What's the difference?
You know Picasso? He died a long time ago. And now the Picasso badge - which has adorned Citroen’s people-mover models internationally since way back in 1999 - is set to die, too.
As a result, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is set to be relabelled the Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer, following a new van naming convention set in Europe. It’s a shame, because Picasso is undoubtedly one of the better known nameplates that Citroen has… and let’s be honest, Citroen needs all the help it can get in Australia.
But before we see the name change, the company has made an addition to the current Grand C4 Picasso range: a new price-leader, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso petrol, is now on sale - and it cuts the price of the seven-seat people mover by a huge $6000 compared to the diesel.
That amount of money will buy you a heck of a lot of petrol, so does the new base model version in the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 2018 range make more sense than its expensive diesel sibling?
This is actually the Carnival that Kia always wanted.
See, the last Carnival, the one this replaces, was Covid compromised, missing out on key technologies, as well as skipping an in-depth ride and handling localisation program, due to part supply issues and a freeze on international travel.
This one, though, addresses all of that, which is why you get a new cabin experience, new tech, and a complete overhaul of the steering and handling.
It is, however, significantly more expensive, right across the range.
So, is the Carnival still worth it? Let’s find out.
The lack of third-row airbags and AEB could be enough for you to rule this version of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso out of contention as a family vehicle. We’d understand that.
But there are plenty of other reasons that it could be a contender on your people-mover shopping list. It’s a largely thoughtful car in a small and beautiful package… no matter what badge is stuck on the back of it.
Ok, here's the rub. Everything you just read could well be pointless. You like the Carnival. In fact, it sometimes makes up close to 90 per cent of the sales in its segment, and outsells all of its competitors combined.
So whether I like it or not, I suspect you'll be buying one anyway.
But I can say this - the new Carnival improves the formula right across the board. Well, everything except for price.