Some people’s vehicles seem to be magnets for dents. Is this you? If so you have probably wondered if there was some way to change you or your vehicle’s luck. There may be a way as there is a supposedly dent proof car on the market. Just not the American market.
A dent proof car?
We know what you are thinking: It can’t be dent proof can it? The Titanic was famously touted as virtually unsinkable and it is residing on the bottom of the ocean now. We’ve heard stuff like this before and it has never seemed to end well.
It exists
French automaker Citroën developed a model called the Cactus. They are available for sale in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, China and South America. It is not a bad car, even earning the British auto show Top Gear’s Hatchback of the Year award in 2014.
The Cactus is able to avoid being dented by carts traveling at 40 kmph (about 25 mph) with 40 kg of groceries (88 lb) thanks to large air filled rubber capsules on the door known as Airbumps. These panels have air bubbles that are able to absorb the shock and prevent damage. Airbumps also make it less susceptible to scratching as well. The problem is that the panels are only on the doors meaning the rest of the car is still just as susceptible to those rogue shopping carts as your vehicle is.
Public reaction
The Cactus will not eliminate the need for dent repair facilities. The car costs about $20,000 US for a stick shift model and about $21,500 for a diesel model. The name Cactus though may not have been the best choice in one country. No cactuses are found Down Under and the word cactus in Australian English is slang for something that does not work or is useless. A poor choice or a harbinger of things to come one has to wonder but when the car was unveiled in Australia in 2016 it was found that their favorite color was a bright yellow.
Will dents be a thing of the past?
There may be a time in the near future when this technology and design comes to the US but until it becomes prevalent dents will continue to occur. For everyone that is not able to own one of these dent repair services like Dent Techs will continue to be in demand and Paintless Dent Repair will continue to grow in popularity. Not only is the price affordable but dents can be removed while you wait for your vehicle.
Need a dent removed?? Contact Dent-Techs today!
At Dent Techs we have been removing Central Pennsylvania’s dents for 18 years so if you have dents that you want to have removed give us a call. We’re located in Manheim, Pennsylvania and are convenient to Harrisburg, Lebanon, Lancaster and York.
Resources:
2016 release in Australia- https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/worlds-first-dentfree-car-the-citroen-cactus-goes-on-sale-in-australia-today/news-story/ebc5889388d862faa00755ecff71d356
Top Gear – https://www.citroen.co.uk/about-citroen/news/citroen-c4-cactus-topgear-hatchback-of-the-year-2014
Cactus in Aussie – https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/218294/why-do-aussies-use-cactus-to-mean-dead-useless-or-broken
