For style and grace, if not for space, this Citroën, says Motoring editor, Michael McAleer, is the one
Citroën is finding its soul again. For years Citroën's DNA make-up was dominated by the core values of innovation, risk-taking and challenging the boundaries of conventional car design. They were the epitome of cutting edge. Models like the Traction Avant, 2CV and DS became icons of avant-garde motoring.
These were more than mere motor cars, they were motoring art combined with cutting edge engineering. Even philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre wrote on their rich character and beauty.
Then the bean-counters took control. Philistines to a man, they ousted design from its treasured pinnacle within the French firm. By the 1990s Citroën was releasing such uninspiring fleet boxes as the C5 and Xsara. Even niche models like the C3 Pluriel were pained attempts at quirky design in an already crowded style market.
Where once it was a haven for enthusiastic designers, it became a mid-range dishwater-dull brand that played on price. It even entered into discounting, a suicidal approach for a small brand that wants to earn any sort of respect or prestige on the market.
Three years ago, when we interviewed Citroën chief executive Claude Satinet and asked about a return to halcyon days when the French brand turned heads and caused hearts to flutter, he was having none of it.
Profit was king. The cold wind of financial reality had blown away the innovation and avant-garde. "Nowadays there is no money to be made from that," he said. "Design fantasies are only permitted if they are functional. We want to be a mainstream brand; we do not want to return to those times. We want to continue to build normal Citroën cars. Customers want first and foremost a form of transport."
It broke our hearts. Yet Satinet was clearly not being entirely honest with us. Plans were already afoot for the launch of the C6 flagship and the eyecatching C4.
All the recent models manage to meet the levels of functionality Satinet demanded, but they are also distinctive, all have touches of avant-garde styling, and all have the potential to turn a profit, if marketed right.
The proof of Citroën's renewed design credibility is evidenced in a conversation we had recently with a leading designer from a rival car firm. When asked which car firm young designers aspire to work for, he said Citroën without even a second thought.
Within the car design community, the French brand is once again held in the highest esteem.
Now comes the C4 Picasso, a massive leap forward in looks and luxury compared to the current Xsara Picasso. It may seem strange to use the word luxury about a car that's so mainstream and starts at a very reasonable €27,300, but park the C4 version next to the Xsara version and even a card-carrying francophobe would have to admit it leaves the competition reeling.
Not only are the normally boxy lines of people carriers tastefully sculpted on the outside, but features like the panoramic windscreen - standard on all versions - makes the cabin incredibly bright and airy. In reality the interior is not any more spacious than rivals (and smaller than some) but excellent work with the windscreen and a-pillar glass makes it feel as big inside as a Renault Espace.
Another nice touch is the air-con controls, giving digital control read-outs even for rear seat passengers to control their own temperatures. As with most seven-seaters now, all rear seats slide forward and back.
The new car features added enhancements owners in this class don't necessarily expect, such as great styling and innovative standard equipment: an electric parking bake, hill-hold and an innovative dashboard design.
As with the regular C4, the steering wheel features a static centre replete with enough buttons and swivels to do a Formula One cockpit proud, but you quickly get the hang of the controls and they really add to the feeling of value you get from the new Picasso.
Sadly, reality calls when you go to load the car up, for though the Grand version features seven-seats, it does so at the expense of any bootspace. While that's the same with many rivals, it's one of the smallest loading areas in this market, and easily beaten by the likes of the Ford S-Max. Space in the third row of seats is not as good as several competitors either and the movement of the seats is not as easy as in the Opel Zafira or Ford, for example.
The third row of seats is also more awkward to access than in rival cars. As for families coming out of the likes of the Hyundai Trajet or Kia Sedona, the styling may charm them, the price may be tempting, but they have to accept a significant drop in interior space. Given that space is the most important criteria for so many buyers in this market, it's a pity Citroëdidn't think to leave more bootspace in this C4 version.
On the road, the Citroën performs well, though the steering lacks the sharp feedback you get from the S-Max or the Opel Zafira. One innovation introduced by Citroën is the new six-speed electronic gearbox, the EGS. The claims for this are quite high and if you get used to it, you may find it changes a lot quicker than you could.
However, for the most part it remains rather jerky and particularly when moving from first to second in town it can be a real pain. For our money we'd ignore this option and go for manual transmission.
Unfortunately a fully automatic gearbox is only on offer with the range topping version and a similar restricted sale is applied to the pneumatic air suspension. This latter feature is good at cosseting the rear passengers from the harsh reality of Irish roads.
However, the suspension is generally quite soft for Irish roads and on a trek across winding country lanes there was a lot of unnecessary vibration up front. On the motorway, however, it cruises comfortably, though it's some way off the magic carpet ride you get in the flagship C6.
For a company that led the way in ride quality for so long, we were mildly disappointed and the balance between comfort and handling seems to have ended in too much of a compromise on both fronts.
The previous Xsara Picasso competed against the likes of the Opel Zafira and Renault Megane Scenic. It lost. This model really closes the gap. The bright and airy cabin and well laid-out controls make rivals seem dark and dismal. It's premium quality at an affordable price. For the image conscious, it's the one people carrier you would not feel depressed about owning.
The decision to buy depends on the priorities in your motoring life. It's better looking and feels more opulent than any of its competitors. It's also competitively priced, with a very impressive list of standard features.
However, these must be balanced against the fact that the Ford S-Max has more room and is better to drive on Irish roads. For us those considerations unfortunately outweigh the panache of the Picasso, but it's a very close call.
Factfile
ENGINE: A 1,997cc common-rail diesel engine putting out 138bhp @ 4,000rpm and 270Nm of torque @ 2,000rpm with six-speed EGS automated manual.
SPECIFICATION: Standard on all is ESP with Traction control; ABS with EBD and EBA; seven airbags, panoramic windscreen; cruise control with speed limiter; radio/CD with remote audio controls; electric parking brake; hill start assist.
Ambiance adds: air-con; 16" alloys
Dynamique adds: front foglights; roof rails; rear tables.
Privilege adds: parking sensors; 17" alloys; auto lights; auto wipers; open glass tailgate.
Exclusive adds: pneumatic rear suspension; electric front seats; lumber support
L/100km (MPG)
Urban: 7.9 (35.8)
Extra-urban: 5.1 (55.4)
Combined: 6.1 (46.3)
CO2 emissions: 159 g/km
Annual road tax: €539
Euro NCAP rating:
Occupant protection: five star
Child protection: three star
Pedestrian protection: two star
Price: €40,900
(from €27,300 to €41,900)