Citroen

Grand C4 Picasso

Boasting all the flexibility and versatility required in a seven-seater, the Grand C4 Picasso also delivers excellent handling capabilities, good economy and plenty of on-board technology to be explored.

The good

Practical, stylish, well-equipped and good looking

The bad

Over-complicated touchscreen

Tech Specs

Price from

£22,475

Combined Fuel up to

74.3mpg

0-62 from

9.7 seconds

max speed up to

130mph

co2 from

99g/km

Test Drive

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Flair BlueHDI 120 automatic

Boasting a space-age design, innovative storage features and an impressive array of on-board technology, there is something rather exciting about exploring Citroen’s Grand C4 Picasso.

With seven-seats, it’s a fully beefed up version of the standard C4 Picasso and is perfect proof that multi-purpose vehicles can be both practical and stylish at the same time.

It’s hard to imagine that a car capable of accommodating seven people, along with all their luggage needs, can also boast the ride and handling normally associated with a family car, but the Grand C4 Picasso does exactly that.

It looks impressive from every angle thanks to an athletic profile, LED daytime running lights, 17-inch alloys, tinted windows, 3D LED rear lights, front fog lights and a massive panoramic sunroof that allows light to flood into the cabin. And when you factor in the massive windscreen with sliding sun visors there is more light hitting this car than an average greenhouse and that means none of the passengers – even those in the rear seats – will ever feel claustrophobic.

And when it comes to practicality, Citroen has struck gold with the middle seats sliding back and forth which means the leg room in the back can be increased accordingly when the seats are being used. There is even an extra rear-view mirror to keep an eye on goings-on in the back of the car.

In addition, there is underfloor storage, lots of convenient cubby holes, massaging seats and a fold-out leg rest for the front seat passenger on the range-topping Flair model that was supplied for the test drive.

It was priced at £28,160 plus £2,620 optional extras and on-board technology included a seven-inch touchscreen that controls most of the car’s features from the sat nav and audio to climate control plus full connectivity to smart phones. There was a DAB digital radio complemented by a six speaker sound system and a 12-inch panoramic HD central display that offers data including speed, fuel levels, trip readings, audio and sat nav directions.

The test car was powered by a 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox and could reach 62mph from a standing start in 10.1 seconds before maxing out at 129mph. According to official figures, it could deliver combined fuel economy of 64.2mpg with carbon emissions of 115g/km.

In busy town centres, the Grand C4 Picasso proved deceptively agile for its size and the driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility thanks to the elevated driving position which is a bonus with cars and pedestrians darting out from all angles.

Then out on faster roads the car accelerated smoothly through the gears and there was a constant supply of power on tap at all times. The road-holding was assured and steering beautifully precise. You can expect to feel a little body roll if pushed hard into corners, but that is not unusual for a car of the Citroen’s shape and size.

The hands-free tailgate is another bonus especially if approaching the car laden down with shopping bags. And the boot capacity ranges from 165 litres when all seven seats are in use to a whopping 2,181 litres with the seats in rows two and three dropped flat.

My only gripes after a week behind the wheel was the rather fiddly touchscreen that takes some getting used to and seems to over-complicate matters like increasing the temperature or changing the air con flow levels. I also found it strange having to glance to the centre of the dashboard to see vital information such as my current speed when normally this would be displayed directly in the driver’s eye-line.

All in all though, the Grand C4 Picasso is quite a work of art. It looks great, drives well and is flexible and practical enough to cater for any active family’s demands.