Air bumps

Back in Holland for the second time this week. This time it is for the Amsterdam-based launch drive of an intriguing car, the Citroen C4 Cactus, which marks something of a return to form for the French company.

The quirky Cactus is similar in size to a Ford Focus, very economical, and very competitively priced with a starting point of £13,000. It is notable for its all-round bumpers, intended to protect the car against scuffs and damage in the urban scrum. These cushioning 'air bumps' are more than just a distinctive styling feature, they'll ensure that the Cactus comes out unscathed from a skirmish with a supermarket trolley or a carelessly opened door in a car park.

On our test drive today we had a coffee stop at Beeld en Geluid, the headquarters of the Dutch Sound and Vision Institute. It is home to the country's national archives of radio and television. It is also startlingly colourful, hung with an external facade of more than 2,000 brightly coloured glass panels.