C4 Picasso Citroen Minivans Tests
Citroën C4 Picasso 2013, presentation and road test in Baiona
Diego G. Moreira
8 July 2013
8 min. 
The Picasso saga continues, and I’m not talking about paintings but about cars, more specifically a car that few people are unaware of and that has carried the “Made in Galicia” badge for years. Specifically, in 1999 the Citroën Xsara Picasso was launched, a car that kept being built until 2012 – the Brazilian plant was the last to stop.
In 2006 the C4 Picasso appeared, which was on sale until now and has a successor. The new generation of the Citroën C4 Picasso arrives loaded with novelties – we could say it is the flagship of the brand – debuting design, architecture and technology.
At the national presentation that Citroën held in Baiona, we were able to test this new generation, learn the details of the car in depth and visit the Vigo factory where it has been built for years. We will also tell you about the prices and the equipment of the new Citroën C4 Picasso.
Design with personality
Since we first saw the first photos of the 2013 C4 Picasso and revealed the details, one part of the car did not go unnoticed: the front end. Citroën has decided to take a risk with the design and create a more personal car with bolder lines than the previous generation.
The headlights are split into three levels: LED daytime running lights and indicators at the top, the dipped and main beam lights in the middle, and the fog lights at the bottom. In addition, the lines are straighter, and it is lower and wider than the previous generation.
On the side line, in addition to the large glazed area that lets plenty of light into the interior, the wheelbase increases, which translates into more interior space. The boot also grows to 537 litres, and it debuts an electric tailgate.
Spacious interior with a clear technology presence
The dashboard keeps the shapes of the previous generation (that is, centred instrumentation) but now adds more technology, since depending on the equipment level, we can have two screens: a 7-inch touchscreen that controls navigation, radio, bizone climate control, phone, driver assistance systems…, and comes as standard; and another 12-inch screen at the top that serves as the instrument cluster.
At the wheel, the seats in the version we tested – 115 CV Exclusive – stand out: two-tone leather seats with the Lounge option: front seats with massage, a relax seat so the passenger can stretch their legs (an extension of the bench) and enveloping relax headrests. Meanwhile, in the rear seats the modularity remains the model’s greatest asset, since the three seats are identical and can be adjusted for distance or their backrest can be reclined.
Quality has improved, at least in the unit we tested, with much of the dashboard in pleasant, soft-touch materials, the hard plastics only present on the centre console. That said, we found the interior soundproofing could be better.
We like the tables behind the front seats with built-in LED reading lights, a practical detail. And speaking of details, I must return to the instrumentation, which is not digital as standard – from the Intensive trim onwards – and offers a huge 12-inch screen with abundant information about the car, navigation or the multimedia section. The driver can choose which menu to display from the steering wheel or even change the wallpaper via USB. We tested the car on a very sunny day, and we saw no annoying reflections on the screen at any point.
Finishing with the interior and habitability, according to the French manufacturer, the C4 Picasso has 16 storage compartments where we can leave our things. The centre console compartments in the front seats are particularly noteworthy, being spacious and practical.
Technological equipment and new safety systems
The equipment is structured into four levels: Attraction, Seduction, Intensive and Exclusive. As standard it includes air conditioning, four electric windows, a 7-inch touchscreen, a radio with six speakers and a USB/AUX socket, multiple airbags, electric parking brake, leather steering wheel, stability and traction control, among other elements.
From the Intensive trim onwards, items such as navigation and the 12-inch instrument screen, among others, appear. Finally, the Exclusive trim adds the remaining optional extras that let you tailor the C4 Picasso to your taste, with systems such as the electric tailgate, Lounge pack, automatic parking assist, 17-inch alloy wheels, among other elements.
In terms of equipment, the systems debuted by the new C4 Picasso stand out, such as the parking assist, which steers automatically both when parking and when pulling out of a parking space, and is one of the systems that needs the least space to park. It also debuts active cruise control – a first for the brand – and the blind spot warning for the mirror.
A system the brand already included in some of its models is the lane departure warning, but it has been improved and now vibrates the driver’s seatbelt to alert them to the lane change. Closing the technology section are the automatic high beam or the Citroën eTouch system, which includes an emergency call and GPS-based assistance system.
Behind the wheel of the Citroën C4 Picasso 1.6 HDI 115 CV Exclusive
The initial range will consist of four engines, two petrol (120 hp VTi and 155 hp THP) and two diesel variants of the 1.6 HDI with 90 and 115 hp. The response time of the semi-automatic manual gearbox has also been improved, though it was not a model of speed (a pity we could not test an automatic version).
Although the most profound change in the new C4 Picasso is the platform, it debuts the new modular EMP2 platform of the French group, which has allowed improvements such as a longer wheelbase and a weight reduction of 140 kg.
Now then, it’s time to get behind the wheel, and we chose a 115 CV diesel C4 Picasso with the highest equipment level – Exclusive – and a six-speed manual gearbox. After settling in and getting comfortable with the new design and the controls, we noticed a comfortable driving position with good visibility.
All C4 Picassos start with a button, and the first thing that pleasantly surprised me was the feel of the gear lever, more precise than in the previous generation. Shortly after setting off, we took a motorway route where we noticed that agility has changed radically.
The suspension now strikes a successful balance between agility and comfort, unlike the previous generation, which had softer suspension. The dynamism is noticeable on the road: when we tackled a route with bends, the car rode more stably and more nimbly.
The engine is an old acquaintance; the 115 CV version responds adequately, although the entry-level 90 CV variant might be a little short on power if the car is loaded. That said, this powertrain strikes a good balance between performance and consumption, since it is easy to keep consumption below 5 litres per 100 km on the road, a very good figure.
For those seeking more power, the 2-litre HDI engine with 150 CV will be available in the short term.
Prices of the new Citroën C4 Picasso
- C4 PICASSO VTi 120 ATTRACTION 18,500 EUR
- C4 PICASSO VTi 120 SEDUCTION 19,650 EUR
- C4 PICASSO THP 155 INTENSIVE 22,500 EUR
- C4 PICASSO THP 155 EXCLUSIVE 25,300 EUR
- C4 PICASSO HDi 90 ATTRACTION 20,500 EUR
- C4 PICASSO HDi 90 SEDUCTION 21,650 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream ATTRACTION 21,750 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream SEDUCTION 22,900 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream INTENSIVE 24,450 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream EXCLUSIVE 27,250 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 90 Airdream ETG6 (AUT.) SEDUCTION 22,650 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream ETG6 (AUT.) SEDUCTION 23,700 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream ETG6 (AUT.) INTENSIVE 25,250 EUR
- C4 PICASSO e-HDi 115 Airdream ETG6 (AUT.) EXCLUSIVE 28,050 EUR
In short, it is clear that Citroën has put its best effort into this new generation of the C4 Picasso, improving especially in terms of design, the technology it offers and, above all, dynamism. In this way we have an interesting MPV that improves in many respects while keeping intact qualities such as interior space and habitability. As soon as possible, our test team will take the wheel of the new C4 Picasso, because we want to analyse it thoroughly and, above all, try the new automatic gearbox, as it is one of the best-selling MPVs in our country.
Photos | Diego G. Moreira
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