THE latest Citroen C4 Cactus arrived back in May of this year and thankfully it is not as quirky as the original which was launched in 2014.

Gone are those huge airbumps on the side of the doors and the Cactus with lots of new panels looks all the better for it.

The mid-life updates are really quite extensive and they have improved the Cactus and pushed it into more mainstream territory.

The original was intended to be a small Crossover and that area is now being left to the company's Aircross models leaving the Cactus to compete in the traditional C-segment alongside traditional family hatchbacks.

The Cactus now has a new face that is in tune with Citroen's other models and the rump is also more conventional with a new tailgate and lights and the roof rails have also been ditched to streamline the car's looks.

Smaller bump panels remain at the bottom of the doors to provide protection but this time they do not look unsightly.

Inside things remain much the same with room for four adults or five for short journeys. New seats are the main talking point and they use new high-density foam to make them more comfortable. The dash and instruments are familiar and there is more use of softer materials.

There are plenty practical touches inside the cabin and the boot is a substantial 358 litres which can be increased significantly if you collapse the rear seats.

I have been driving the Flair version which now offers a strong list of safety and assistance aids as standard.

You now get automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, driver attention warning, time to take a break advice and blind spot monitoring. The car also provides a very loud bong noise when you approach a speed camera and the first time I heard it I nearly jumped out of my skin.

You also get alloy wheels, a panoramic glass sunroof, cruise control, hill start assist, steering wheel controls, Bluetooth and Citroen connect navigation.

A large touchscreen mounted on the dash enables you select all the infotainment features including DAB radio and Apple CarPlay as well as the many car settings.

The set-up is easy to use for most things but I would prefer the climate control settings to be elsewhere as they are not easy to change on the move and you have to take your eye off the road to make minor adjustments.

This car was powered by Citroen's PureTech 110 three-cylinder petrol engine linked to a five-speed manual gearbox. It produces 108bhp and is good for a top speed of 117mph with a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds.

It is smooth and also very frugal with emissions of just 1.4g/km. The claimed combined figure is 62.8mpg and with a couple of longer runs I got very close to that figure.

The Cactus proved to be a good companion in town traffic and on motorways and the extra sound insulation on this new model means that it was fairly quiet although you could still hear that it was a three-pot under the bonnet.

The C4 Cactus does not pretend to provide a sporty drive but it does offer the driver and passengers a comfortable ride with little fuss.