Citroen C3 Picasso (22/05/2013)
Despite financial troubles, and labour issues as a result of savage budgetary cutbacks and falling pan-European sales, Citroen has its best ever model line-up, and I tried one of the best of them recently, the C3 Picasso.
The mini-MPV segment is booming, what with the Toyota Verso S, the B-Max from Ford, the Hyundai ix20, the Kia Venga, Nissan Note and Opel Meriva, and forthcoming Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008. The C3 Picasso is another — and a very good one.
Two traditional elements of a Citroen design are here — a striking, appealing exterior and an interior comfort that other manufacturers seldom match. Citroen has always made cars that are unconventional looking, but extremely practical and user-friendly.
So it is with this machine, whose ‘cube’ shape stands out from the crowd. Such a statement can go awry, but that is not the case with the C3 Picasso, which is a modern, attractive, and unique presence on our roads.
Although not equipped with the fancy-dan, hydro-pneumatic suspension systems the company has pioneered, this performs on the road with something close to the magic carpet ride that has become a byword for Citroen cars.
But if it is a dynamic driving machine you want, that will thrill and excite you at every turn, then you’re looking in the wrong place. This car is a very modest performer, albeit very economic.
The test car was powered by the 89bhp version of the 1.6, HDi turbodiesel with which we are already familiar from the PSA Group. While it is a flexible unit, provided you keep it spinning in the 1,250 to 3,000rpm power band, it is not boy-racer material. The naked facts of a 13.2-second, 0-100kph time, and a top speed just shy of 180kph, might not impress some, but the 4.1 l/100km (67mpg) potential will.
The interior is dominated by the abundance of glass, and, what with the panoramic sunroof, there can hardly be an airier car. That, coupled with the lofty driving position, means visibility from inside the C3 Picasso — from any angle — could hardly be bettered.
That lofty driving position means access to the car is pretty easy for people who have creaky bones and joints. For most people of an average height, the seat is at normal level, so none of the contortions typical of getting into small cars are necessary here.
The amount of space inside has to be witnessed to be believed. While there is not as much rear legroom as in the B-Max, for example, there’s room for three adults in the back.
Decor has always been a Citroen watchword and that’s the case here. The conventional concept of instrumentation does not fit well with the company’s designers, and the centrally mounted dashboard pod stands the C3 Picasso out from the pack; its digital read-outs are easily assimilated and the design works.
Citroen seems to have moved away from the low-rent materials that characterised their lesser models, and nice touches here lend the car a classier mien than you might have expected.
On the road, the car has bags of grip — some might say you can’t get it driving quick enough for it to lose grip, but that’s a tad harsh — handles really well and rides, as we’ve said, like a much more expensive machine. That soft ride might not suit some, but I confidently predict that these characteristics will find favour with a majority of drivers.
This is not a car that will appeal across the board, but for those with certain demands, in terms of access, visibility, comfort and style, this Citroen has much to please.
It is not (as you’d expect) as cheap as its Korean rivals, nor, surprisingly, the Verso-S (in baseline trim), but it is very competitive with the B-Class and the Meriva, so there is much to dwell upon here, and I would say that anyone in the market for a mini-MPV should cast their eye in the direction of the C3 Picasso before making their mind up. They’ll not be disappointed.
