Citroen XSARA PICASSO RANGE
Citroen's Xsara Picasso Is Designed For Families. Jonathan Crouch Thinks They'll Take To It
Pablo Picasso was a man known for his originality on canvas. Perhaps then, he would have appreciated the Citroen
mini-MPV people carrier that bears his name.
Not that the concept behind this car is particularly new. The idea of a miniature people carrier has been around since
Renault introduced their Scenic back in 1996, a concept since copied by a clutch of imitators. None of these, however, bettered the Renault where it really mattered: in the clever 'lifestyle' detailing that made the Scenic such a hit with small families. With the Picasso, Citroen has addressed this 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.
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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. Roadburning performance was found to be equally unnecessary, so the five mainstream Xsara hatchback engines 1.6, 1.
8 and 2.0-litre petrol units plus a 90bhp HDI diesel) and, the latest addition, a 110bhp 1.6HDI are deemed to be quite sufficient. All of these perform reasonably, especially (in the case of the HDi units) at the pumps (expect over 50mpg in normal use from both).
The diesels account for the majority of Picasso sales, mainly due to the fact that neither of the thirstier petrol engines offers anything much better in terms of performance or even refinement. The 1.6-litre HDI unit is very impressive, with 110bhp, its faster than the larger capacity 2.0-litre diesel but still managers better fuel consumption.
Its possible to average nearly 58mpg and travel 760miles on a single tank. Visits to the filling station will become so rare, that you might forget where the Picassos fuel filler cap is. In fact, this hi-tech common rail diesel is the finest unit of its kind. It loses out to rivals in terms of sheer horsepower but still betters them both at the pumps and in terms of torque (pulling power from low speeds).
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 not a comment applicable to many MPVs. At first acquaintance, that centre digital display seems a little strange, but you get used to it. Incorporated in it is a standard trip computer as well as a stereo display and the graphics for the optional satellite navigation system.
Its not the best example of its type, being quite a long way distant with some very small markings. It isnt even angled towards the driver very effectively, but the information relayed is very comprehensive. That makes all the difference when it comes to sitting in the rear: the Scenic, in contrast, condemns the middle passenger to a
seat narrower than the outer two. As you'd expect, the rear seats fold, collapse forward or can be removed completely (as long as you can find somewhere to leave them). Collapse the centre seat and you create a multi-function work or play area that includes a clipboard-style paper holder. 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 £13,395 and £17,295, depending on your choice of petrol or diesel engine and LX, Desire or Exclusive trim.
All variants have dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, remote control central locking, immobiliser, a CD player and power front mirrors and windows. Desire versions add ABS more airbags and body coloured bumpers while Exclusive gives you 15" alloys and automatic headlamps amongst other things. In summary, the Picasso has proved a popular addition to the growing ranks of small but spacious people carriers. As long as, like most families, your tribe really don't need seven seats (or even six), the Citroen is difficult to ignore, offering as it does so much in terms of original interior thought. It's not hard to see cars like this almost completely replacing conventional family hatchbacks - which could cause an interesting dilemma across the motor industry. Perhaps the designers have been too clever for their own good.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Citroen Xsara Picasso range
PRICES: £13,395 -£17,295 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 147-205g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.8 16v] Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 10.5s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 HDi] [urban] 40.4mpg / [extra urban] 61.4mpg/ [combined] 51.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver and passenger airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4276/1970/1637mm
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