Citroen XSARA PICASSO HDi110
If You Want Sensible With A Side Order Of Style And Swiftness, Citroens Xsara Picasso HDi110 Could Well Fit The Bill. Andy Enright Reports
When it comes to choosing a family car, practicality and panache are often mutually exclusive concepts. You either choose something with a modicum of style and pay the price in terms of interior space or else opt for a motorised breeze block with acres of room but a singular absence of elegance. There are rare exceptions however, and the
Citroen Xsara Picasso has long been one of the less setsquare
mini-MPVs. Sales have been strong as a result of the cars distinctive looks and realistic pricing and the addition of a powerful HDi110 diesel engine has only augmented the cars already very strong product range.
Its a great car for those averse to fuel station forecourts. That is, people like me. Capable of running 760 miles between fills, you wont have to take a break in that last-minute dash to work to stand around on a windy forecourt inhaling a cocktail of petrochemicals quite so often. Youll be denied such frequent queuing behind the guy who after paying for his fuel decides hed also like a bottle of Fanta charged to his Visa card or the student who insists on paying for three litres of unleaded with a cheque.
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Able to return a healthy 57.6mpg, the HDi110 version of the Xsara Picasso may not earn you a thick wad of Tiger Tokens but it will keep fuel bills down and, with just 131g/km of CO2 emitted per kilometre, salve your environmental conscience at the same time. You certainly wont feel guilty when you give the throttle pedal a prod, as this engine rewards you for doing. Unlike many diesel MPVs, this Xsara Picasso has a decent amount of overtaking ability up its sleeve.
Instead of leaving you hanging out to dry in the oncoming lane, the mid range thrust of the turbocharged engine makes dispatching dawdlers safe and easy. Under hard acceleration an overboost facility cuts in, allowing ten per cent more torque than normal. Thats on top of the cars quoted 177lb/ft figure which in itself is more than, say, an
Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 can muster.
With less weight to haul about than many of its rivals, the Xsara Picasso HDi 110 can notch off the sprint to 60mph in 10.7 seconds and run on to a top speed of 114mph. This makes it a much quicker package than youd get if you opted for a
Renault Scenic 1.9dCi, a
Vauxhall Zafira 2.
0Dti or even a
Ford Focus C-Max 1.6TDCi. With the Picasso,
Citroen has addressed the
mini-MPV usability issue head-on, refusing to be distracted by considerations like extra seats or wild and wacky styling. The result - in interior terms at least - is arguably the most original car of its kind yet produced.
You realise this as soon as you sit behind the wheel and look into nothing. There are no dials just a digital display to your left in the centre of the dashboard, part of which can be turned off to avoid distraction at night. You realise it on discovering that the gear lever sprouts from the dashboard, leaving the floor clear for you to walk through to the back seats. You realise it when you open the boot to find a fold-out trolley that avoids the need to decant the weekly shop in the supermarket carpark.
"The interior is one of the most original of its kind..."
Somebody at Citroen has thought long and hard about what families really want. Research suggests that hardly any buyers in this sector have more than three children - so five seats were deemed perfectly adequate. On the road, the ride is intentionally biased towards comfort but cornering is well controlled. Despite the lack of a rev counter, you could conceivably enjoy driving this car but its not quite in the same league as the Focus C-Max or the
Honda Stream in terms of driver enjoyment.
There are rear picnic tables, under-floor storage compartments, a drawer under the front passenger
seat, a huge glovebox and clever door pockets moulded to take cans, cups or even huge 1.5-litre bottles. What you'll really remember from your first showroom visit however is that 'modubox' trolley which normally sits flat-packed, attached to the boot wall. When required, you simply unclip it, extract the telescopic handle and wheels and wheel it off with as much as 18kg inside. The whole thing feels a little flimsy but that aside, you have to hand it to the design team for lateral thought. Prices of course, mimic those of obvious Scenic-class mini-MPV rivals - between £16,295 and £17,095 for the HDi 110 models featured here - although Citroen dealers frequently offer attractive cashback deals that can slash a significant amount off the recommended on the road pricing.
Trim choices run to Desire or Exclusive variants. Both have dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, ABS with brakeforce distribution remote control central locking, immobiliser, a CD player and power front mirrors and windows. Opt instead for the Exclusive and youll get 15" alloys, brake assist, ESP stability control and automatic headlamps amongst other things. The HDi110 engine breathes new life into what was already a very strong selling model. Its difficult to see how the Xsara Picasso wont notch up significant new sales as a result of this impressive addition. If youve got your heart set on a Picasso and can afford an HDi110, this is undoubtedly the engine to go for.
Lets just say its a very rounded product.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Citroen Xsara Picasso HDi110 range
PRICES: £16,295 -£17,095 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 131g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-60mph 10.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [combined] 57.6mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver and passenger airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4276/1970/1637mm
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