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?
If Rolls-Royce was to make a Kia Carnival then the Zeekr 009 would probably be it, but without the stratospheric price tag.
Zeekr is Volvo’s sister from China under its massive Geely parent company and the 009 is a fully electric, luxury people mover that arrived in Australia to join the small X hatch and the forthcoming 7X mid-sized electric SUV.
The Zeekr 009 we tested is the seven-seater version and with a price of $135,900, before on-road costs, it's double the price of the fanciest Kia Carnival. Then again, the 009 is about $85,000 cheaper than the Lexus LM500h hybrid people mover.
If you are a family with more than two or three children, or a chauffeur service operator, then the 009 could be a much more practical and luxurious alternative to a high-end SUV. And, as I'll show you, even at this price it's a bargain.
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.
The Zeekr 009 is difficult to fault. It's a luxurious, practical vehicle that's easy and enjoyable to drive. There's no SUV on the planet that can compete with its practicality, whether it's room for people and their cargo, or just getting in and out of the vehicle. The only thing I would change about the 009 in terms of family use are the captain's chairs in the second row; a bench seat here for three people would be more practical for a family. If, however, you are using the 009 as a chauffeur car then the captain's chairs would provide the comfort and luxury jet-setting executives would welcome.