Citroën's latest MPV causes confusion, writes Daniel Attwood
Citroën has launched its latest MPV - the C4 Picasso - on to the Irish market. The naming of the new seven-seat C4 Picasso has presented something of a quandary for Citroëafter it confirmed that it is also to launch a five-seat version of the same car in March.
The French manufacturer has said it is now naming the five-seat model the C4 Picasso, while in what appears to be a humble nod of recognition in the direction of Renault's Grand Scenic, it is to rename its seven-seater the Grand Picasso.
To make matters even more confusing for MPV buyers, it has been confirmed that Citroën dealers will continue to sell the cheaper five-seat Xsara Picasso MPV alongside the two new C4s, the larger seven-seat C8 MPV and the van-derived five-seat Berlingo Multispace.
This means Citroën will have the largest line up of MPVs of any manufacturer with three compact MPVs alongside the C8 and the Multispace.
But it is seven-seaters that make up the bulk of MPV sales in Ireland with 6,300 expected to be bought this year, which is why this new model is so important for Citroën, as it hopes to tempt up to 1,000 of these buyers into its showrooms.
The new C4 Picasso, which is the biggest of all the compact MPVs currently on the market, comes with a choice of two petrol engines and two diesel units. While the 1.8-litre petrol is the cheapest at €27,300, it is the €30,100 1.6-litre diesel that is the most attractive in terms of power, economy and showroom price.
Indeed, while producing just 10bhp less than the market's favourite MPV - the Opel Zafira 1.9-litre diesel - the new C4 Picasso is some €1,200 cheaper, which is sure to impress buyers, especially when they see the C4's impressive safety equipment (seven airbags, a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating and ESP and traction control as standard).
The cost of the larger 2.0-litre engines - €36,550 for the petrol and €40,900 for the diesel - puts them out of the reach of most families looking for the space and practicality of a seven seater.
However, while the C4 may have seven seats, it does not have room for seven adults and, as is often the case with compact MPVs, the two rearmost seats are suitable for pre-teen children only and when in use leave little room for luggage.
Mimicking Opel's excellent seating system, this Citroën has a similarly simple fold flat mechanism that means the rear seat rows produce a flat load area when not needed with one simple action.
Of great appeal is the lightness of the cabin, which is thanks to a massive windscreen and slim window pillars, which despite containing airbags have little impact on visibility.
There are other neat touches such as a torch that doubles as a boot light, reading lights on the back of the front seats, four Isofix babyseat fittings and optional pneumatic rear suspension, which means the boot can be lowered for easier loading of heavy pushchairs.
While the base 1.8-litre petrol has a standard five-speed manual gearbox, the diesels and 2.0-litre petrol have six speeds or the option of a new €800 six-speed electronic gearbox, which has steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts and a dashboard-mounted automatic electric parking brake that does away with the mechanical handbrake between the front seats.
This gearbox reduces fuel consumption by up to 5 per cent and CO2 emissions by 5g per km.
With its impressive technology and equipment levels, its comfort-orientated ride quality and its best-in-class safety record, the C4 Picasso is a strong addition to the growing family of Citroën MPVs.