28 May 08
Citroen C4 Picasso
4Car rating: 4 stars
Price: from £15,495
For: Futuristic styling; light and airy cabin; well-equipped; quiet and comfy.
Against: Light steering; big and hefty for a 'compact' MPV.
Citroen has this MPV thing stitched up: besides the C4 Picasso, available in five-seat or long-wheelbase, seven-seat Grand C4 Picasso bodystyles, it also continues to sell the old Xsara Picasso alongside the utilitarian, van-based Berlingo Multispace and the huge C8. A people-carrier for all people, then.
The C4 Picasso is arguably the most versatile and appealing: not as vast and boat-like to drive as the C8, but just as comfy and very spacious-feeling, it comes with excellent, economical 1.6 HDI (110bhp) and 2.0 HDI (138bhp) diesel engines (there's also 1.8 and 2.0 petrols, but we can't see the point). Options include a full-length glass roof in addition to the deep, high windscreen, to give an extensive glass dome effect.
The C4 Picasso isn't as heavily-discounted as yet as the Xsara Picasso, but it is worth paying the extra for this much-improved, modernised model.
