People Mover Reviews

Richard Berry tests and reviews Nissan's Serena people mover, equipped with ProPilot autonomous driving technology, at its International launch in Yokohama, Japan.

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the 2016 Toyota Tarago GLi auto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the Mazda CX-9 Touring AWD, Toyota Kluger GXL AWD and Kia Sorento Platinum AWD with specs, fuel consumption and verdict in this comparison review.

Richard Berry road tests and reviews the 2016 Citroen grand C4 Picasso with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Well done. You’ve passed the thinking-outside-the-box test. The very fact that you’re here reading about people movers means you haven’t just followed everybody else down the SUV path. That you’re reading about a French people mover makes you even more special, okay don’t get too smug.A people mover can be just as practical as an SUV, sure it may not have the ground clearance of an SUV, but when are you going off road, intentionally? And in the case of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso it’s possibly more practical than an SUV.We are now up to the second generation Grand C4 Picasso. The seven-seat people mover arrived here in 2014 in just one specification that costs $44,990. Don’t confuse it with the C4 Picasso – that’s a much smaller hatchback.If this was a B-grade movie the competition stomping monsters are Japanese rivals like the Toyota Tarago and Honda Odyssey or the Korean Kia Carnival and Hyundai iMax. The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso won’t topple them, but it is a stylish and innovative alternative to the rest. Here are the top three features we like.#1 Great visibilityWant glass with that? The Grand C4 Picasso could double as a mobile greenhouse with its enormous windscreen, see through A-pillars, panoramic sunroof and large door windows. All of that (perhaps not the roof) makes forward and side visibility exceptional.  #2 Adaptable seatingIt’s called a people mover but it’s essentially a van with chairs and in this one you can fold all of them down – apart from the driver’s – to do a fairly good impression of a delivery truck. The backs of the chairs have flaps which flip out to cover the gaps between the folded seating for a smooth, flat surface.#3 Comfortable rideComfortable isn’t a comfy enough word to describe the ride of the Grand C4 Picasso. How about luscious? Ok, that’s weird. Anyway, the suspension is so super absorbent and composed that you hardly notice speedbumps or that the city’s roads have gone to ruin.DrawbacksIt has to be pointed out that while every single thing appears to have been thought of in the Grand C4 Picasso there is a disappointing omission from a safety perspective – no third row airbags. Considering that the little passengers who will probably sit there will be part of your most precious cargo, it’s something we’d like to see added in the future.Price from: $44990Warranty: 6 years/unlimitedServicing interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety: 5 starsEngine: 2L turbo 4-cyl diesel, 110kw/370NmTransmission: 6-spd automatic, FWDThirst: 4.5L/100km (combined)Dimensions: 4428mm (L), 2197mm (W), 1625mm (H)Spare: Space saverWatch Richard's full review here.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the first and second generation Kia Carnival and Grand Carnival as a used buy. Kia Carnival is a South Korean seven or eight-seat people mover that's been on sale in Australia since September 1999. Well priced and strongly built it has been a big seller in its class for many years. The older

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Toyota Tarago 1990, 2000, 2007 and 2015 as a used buy.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Volkswagen Passat 140TDI Highline with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Hyundai sticks with the people-mover formula of practicality and competitive price. Prettiness, not so much. You might have trouble spotting the difference but Hyundai has upgraded its long-serving iMax people-mover. It's nothing fancy but the van is popular among large families — it's relatively cheap, has

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the updated Citroen Berlingo van, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.