Citroen C4 Picasso: Test Drive Review

Date: 14 June 2013   |   Author: Rachel Burgess

Category: Light van Price (excl. VAT): £14,800 Key rival: Volkswagen Caddy On sale: July 2013

Despite its more compact nature, the wheelbase is 60mm longer than its predecessor, improving legroom by 20mm and maintaining the headroom, all of which will help entice Motability customers who take a hefty 30% of sales. Include other business sales and fleet makes up half of total volume.

The most efficient model is the e-HDi 90 EGS6, a 1.6-litre diesel auto, which offers consumption of 74.3mpg and 98g/km CO2. However, the biggest fleet seller is expected to be the more powerful 1.6-litre e-HDI 115 6-speed manual in VTR+, a mid-range trim, which offers 70.6mpg and 105g/km. There are also two petrol units, a 120hp 1.6 and turbocharged 155hp, and, in November, a 150hp 2.0-litre diesel.

Behind the wheel, the C4 Picasso is a marked improvement on its predecessor, offering better responsiveness and handling. It's never going to inspire on the driving front, but it is good enough to be everything an MPV buyer would want. Ride quality is also satisfactory, making this comfortable around town but also as a motorway cruiser thanks to low wind and engine noise. However, the higher centre of gravity on the MPV (although lower than the outgoing C4) is still obvious on tight corners with a spot of body roll.

Interior comfort is a big sell here, with features available like massaging front seats and a retracting foot rest for your front-seat passenger. The panoramic windscreen (plus sunroof) is unimaginably large - impressive yet disorientating - but a nifty design means you can pull your sun visor forward so it resembles a 'normal' windscreen. Space is ample, front and rear, and while it's not up there with premium brands for quality materials and finish, it is impressive.

Boot size, which is important to MPV buyers, has increased by 40 litres to 537 litres, compared with 471 litres in a Ford C-max. The trunk's clamshell design also means it can close even when loads stick out past the apparent closing line of the car.

Residual values are looking promising, beating rivals according to residual value expert Cap, at 35% for the model tested here, versus 33% for the equivalent C-max. These RVs and the Citroen's excellent emissions should stand it in good stead for whole-life costs, which aren't yet available, making it a viable competitor to the C-max at 46.4 pence per mile, rather than the pricier Renault Scenic 1.5 DCi 110 at 48.9ppm or the Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 CDTi 130hp at 53.0ppm.

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