Citroen C4 Picasso review (11/12/2013)
The first indication we had of this shift came with the revival of the ‘DS’ brand, which saw Citroën making extremely refined and visually sophisticated adaptations of its previously mainstream range. Thus, instead of having regular C3, C4 and C5 cars, we suddenly had DS3, DS4 and DS5 to choose from and — out of the blue — Citroën all of a sudden was competing in a different sphere.
As someone who has always lauded Citroën’s élan, it’s untrammelled originality and its fearless willingness to try things other manufacturers would run miles from, this intrinsic shift in company policy has been hugely successful.
The revival of the DS range has given the company huge impetus and a vital sales boost at a time when it was very badly needed.
All of this might not be the final answer to all the problems at the company and its sibling outfit Peugeot, but it has certainly put a finger in the dyke for the time being and restored to Citroën a sense of well-being that has been noticeably absent in recent years.
And that sense of well-being is now filtering through other company products and this week we test the Citroën C4 Picasso, a car which has already been the recipient of several gongs, including the Irish Car of the Year and the pan-European Golden Steering Wheel award. And the Grand Picasso — the seven seater — which will be launched here in January, has just received the Top Gear Family Car of the Year award.
Now I was somewhat taken aback by the Irish award as the Citroën would certainly not have been my pick if I had a vote, but getting a Golden Steering Wheel award in the MPV category — there are several categories — seemed to be much more appropriate because this truly is a very good people carrier. It is stylish, has an excellent choice of engines and it is ridiculously practical.
Citroën — and indeed the wider PSA Group — is hopeful that its new EMP2 platform will pave the way for a succession of competitive new models.
The C4 Picasso is the first car to be built on this new platform and on this evidence it is a portent of good things to come. It has allowed the designers create a car more compact that its predecessor, but one which has more
interior and load space due to some very clever packaging.
The front-end design has also been given a beguiling new look with the very clever use of LED daytime running lights, a high tech looking headlamp
arrangement and fog lights, all of which combine to produce something which looks easy on the eye while being very sophisticated. The trademark Citroën ‘chevron’ grille has been tarted-up and adds to the overall good looks.
We tried the Exclusive grade model which has many bells and whistles as standard, including a 12” HD screen
infotainment system, including sat nav., a reversing camera, keyless entry and 17” alloys. The package does add over three grand to the list price, but I thought it was worth it.
While these are important elements of the deal for many people, it is the nuts and bolts of the thing which will be of greater interest to most. The 1.6 litre e-HDi turbodiesel is a little cracker and is imbued with very decent motivational prowess and top drawer economy and emission levels too.
Allied to a six speed manual ‘box the engine is flexible and capable and very attuned to both city as well as country driving and will meet the needs of practically any driver. It is also smooth and refined and with a 4.2 l/100 km consumption figure, undeniably appealing on that front too.
From the passengers’ point of view, added wheelbase has created more rear legroom, while the three individual rear seats can be manipulated in a multitude of ways to create more or less room for things other than people. All terribly flexible and unbelievably practical. The boot space too is impressive at 527 litres which can be expanded greatly depending on the configuration of the rear seats.
Citroën has also upped the ante in terms of the decor, and the quality of the materials used throughout is as impressive as it is nice, while the panoramic roof adds to the ‘glasshouse’ effect of the overall design and provides a really airy feel.
The Picasso is good to drive, displays plenty of grip and decent handling without the excessive roll or wallow that so characterises many MPVs.
I liked this car a lot and felt the effort Citroën has put into adding value to its products is paying off. At a time when everybody seems to have adopted a ‘less is more’ attitude, Citroën’s decision to go in a completely different
direction with the C4 Picasso is not only characteristic but highly laudable.
