Citroen C4 Picasso 2.0 Review
16 Apr 2008|21,173 views
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The Citroen C4 Picasso 5 tries to change that.
Keeping with the times
It has to accomplish a few things - be stylish, very functional, and have a trick IQ when it comes to luggage space and seating five in above-standard levels of comfort.
For those of you who are curious as to why the C4 is so called, I will have you know that this new one has its roots set deep in the original, Xsara-based Picasso, albeit this one is prettier by a whole mile. If you're still wearing that clueless facial expression of yours, think Opel. Think Meriva. Ring ring?
Thank heavens that Opel has moved on with the Zafira, and that Citroen has ditched the ugly looking apparition. This new Picasso does not in any way, look like its predecessor.
Just because you know your Citroens well, you won't expect anything less than a five star rating on the Euro NCAP scale for adults. Powerful four-wheel disc brakes, a myriad of airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution emergency brake assistance, a dynamic stability system of which traction control is just the beginning of that story™
They're all there. In a pseudo people mover.
The inside story continues™ Cruise control, speed limiter, electronic parking brake, cooling compartment, rain sensing wipers, rear parking sensors that did not work, rear seat air-conditioning, two-zone climate control, picnic trays, "shopping push-basket" in the boot, an uncountable number of storage areas and cup holders, and don't even go near what might be the biggest, most expansive windscreen ever to fit on a mass produced, passenger vehicle.
The rear seats were incredibly difficult to figure out - we spent half an hour trying to flatten them. The boot was cavernous enough for at least 5 stacked golf bags, but climbing into, and then out of it while sorting those chairs out was total nightmare.
On the contrary, a simple tug of the black cable lifted the Grand C4 Picasso's chairs up into place, while a red one stowed it away for 5 and even more luggage space.
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Tech wise
Built alongside the 7-seater variant in Vigo, Spain, the Picasso measures 4.47m long, 1.83m wide and 1.66m high - 12 centimetres shorter that the "Grand." The twin-cam, 16-valve 2 litre four pot outputs 143hp at 6000rpm, and 200 torques at 4000rpm. The electronic, 6 speed electronic transmission will be scheduled to arrive shortly, but until then, we'll just have to make do with this four-speeder.
Devoid of Citroen's trademark pneumatic suspension, we sampled the "usual" telescopic struts, lower A-arms, coil springs and anti-roll bars for front cushions, and a twist-beam axle, coil springs an anti-roll bar in the rear.
Ride Impresions
Aside from the rather upright driving position, the C4 is just miles apart from conventional people movers through corners. Chuck it in really, really hard. No understeer.
Bodyroll is also, surprisingly absent, and the only things that go amiss are your screaming passengers and a disturbingly wide grin on your face.
The same can't be said for the engine though, and while we agree that the general population will go for the 2 litre, you'll find that the car does accelerate in a time much slower than you can say "Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Marîa de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santîsima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso".
Yes. That is his full name.
And Mr. Picasso deserves a better engine and transmission. The four speeder was alarmingly jerky when toggled with the steering mounted shifters, but first and second were so jolting, we decided to go fully automatic instead. Past experience tells us that this might be an isolated problem though.
There you have it
Now, the price - $96,988, or the cost of a full fledged, seven seater MPV and a fair amount of mediocrity with a Honda Odyssey 2.4 that starts from $96,000, and hovers for around a hundred grand for a properly optioned one.
The Opel Zafira, a car that starts from about $90,000, handles just as well but seats seven instead of five. It doesn't cost as much as the Picasso, but it is a little lacking in terms of space and the overall comfort factor.
Alternatively, you could just spend a bare $2000 more and go for the Grand C4 Picasso. Now, that's much better and effective when compared to any of these options for good reason. The Grand C4 Picasso handles, drives and looks just as great, if not better, than the standard one, and offers a whole lot more in terms of value and that "Citronesque" factor.
Sure, the Picasso isn't a true work of art, but tell me of any 7-seater that actually looks as good.
|
The Citroen C4 Picasso 5 tries to change that.
Keeping with the times
It has to accomplish a few things - be stylish, very functional, and have a trick IQ when it comes to luggage space and seating five in above-standard levels of comfort.
For those of you who are curious as to why the C4 is so called, I will have you know that this new one has its roots set deep in the original, Xsara-based Picasso, albeit this one is prettier by a whole mile. If you're still wearing that clueless facial expression of yours, think Opel. Think Meriva. Ring ring?
Thank heavens that Opel has moved on with the Zafira, and that Citroen has ditched the ugly looking apparition. This new Picasso does not in any way, look like its predecessor.
Just because you know your Citroens well, you won't expect anything less than a five star rating on the Euro NCAP scale for adults. Powerful four-wheel disc brakes, a myriad of airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution emergency brake assistance, a dynamic stability system of which traction control is just the beginning of that story™
They're all there. In a pseudo people mover.
The inside story continues™ Cruise control, speed limiter, electronic parking brake, cooling compartment, rain sensing wipers, rear parking sensors that did not work, rear seat air-conditioning, two-zone climate control, picnic trays, "shopping push-basket" in the boot, an uncountable number of storage areas and cup holders, and don't even go near what might be the biggest, most expansive windscreen ever to fit on a mass produced, passenger vehicle.
The rear seats were incredibly difficult to figure out - we spent half an hour trying to flatten them. The boot was cavernous enough for at least 5 stacked golf bags, but climbing into, and then out of it while sorting those chairs out was total nightmare.
On the contrary, a simple tug of the black cable lifted the Grand C4 Picasso's chairs up into place, while a red one stowed it away for 5 and even more luggage space.
|
Tech wise
Built alongside the 7-seater variant in Vigo, Spain, the Picasso measures 4.47m long, 1.83m wide and 1.66m high - 12 centimetres shorter that the "Grand." The twin-cam, 16-valve 2 litre four pot outputs 143hp at 6000rpm, and 200 torques at 4000rpm. The electronic, 6 speed electronic transmission will be scheduled to arrive shortly, but until then, we'll just have to make do with this four-speeder.
Devoid of Citroen's trademark pneumatic suspension, we sampled the "usual" telescopic struts, lower A-arms, coil springs and anti-roll bars for front cushions, and a twist-beam axle, coil springs an anti-roll bar in the rear.
Ride Impresions
Aside from the rather upright driving position, the C4 is just miles apart from conventional people movers through corners. Chuck it in really, really hard. No understeer.
Bodyroll is also, surprisingly absent, and the only things that go amiss are your screaming passengers and a disturbingly wide grin on your face.
The same can't be said for the engine though, and while we agree that the general population will go for the 2 litre, you'll find that the car does accelerate in a time much slower than you can say "Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Marîa de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santîsima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso".
Yes. That is his full name.
And Mr. Picasso deserves a better engine and transmission. The four speeder was alarmingly jerky when toggled with the steering mounted shifters, but first and second were so jolting, we decided to go fully automatic instead. Past experience tells us that this might be an isolated problem though.
There you have it
Now, the price - $96,988, or the cost of a full fledged, seven seater MPV and a fair amount of mediocrity with a Honda Odyssey 2.4 that starts from $96,000, and hovers for around a hundred grand for a properly optioned one.
The Opel Zafira, a car that starts from about $90,000, handles just as well but seats seven instead of five. It doesn't cost as much as the Picasso, but it is a little lacking in terms of space and the overall comfort factor.
Alternatively, you could just spend a bare $2000 more and go for the Grand C4 Picasso. Now, that's much better and effective when compared to any of these options for good reason. The Grand C4 Picasso handles, drives and looks just as great, if not better, than the standard one, and offers a whole lot more in terms of value and that "Citronesque" factor.
Sure, the Picasso isn't a true work of art, but tell me of any 7-seater that actually looks as good.
Car Information
Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 THP 5-Seater (A)
CAT B|Petrol|11.5km/L
Horsepower
104kW (140 bhp)
Torque
240 Nm
Acceleration
12.2sec (0-100km /hr)
This model is no longer being sold by local distributor
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