That looks a fancy bit of modern art.

Very funny. But you’re right – it’s the latest success from C4/C6 designer Jean-Pierre Ploué. And a crucial new seven-seat compact MPV. Thanks to romping parents, Zafira, Touran and Grand Scenic are romping up the sales charts and Citroen wants a bit of that – particularly given sister company Peugeot’s disinterest in Europe’s fastest-growing car sector. Basing it on a stretched C4 platform has freed up cash to splash on gadgets, gizmos, and probably the best-quality interior ever to wear the double chevron badge.

But I’m confused. It’s a new Picasso – so how come it still has the same name as the old one, which remains on sale until 2009?

Because Citroen reckons it’s onto a good thing with the Picasso name – “our ‘Verso’ brand,” said the MD. And it can hardly rename the old car: throw in a deal it somehow struck with the Picasso estate to extend its licence, and suddenly you’ve emphasis on the ‘Xsara’ and ‘C4’ parts preceding the cubist’s name. No, we’re not fully convinced, either. Particularly as this is so much better than the old 306-based clingon, primarily though its extra rear seats. Not that we argue with Citroen showing a child using them in the press shots, mind – as per the breed, they’re not for adults. The middle row is much better, and wider than any rival, though the seat’s firm bases leave you feeling perched.
continue reading "Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi"

A big Citroen saloon? Surely they’ve learnt by now that these don’t sell…

Apparently not, but when you have a heritage as rich and idiosyncratic as the DS, SM and CX then perhaps you’ll never learn. Then again, economies of scale with sister company Peugeot’s 607 no doubt help as well, and if you don’t sell many, at least the residual values remain high. At launch the C6 was available with a 3.0-litre V6 petrol or the PSA-Ford 2.7-litre V6 diesel which CAR is currently running as a long-termer. Then it added a new engine – a 173bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The sales of diesel cars in the executive sector are still booming thanks to the Government’s focus on CO2, and currently make up over half of all new-car sales. A smaller engine helps lower the list price, the CO2 emissions, and raise the fuel consumption.
continue reading "Citroen C6 2.2 HDi"

Sensible, practical, useful – MPVs are all of those things. What they’re not, is fun. Until now. The Citroen C3 Picasso does all the normal useful stuff you expect of a people mover, but does it in a much more entertaining way.
Is the Citroen C3 Picasso the coolest MPV ever?

I do have a bit of a soft spot for a fake wood-sided ’90 Chrysler town and Country and the original ‘50s Multipla, but this is certainly the funkiest people mover you can currently buy. The pictures make it look enormous but in fact, as its name suggests, the smallest of the Picassos is based on a supermini platform and is barely longer than a Fiesta.
Does it do anything clever?

Apart from making you desire an MPV for the first time ever, no, nothing radical. But it does the expected stuff very well. There are five seats inside, the rear row slides back and forth or can be folded flat into the floor by tugging on one little lever. The load space is colossal: 500 litres with the seats up and up to 1500 litres with them folded. If you need to carry long loads you can tilt the front passenger seat forwards, there are cubbies recessed in the rear footwells and a removable false floor in the boot can hide the parcel shelf or extend the luggage space even further.
What about engines and stuff? I do actually like cars, after all.

There are four: 95bhp 1.4 and 119bhp 1.6 petrols co-developed with BMW and two 1.6 HDi diesels developing 91bhp and 109bhp. And there are three trim levels: VT, VTR+ and Exclusive. Prices range from £11,495 to £15,595.
Sounds great, but I’ve got a few concerns, mostly to do with it being a Citroen. Which, for instance, means the interior is probably made from old teabags.

Cabin ambience hasn’t been a Citroen strong suit since the 1970s but there are no disappointments when you climb inside the C3. It doesn’t just look fresh and modern, but feels really well constructed too. Swivel one of the rectangular air vents and its glides when you expect it to clack. The dash top is soft, the steering wheel substantial and even though the door plastics are hard, they look so good, their lack of give is never an issue. What a shame Citroen couldn’t have applied the same thinking when it put together the flagship C6’s cabin.
Okay, but it’s a Citroen so it’s probably awful to drive.

It won’t be fighting for top spot at CAR’s 2009 Performance Car of the Year – the steering in particular is the usual yucky over-assisted Citroen nonsense. But it rides with the right blend of comfort and body control demanded by its customers. It’s no Ford S-Max dynamically, but it is confident and relaxed in the way it tackles roads (at least in Spain). And it’s easy to place because the visibility is simply incredible for an MPV because the A pillars are so thin.

There’s a pleasing lack of suspension thump and road noise too. Motorways are no problem in the top spec 109bhp 1.6 HDi, although the basic 94bhp 1.4 isn’t likely to feel quite so lively.
But it’s a Citroen so it will probably be worth 2p next year.

Not according to CAP, whose residual value forecasts are the industry standard. It reckons a C3 Picasso should still retain 37% of its original value after three years and 60,000 miles, compared to just 27% for rivals like the boring old Vauxhall Meriva, Renault Modus and Ford Fusion.
Verdict

Stylish, refined and still practical, the C3 Picasso is a car that will appeal to buyers new to both MPVs and Citroen. It doesn’t offer anything really new in terms of technical content, and even stop/start doesn’t arrive until 2010. But what lifts it above the rabble is its huge sense of fun, something previously missing from the small people mover sector. This is the best Citroen for years.