2007 Citroen C4 Picasso Reviews

Quirky is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Citroen. The company has always produced cars that don't fit in the box, they have sometimes been groundbreaking and innovative, but they have always been challenging.Rusted-on Citroen buyers revel in the quirkiness of their cars, they celebrate the things that separate them from the mundane pack. For others not so committed to the brand and being different, buying a Citroen is a leap of faith. It's particularly so when it comes to peoplemovers, which are dominated by the big Japanese brands.The C4 Picasso is a seven-seater peoplemover based on the mid-sized, front-wheel drive C4 hatch. Unusually for a Citroen its looks aren't challenging.DESIGNThe Picasso is a sleek, attractive vehicle, particularly in its class, which pretty much determines what it will look like.It's inside that the Picasso comes alive with a mix and match cabin layout that can be adjusted to carry pretty much anything you want, from seven people, to oodles of sports gear, camping equipment, even a spot of cargo if the need demands.There is also a large array of features to get used to, from a second rear view mirror to keep track of the kids out back, an in-dash chiller bin, a plug-in torch in the boot, picnic tables, power points, heaps of storage options, and even drop-down sunshades to cut the glare from the sweeping windscreen.You also need to get used to the steering wheel that twirls around a stationary centre boss, a tiny gearshift in the steering column, and the automatic park brake.If quirky is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Citroen then comfort must surely be the next. Citroens have always been supremely comfortable, in seating and in ride, and the C4 Picasso is similarly so. The ride is supple, the seats plush.TECHNOLOGYThe engine choices were a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol that boasted 103kW and 200Nm that delivered reasonable if not scintillating performance, and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel with 100 kW and 270 Nm that gave great fuel economy.DRIVINGOut on the road the C4 Picasso rides comfortably and shows good performance, but isn't the greatest handling car around. For those concerned about visibility and being able to see out of a car the Picasso is great with very good all-round visibility.IN THE SHOPCitroens are not exactly thick on the ground in this country so there isn't a lot of accumulated data about them. Generally they are well built and that seems to stand them in good stead, but buying one is a leap of faith. The other issue is that dealers aren't located on every street corner, so it's worth working out where you will have it serviced and repaired should you buy one.IN A CRASHFive stars from ANCAP is suggestion enough to tell you the C4 Picasso is a safety leader. Not surprising given that it came equipped with a comprehensive array of safety goodies, from front, side and curtain airbags, ABS brakes and electronic stability control.UNDER THE PUMPUnder test by CarsGuide the C4 Picasso diesel averaged 8.4L/100km, well above the claimed average of 7.4L/100km, but still impressive given the size and shape of the beast. The petrol version was claimed to average 8.9L/100km on the recommended 95-octane Premium unleaded. To save a few bucks Citroen says you can use E10 ethanol blend fuel.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $39,990 to $48,990Engines: 2.0-litre petrol, 103 kW/200 Nm; 2.0-litre turbo diesel, 100 kW/270 Nm.Transmission: 4-speed auto (petrol), 6-speed auto (diesel); front- wheel drive.Economy: 8.9 L/100 km (petrol), 7.4 L/100 km (diesel)Body: seven-seat peoplemoverVariants: Base and ExclusiveSafety: 5-star ANCAPExpect to pay: $20,000 to $25,500 for the base petrol model; $22,500 to $28,500 for the diesel; add $2000 to $2500 for the Exclusive.VERDICTNot as good as the Tarago, but has a great cabin with lots of useful features for the family. Definitely worth a look.

And when they call it the Picasso, there's even less chance it will be conventional. After all, in his paintings, eyes and noses and everything else were rarely where they're usually found.So you step into the Picasso, seven seats, just slightly longer than a Toyota Corolla sedan, loaf-shaped but stylish, prepared for something unusual.And yes, Citroen delivers. The Picasso is definitely quirky, but in a refreshing way; it's easy to adapt to, pleasant to live with, a clever design which works efficiently.For example, the steering wheel rotates around a fixed hub, so the driver's airbag is always positioned perfectly. Now that's a bright idea, taken straight from Citroen's smaller C4 hatchback, which is also the source for the Picasso's mechanical underpinnings.No normal T-bar gear lever here. Instead, the auto selector is a thin chrome wand high on the right-hand side of the steering column. Two curved levers behind the wheel allow you to flick up or down through the gears.Air conditioning controls are on the right-hand side of the dashboard, so your co-driver can't fiddle with them, but the front passenger does get his or her own digital temperature read-out situated on the far left; along with up and down buttons to make that side of the car hotter or colder.The handbrake is . . .  well, actually the Picasso doesn't have one. Instead, the 'parking brake' sets itself when you park, and disengages automatically when you drive away. As back-up, there is a little chrome lever mounted on top of the dashboard, right in the centre.In front of that is a perfume diffuser, so the Picasso always smells sweet. This is a French car, remember.There are picnic tables for the middle row of seats, a drinks cooler up front, a rechargeable torch down the back.The windscreen is so large, and sweeps back so far, there are pull-down sunshades at the top of the glass.So it's certainly different, but not in a negative way. Instead of seeming gimmicky and confusing, its unusual features are handy, and fit its can-do nature perfectly.It's the same story on the road. At first the Picasso can feel bulky and somewhat daunting, the driver has no idea where that sloping snout ends, and the tail seems a long way away but after a while you become used to it.Anyway, there are parking sensors which beep a warning before you get too close to obstacles.The Picasso comes with either petrol or diesel engine, and surely the smarter of the pair is the diesel, sharing its engine with Citroen's larger (and dearer) C5 sedan plus various Peugeots. What a sweet machine; strong on pulling power, big on refinement, excellent when it comes to fuel economy.With six forward gears on hand, it can quickly select the right ratio and summon up a healthy dose of torque for spirited acceleration.The petrol version gets just a four-speed automatic.What the Picasso doesn't like is to be driven fast on a twisty, rough road. The suspension just isn't happy with that sort of silliness. Snapshot Citroen Picasso HDiDetails: Seven-seat people-mover with 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine. Power 100kW. Torque 270Nm. Six-speed automatic.Features: Stability control system, anti-lock brakes, seven airbags, alloy wheels, airconditioning, cruise control.Cost: $44,990. (Petrol version $39,990)Rivals: Renault Grand Scenic, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Tarago, Kia Carnival, Chrysler Voyager.For: Refreshing, efficient design. Excellent diesel engine.Against: Perhaps too unusual for some.Summing up: French flair on wheels.Overall: 4 stars 

Nothing abstract about the Citroen C4 Picasso, however, just lots of clever design. For starters, it is the size of a medium sedan, but has seven seats.And while hauling all those people around, it won't break the budget because there is a fuel-saving diesel option.Early people-movers were little more than delivery vans with seats; this one is based on a high-class car — Citroen's C4 hatchback — lengthened, widened, made taller and given a bigger luggage compartment plus a new-design rear axle to cope with greater loads.Its engines and transmissions have come from the dearer, larger C5 sedan, so progress is smooth and refined.But inside and out it looks like nothing else. The shape is avant-garde, but is more practical than a Picasso-like oddity. It provides a panoramic view, loads of room, endless ways to configure the three rows of seats and so many cubbyholes owners may forget where they stowed half the groceries.The massive windscreen — $1100 for a new one — extends so far back, and at such a rakish angle, it ends almost above the driver's head.Sunlight floods in but the designers have provided large two-stage visors that fold down to provide shade, and the glass has a metallic coating to cut down heat.Even if things did become sweaty, there is a perfume dispenser (including a tobacco-neutralising fragrance) as part of the airconditioning system that has controls for each corner of the car. Temperature and air volume can be different in each zone.In the best Citroen tradition, the Picasso is a far-from-everyday design.Its automatic transmission selector is a thin wand on the right-hand side of the steering column; the driver's airconditioning controls also are on the right-hand side of the dashboard; there is no handbrake (engage Park and it figures, correctly, that the parking brake should be applied; press on the accelerator and the brake automatically disengages).A small, high-mounted mirror lets the driver see what children are up to in the back seats.You find a detachable torch in the tailgate, a fridge in the dashboard, picnic tables behind the front seats, storage lockers under the floor, sun blinds on the rear side windows.The instrument panel sits high on the dashboard between driver and passenger; unusual but you soon become used to it. The driver can change the colour of the display, ranging from deep blue to white on black.The third row of seats, two separate buckets, is a place best left for the young, small and agile. If the seats are not needed, a one-handed operation can fold them away, creating a vast luggage area.No wonder Citroen says the Picasso “redefines the family car for the 21st century”, but Australia could prove a tough nut to crack.In Europe, such cars make sense for their convenience and tax advantages; here the competition is tougher because there are reasonably priced multi-seat SUVs with oodles of space inside and relatively uncrowded roads to accommodate them.While sales of compact people-movers have trebled in Europe in the past decade, they have failed to catch on in Australia. For example, Holden has dropped the similar-concept Zafira.However, fuel prices make the diesel Picasso a compelling case.Citroen expects 80 per cent of Picasso buyers will opt for the diesel, though it costs $5000 more than its petrol sibling (a more advanced automatic transmission and high-cost diesel engine explain the higher price).The diesel would reduce fuel bills with its economy rating of 6.1 litres per 100km, compared with 8.9 litres for the petrol engine.The diesel has almost identical acceleration to its petrol counterpart, while its superior transmission and mountain of torque, or pulling power, make it the logical way to go.On the downside, the Picasso's ride-steering package, usually a major plus with French cars, is hardly a work of art. The ride can get bouncy on poor roads and the steering lacks feedback.