• Citroën paints a family portrait in C4 Picasso

    by  • November 6, 2013 • Car Reviews, Test Drives

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    2013 Citroën C4 Picasso exterior front left static

    The Citroën C4 Picasso is a good looking MPV

    For parents, there are pros and cons for having children in quick succession.

    On the plus side, you get all your sleepless nights done with in one go; siblings who are close in age are (in theory at least) more likely to get on, and you get to grips with your parent/life balance faster.

    On the minus side, it’s expensive, you’re sleep deprived for years on end without reprieve and you’re juggling the needs and quirks, as well as the possessions of multiple small children at once.

    And while Citroën is not in the business of solving sleepless nights, the new Citroën Picasso C4 does offer a solution to the seating issues of smallies – with each of three full-size individual rear seats fitted with Isofix points.

    As MPVs go, the C4 Picasso isn’t a bad looking vehicle, and might almost be called stylish.

    Inside, the cabin offers a large and bright space, helped by the panoramic windscreen and glass side panels.

    Visibility is also great all round, with the comfortable, high up driving seat offering a commanding position.

    2013 Citroën C4 Picasso interior cockpit

    The cabin in the Citroën C4 Picasso is bright and roomy

    Legroom and head room for driver and passengers alike is great. I also liked the conversation mirror in the test car that allows the driver or front seat passenger to keep an eye on goings on in the back seat.

    Meanwhile, each of the three rear seats can move independently and it’s roomy enough for three adults.

    The lack of a transmission tunnel also means even a tall adult would be comfortable in the centre rear.

    Its family-friendly credentials, meanwhile, are further enhanced by pull down trays on the seat backs and pull up sun visors on the rear windows.

    The cockpit in the Citroën C4 Picasso is very striking, with a 12” digital information screen centred in the middle of the dashboard, and a 7” ‘control panel’ touch screen underneath.

    All the infotainment and comfort settings are set via soft buttons that run down each side of the smaller screen.

    The large screen can be manipulated to display different information, with the digital speed read out being the dominant one. All info, bar the speed, can be switched off for night driving.

    The Exclusive grade test car was very well specced, and technologies included SatNav, cruise control/speed limiter, auto lights and wipers and an excellent reversing camera.

    The sound system, to which I streamed music via Bluetooth, was also excellent and I liked that the radio showed you the stations’ logos are you scrolled through them.

    I was not a fan of the number of controls on the flat-bottomed steering wheel though – four separate pods with a combination of both buttons and rollers.

    2013 Citroën C4 Picasso interior boot rear seats folded

    The large boot in the Citroën C4 Picasso is best in class

    I did like the number of storage cubbies the Citroën C4 Picasso has to offer, which includes a media unit in the centre console for smartphone/USB connection and a deep storage box between the two front seats. The glove box, however, is quite small.

    I didn’t spot a lot of cupholders – just the two in the centre console, which looked quite shallow but were adequate for a regular sized takeaway coffee.

    The boot in this car is large, so loads of room for buggies and golf clubs. The rear seats also fold flat at the pull of a lever, greatly expanding the boot capacity.

    The test car was a six-speed manual diesel, with push button start and an electric parking brake.

    On of my pet hates about electric parking brakes is the light doesn’t stay on long enough for you to visually double check that you’ve actually activated it. Not so with the C4 Picasso – it stays on long after you’ve locked the car, which I really appreciate.

    Driving, meanwhile, was a really pleasant experience. We had the C4 Picasso mainly on city streets, but we also put it through its paces on winding country roads and on the motorway.

    It was a lovely car to drive, very smooth on the road with seamless gear changes. While it wasn’t the fastest at the lights, it was no slouch either and once you got out of second gear it quickly picked up pace.

    The reversing camera also made it really easy to park.

    Overall, I really liked the Citroën C4 Picasso, finding it a beautiful, spacious, well specced family car.

    The Citroën C4 Picasso is available now, with prices starting from €24,495. The Exclusive trim model I was driving costs from €28,995.

    The Citroën C4 Picasso has been shortlisted for the Continental Irish Car of the Year 2014 award.

    Tech Spec
    Engine: 1.6l e-HDi 115 Airdream manual
    Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 11.8 seconds
    Maximum Speed: 188kph
    CO2 emissions: 105g/km
    Combined fuel economy: 4.5l/100km
    Annual road tax: €190

    Visit the Citroën Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.

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