CITROEN C3 PICASSO 1.6HDI 16V 90HP:Citroën's new Picasso is nowhere near as much fun to drive as its funky new look would have you believe, but it succeeds in terms of space and functionality, writes MICHAEL McALEERMotoring Editor
CITROËN DEMONSTRATED some of that legendary French wit when it named a bulbous Xsara derivative after the Spanish artist at the turn of the last decade. How they must have chuckled at the very idea on the Champs Elysée. It was as much a put-down to the uppity Picasso as it was an attempt to consign an artistic link to the metal in question.
One of the leaders in cubism is unlikely to have regarded the early iterations of this range of cars as comparable with his life’s work. Some cars may be considered masterpieces of motoring art but the early Picassos were certainly not, however popular they were with European families and holiday makers.
But they delivered practical functionality that appealed to families with few other desires in family motoring. Performance ranked somewhere below the ease of access to the spare tyre. These cars have never been that bad, at least when pitted against the rest of the boxy brigade of mid-range people carriers. The look was non-descript but they delivered in terms of space.
Now comes a smaller iteration of the Picasso range, based loosely on the C3 supermini. Is this the car finally worthy of the Spanish master’s moniker? Probably not, but don’t write off its potential completely in terms of styling.
For a start, it may not be the motoring embodiment of the cubist movement, but it does at least attempt a touch of youthful panache. Citroën has some of the brightest talent in car design in its ranks at present and their efforts are starting to bear fruit.
The new styling must bow to the laws of physics, after all, but the work done by the French firm to liven up the look is commendable. This is the sort of small family car that shows functional can be fun. It makes some regular superminis look positively drab and you can see how Citroën hopes to upgrade a few potential C3 buyers into this more spacious version. We’re not taken by the new C3, but the C3 Picasso could win us over.
The look is set off by a decent interior that’s soft to the touch. Even amongst the people carrier ranks, there is a surprisingly spacious boot and with the rear seats folded the capacity is 1,500 litres. You can also tilt the front passenger seat forwards and there are a handful of other stowage areas in the rear footwells and under the floor of the boot.
The best news is all the visual and tactile bits of the car interior are not only stylish but sturdy. Admittedly, things get a degree more rudimentary from knee level down, but that’s the way the market goes.
So Citroën has a bit of a success on its hands, based on first impressions at least.
The thrill starts to wear off when you take it on the road. For all the design attempts to disguise its boxy roots, the car’s handling is too neutral. It’s light and nimble, which can be a godsend in shopping car parks where you are expected to slalom round freewheeling shopping trolleys and prams, but it offers little or no feedback when cornering on country roads.
It does an admirable job of soaking up the bumps but it never feels as sporty to handle or drive as the styling seeks to suggest. It’s not helped by a diesel engine that lacks a degree of pep over its rivals. It’s not quite the sloth some reviews would have you believe, but it’s no eager runaround either.
The engine is a little disappointing. Given that it’s a 1.6-litre diesel, there should have been a lot more pep in its step than was evident in the test car. The five-speed transmission feels like it’s building up to better things as it makes steady progress towards motorway speeds but by the time you reach top gear it quickly reveals that’s your lot. It’s not a problem when scooting around the shops or in suburban traffic, but fully laden trips cross-country would become something of a chore.
In its defence, most owners of these cars aren’t all that interested in performance and few of its rivals could be described as sporty. Buyers are looking for functionality and hoping for a bit of flair: the C3 Picasso delivers both.
This car has a sliding rear seat that puts legroom on a par with the likes of the Ford Focus when fully extended, offering only a few litres less in terms of bootspace. That’s an impressive feat for a car on a wheelbase that measures only nine millimeters more than a Fiesta.
It’s easy to write off these cars as little more than jumped-up superminis with high roofs that offer no more to motorists than extra headroom. The C3 Picasso proves they do indeed have more to offer in terms of space and can challenge in terms of styling, too.
So how does it stack up against its rivals? Quite reasonably when you consider the price. It’s competitive and Citroën have promised on pain of being haunted by Picasso himself that they will not dabble in discounting again, a previous policy that destroyed resale prices and left Irish Citroën owners fuming.
The Picasso range has also built up a decent reputation among family buyers.
Finally, its low emissions entitle the driver to take the high moral ground.
Its biggest rivals demand higher prices for similar specifications, while the most tempting challengers, such as the Kia Soul, don’t quite match its flexibility.
So while it disappoints in terms of performance, it satisfies the other criteria most buyers in this class are after. It’s a much better proposition than the regular C3, even if it’s nowhere near as much fun to drive as the funky new look would have you believe.
Factfile
Engine: 1,560cc turbodiesel engine with five-speed manual transmission, putting out 90bhp @4,000rpm and 215Nm @1,750rpm 0-100km/h: 13.5 seconds
L/100km (mpg):urban 5.6 (50.4); extra-urban 4.0 (70.6); combined 4.5 (62.7)
CO2 emissions: 119 g/km
Tax: band A – €2,104
Specifications: ABS with electronic brake distribution; dual front, side and curtain airbags; remote central locking; Isofix child seat anchors for two seats; Halogen auto headlights; front foglights; 16in alloys; stereo/CD with steering mounted controls; panoramic windscreen; leather steering wheel; cruise control and speed limiter; dual-zone air-con and scented air freshener; front electric windows. Options are metallic/pearlescent paint (€450)
Warranty: two-year/unlimited mileage
Price:€19,900