Citroen Grand C4 Picasso people-mover puts seven in the picture

From the space-age panoramic windscreen and sunroof to the funky 3D-effect tail-lights, Citroen’s Grand C4 Picasso is unlike anything you’d expect from a people-mover

2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

HOW did the great Spanish painter Pablo Picasso come to get his name on a mid-level French people-mover? Is it that the vehicle is a priceless work of art? A vision of abstract modernism? Or is it connecting to Picasso’s left leanings — a car for all the people (or at least all the family)?

We decided to find out when our little artists’ community, including three rather short budding Picassos, known to be quite handy with a packet of crayons and the nearest wall, were given a Citroen Grand C4 Picasso for a week. Merci!

ABSTRACT WORK OF ART

Makes you look twice: 2018 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

Like any great piece of art, the Grand Picasso experiments with line, form and shape to create a vehicle that makes you look twice.

From the space-age panoramic windscreen and sunroof to the funky 3D-effect tail-lights, the Picasso is unlike anything you’d expect from a people-mover.

GOOD ARTISTS COPY, GREAT ARTISTS STEAL

Picasso himself reminded us that nothing is new in this world, only reinvented. And that’s precisely what the Grand Picasso is — the family car reinvented. It’s a five-plus-two-seater with the two extras easy to fold down in the boot.

As you enter the cabin you’re immediately struck by just how light and airy it feels.

There are the two massive screens, a 12-inch high-resolution LCD information display in the centre of the dashboard and seven-inch touchscreen for infotainment.

IT’S WELL FRAMED

The Picasso seats a family of five comfortably, plus a couple of friends.

The version we tested had leather seats, with armrests, a business-class style footrest in the front passenger seat and massage and heated seats in the front.

Grand C4 Picasso: Flexible, comfortable — but gear selector is behind wheel

The second row seats are individually mounted so the kids can choose just how much leg room they want — less, obviously, when the neighbour’s kids have taken up the small back row. There are three Isofix points and enough room to easily move booster seats around.

COMPOSITION

The 2.0-litre turbo diesel was well-suited to a week of school runs and soccer practices. It’s not the most powerful car I’ve driven but it was surprisingly seamless and smooth.

What was difficult to cope with was the gear shifter — which is behind the steering wheel.

LIGHT AND SPACE

Much of Picasso’s works are known for the interplay of light and space and abstract features — this is no different. The huge windscreen has sliding sun visors that cleverly cut out the glare while the kid’s windows have built in pull-up blinds. The huge panoramic sunroof lets in even more light and has an electric sliding blind.

VERY AVANT-GARDE

It’s an organised mum’s dream — from the coffee cup holders to the media cubby that keeps all those annoying USB cords twirled up and away to the deep storage bins between the two front seats.

Well composed: Funky tail-lights but limited boot space with seven seats in use

There is a slider to hold your carpark ticket in the sun visor, iPad straps in the back of the front seats for the kid’s electronic devices and even a clever storage area under the mats in the back row of seats.

The only drawback is that if you use the third row of seats, the boot space is so seriously reduced you’d have trouble storing a canvas and a couple of paint brushes.

VALUABLE ART

The diesel will set you back $44,490 while the petrol version is just over $38,490. But for what you get it’s a surprise package, along with a five-year warranty for peace of mind.

WHAT’S AMAZING

It’s the little things sometimes that make a car special — and what my kids really kept coming back to were the rear aircraft style tray tables with LED reading lights.

The huge windscreen.

The safety features — six airbags, lane departure warning and a great reverse camera.

WHAT’S NOT

The car had warning alarms that went off at nearly everything.

The gear shifter position behind the steering wheel! Sacre bleu!

Boot capacity with the third row of seats up.

THE VERDICT

Tres bon.

CITROEN GRAND C4 PICASSO

PRICE $44,990

WARRANTY/SERVICING 5 years/unlimited km; $3321 for 5 years/100,000km

SAFETY 5 stars, 6 airbags, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control,
360-degree camera

ENGINE 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 110kW/370Nm

TRANSMISSION 6-speed auto; FWD

THIRST 4.5L/100km

BOOT 165L/793L

For more reviews, view Kidspot.com.au