Citroen has announced that its first model to be fitted with the company’s new hydraulic suspension system – the C4 Cactus – will cost from £17,265 when it arrives in UK showrooms during the spring.

There will be an eight-model line-up topping out at £21,165 for a 1.2-litre petrol engined automatic in Flair trim – this equates to price rises of a few hundred pounds compared to the outgoing Cactus.

The new car, which features a scaled-down version of the side protection Airbumps and more rounded body lines, is due to be released early in April. And Citroen claims it sets a high benchmark for comfort with the advanced suspension system allied to an all-new seat construction which uses extra cushioning for added support.

There will be a choice of four engines with a bias on petrol units. The only diesel in the range will be a 1.6-litre BlueHDi engine developing 100ps with emissions as low as 90g/km which equates to 83.2mpg.

The petrol engines will all be versions of the PSA group’s award-winning 1.2-litre, three-cylinder PureTech unit with power outputs ranging from 82ps to 130ps.

The car boasts a generous standard of on-board safety features including automatic emergency braking, blind spot and lane departure warnings and the electronic Grip Control system for added traction in poor conditions.

Citroen says that the progressive hydraulic cushions used in the new suspension set-up can absorb bumps to produce a ‘magic carpet’-like ride – an accolade which the brand has been famed for since the first DS models of the 1950s.