORT® delivers unrivalled comfort levels to each passenger. Using new technology
and intelligent design, it's an approach that keeps you relaxed and refreshed in body and mind. In typical Citroën style,
everything that contributes to comfort has been carefully considered and rethought. Four core themes are used
to create the perfect driving environment: soft contact points and low noise levels, interior space and versatility,
intuitive and useful technology and pure, calm comfort all round.

Innovation is part of Citroën's DNA and so is providing exceptional comfort. This is why New Citroën C4 Cactus features a world-first suspension design that delivers both extraordinary comfort and agility.
Effortlessly absorbing imperfections and changes in the road surface, the system always keeps body movements perfectly controlled for stable progress and quick responses.
*Not available on PureTech 82 models.

The Progressive Hydraulic Cushion™ is like many Citroën innovations: beautifully simple. Unlike an ordinary suspension system that uses a shock absorber, coil spring and mechanical stop, the Citroën solution adds two hydraulic cushions to smoothly control compression and rebound. This slows down large or abrupt suspension movements and glides over minor road imperfections, delivering a balance of poise and unmatched ride comfort.

My impression is that these glowing descriptions don't quite match with the comments from some drivers, whose expectations on ride quality have not been met.
 
#41 ·
davew said:
srperry said:
Well, my take on the brochure descriptions is that they are pretty accurate and not OTT. The new suspension IS innovative and works really well. Over cobbles or rough roads the ride is very smooth. Even over sleeping policemen in my C5 Aircross there is much less of a bump than there was in my previous Cactus.

Apart from wanting something bigger, one motivation of mine for not buying the new model Cactus was the 'de-Cactusing' of the car, the removal of all the features that made it stand out from the crowd rather than blend in.
I'm just comparing by noting some of the comments on this forum by drivers who seem to not be satisfied, with what the current 2019 brochure contains - I'll give you some extracts:

SUSPENSION WITH PROGRESSIVE HYDRAULIC CUSHIONS
A Citroën world exclusive providing pure driving comfort.

THE HATCH THAT REDEFINES COMFORT

A NEW KIND OF COMFORT
CITROËN ADVANCED COMFORT® delivers unrivalled comfort levels to each passenger. Using new technology
and intelligent design, it's an approach that keeps you relaxed and refreshed in body and mind. In typical Citroën style,
everything that contributes to comfort has been carefully considered and rethought. Four core themes are used
to create the perfect driving environment: soft contact points and low noise levels, interior space and versatility,
intuitive and useful technology and pure, calm comfort all round.

Innovation is part of Citroën's DNA and so is providing exceptional comfort. This is why New Citroën C4 Cactus features a world-first suspension design that delivers both extraordinary comfort and agility.
Effortlessly absorbing imperfections and changes in the road surface, the system always keeps body movements perfectly controlled for stable progress and quick responses.
*Not available on PureTech 82 models.

The Progressive Hydraulic Cushion™ is like many Citroën innovations: beautifully simple. Unlike an ordinary suspension system that uses a shock absorber, coil spring and mechanical stop, the Citroën solution adds two hydraulic cushions to smoothly control compression and rebound. This slows down large or abrupt suspension movements and glides over minor road imperfections, delivering a balance of poise and unmatched ride comfort.

My impression is that these glowing descriptions don't quite match with the comments from some drivers, whose expectations on ride quality have not been met.
The description you quote is indeed straight out of the brochures, and is absolutely factually correct - the new suspension system on the C5 Aircross and the new C4 is certainly much better for comfort than any other system currently available in the current non-millionaire car market. Nowhere does it imply that hitting a sleeping policeman at speed won't be felt! It does indeed glide over minor road imperfections, such as cobbles, and certainly adds greatly to the comfort of the car.

I'm afraid that people reading what they wish to hear into a valid and straightforward description is their own mistake and not Citroen's. Certainly the claims of misleading descriptions that have appeared here have been from people who expect miracles that are against the laws of physics.
 
#42 ·
I have a Cactus with PHC suspension since last August (14000kms in the clock)
Hungarian roads are quite bumpy. Previously I used a C4 MKI (still have it). Both driven on the same road I noticed that 'sharp' bumps are much more better absorbed in Cactus. If you have a 'stepwise' bump, like when you step down from a staircase, the rear suspension of the Cactus is much more harsh. But sleeping policemen and potholes and so on are much better in the Cactus than in the C4 (the C4 had full shock absorber change two years ago -so they are not worn).
Overall the PHCed Catus is much more comfortable than the C4, although the latter one is much better in comfortwise than VAG products in its class....
 
#44 ·
Sorry, only just seen your message.

The Citroen dealer finally acknowledged that there was an issue, and changed the rear shock absorbers. Made no difference, conclusion that it is a 'characteristic' of the car. I then gave up.

Luckily now in the final year of my lease, can't wait to get rid of it, worst car I've ever driven.
 
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