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Dave Humphreys
car review
The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is an MPV - but it's no boring family wagon
Citroen’s seven-seater brings a fresh feel to the MPV format.
AS YOUR FAMILY grows so too do your transportation needs. And while you may lust after that sportscar or trendy SUV, sometimes those just won’t fit the bill.
But all is not lost. You don’t have to drift off into the motoring wilderness. Citroen has come up with a very attractive solution with its new Grand C4 Picasso.
MPVs have traditionally been seen as dull and boring but the Grand C4 Picasso is anything but. Just look at its funky face with the two sections of the front grille separated by a body-coloured bumper, and the sleek headlamps with the DRLs positioned above them. It is a very distinctive look and one that’s thoroughly modern.
That modern design and feel carries through to the cabin where every detail integrates and matches seamlessly to create a sleek, minimalist setup.
There are very few buttons on the central console giving a clean look. The touch screen is easy to read with great graphics – but I would have preferred if the air-con was operated independently as I found it a bit distracting whenever I wanted to adjust the settings.
But the thing I like most about the cabin is how bright and airy it is. That massive wrap-over windscreen and large side windows flood the car with light, and should also cut down on any travel sickness that your passengers may get.
All that glass, combined with the high driving position, means that visibility is amazing and this makes driving, parking and positioning the 4.6m long and 1.8m wide Grand C4 Picasso a breeze.
The three middle row seats have good leg and headroom, and the two seats making up the third row are also surprisingly spacious. You wouldn’t exactly want to put your six-foot passengers or granny in them, but children and teenagers will love it back there.
The five individual rear seats all fold down flat, the three middle seats have a split folding base and even the front passenger seat folds down to accommodate any long loads you may have. It is this innovative flexible seating arrangement that puts the Grand C4 Picasso above most other seven-seat rivals and why you might choose this MPV over a seven-seat SUV. There are just so many options.
With all seats in place the boot can hold 165 litres, which is enough for a few shopping bags and school bags piled high. With the third row folded the boot expands to just over 600 litres and with all the seats folded there are 1,851 litres of flat loading space.
Out on the road the Citroen is built for comfort. Its suspension set-up (MacPherson struts at the front, with a torsion beam at the rear) has been kept rather soft so it does a good job of soaking up lumps and bumps. Adding to the zen-like cabin is decent insulation that blocks out most engine, road and wind noise, even at motorway speeds.
My test car was powered by the 120 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel engine, which has a combined fuel economy of 4.0-litres/100km (70.6mpg) and Co2 emissions of 106g/km making it just €190 to tax. This engine is nice and smooth and the 118hp and 300Nm of midrange torque available was adequate for my needs but if you are going to be carrying a fully laden car or doing a lot of motorway driving I would opt for the higher powered 150hp 1.6-litre unit.
There is also a 130hp PureTech petrol engine on offer mated to a six-speed manual.
The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is offered in three trims – Touch Edition, Feel and Flair, with entry level cars are priced from €29,575. But whatever model you go for you will be getting a very modern and distinctive looking car with a practical and flexible cabin that offers plenty of space for all the family and its paraphernalia.
The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso will get you to where you are going in absolute comfort no matter what seat you occupy and no matter how long the journey.
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