irishcar.com - Citroen Picasso

FOUR years ago Renault took the motoring world by surprise when they launched a remarkable new breed of mini-MPV. It made other manufacturers sit up sharply and take close note, and in the intervening years a number took the Scenic route.

Citroen is the latest with the unusually named Picasso, the first time an artist’s name has been used on a car.

Based on the award-winning Xsara, in-house designed and built in the artist’s native Spain, the Picasso took £230m and just 38 months from conception to production.

Nothing notably innovative here as with the Opel Zafira’s foldaway in the floor seats and the Fiat Multipla’s two three abreast rows of seats. But where this five-seater scores handsomely is with its sweeping curved oval design that takes us back to those futuristic, stylish Citroens we used to know - haven’t they produced some conservative-looking cars of late? - an interior which is more spacious and comfortable, and a neat removable foldaway shopping trolley that concertinas to rest upright in the load bay.

The head-turning Picasso, indeed, looks much more modern than the Scenic and has lots of smart design ideas ideas. It is also longer (4270 mm) and has a larger 515 litre boot.

The sharply raked bonnet and deep windscreen, going in a straight line from the top of the bumper to the start of the gracefully arched roof, immediately catch the eye. Then there are the teardrop headlamps, the low waistline, wide body and lots of glass area which create a bright, airy cabin.

A central instrument panel with digital instrument display dominates the interior with a stubby dash-mounted gear lever allowing easy cross cabin access. The rear seats, three very comfortable individual chairs which are all the same size, are raised slightly to allow passengers a better view.

In fact all five full-sized seats accommodate occupants of all shapes and sizes in relaxed comfort with ample head, leg and elbowroom, yet there is still a class-leading 19cu.ft of boot space increasing to 75cu.ft. as the seating is easily removed – some 25 per cent better than key rivals.

Additionally there are 30 different storage areas, including underfloor compartments, to accommodate cups, can, coins, tickets, documents and personal items. And the backs of the front seats provide flip down picnic trays.

The tailgate has two open positions (making life easier for tall and short drivers) and three-position door opening. The load floor is commendably low and flat.

Standard features include antilock braking, four airbags, remote central locking, front fog lights, CD player, velour upholstery and an on board computer as standard. The Plus Pack models, one of which we were testing, add automatic air conditioning, alloy wheels and front seats armrests.

The versatile cabin, a quiet and relaxing place to be, offers a comfortable, slightly elevated driving position. However, the Picasso’s main glaring fault is its restricted view at the front and sides. The large area of dash to the base of the windscreen, the slightly raised bonnet and the front pillars make parking awkward.

Standard safety features include a front passenger airbag with a cut off device, child locks with dashboard indicator, a ring of steel roll over protection, high tensile steel side protection bars, pre-programmed crumple zones, three-point rear seat belts and retractable rear headrests.

POWER: The Xsara Picasso is available in a choice of two petrol engines – an upgraded 95bhp 1.6 litre and a new 117bhp 16v 1.8 litre derived from the unit in the Peugeot 206GTi and powering our test car – and a 90bhp 2.0 litre HDi diesel unit.

The 1.8 litre is quiet and smooth, although not particularly fast with the 0 to 62mph coming up in 12.2 seconds en route to a top speed of 118mph. We averaged 35mpg.

The ride is nicely controlled and for a tall car body roll is fairly well contained.

Head-turning Picasso	2000
FOUR years ago Renault took the motoring world by surprise when they launched a remarkable new breed of mini-MPV. It made other manufacturers sit up sharply and take close note, and in the intervening years a number took the Scenic route. Citroen is the latest with the unusually named Picasso, the first time an artist’s name has been used on a car. Based on the award-winning Xsara, in-house designed and built in the artist’s native Spain, the Picasso took £230m and just 38 months from conception to production. Nothing notably innovative here as with the Opel Zafira’s foldaway in the floor seats and the Fiat Multipla’s two three abreast rows of seats. But where this five-seater scores handsomely is with its sweeping curved oval design that takes us back to those futuristic, stylish Citroens we used to know - haven’t they produced some conservative-looking cars of late? - an interior which is more spacious and comfortable, and a neat removable foldaway shopping trolley that concertinas to rest upright in the load bay. The head-turning Picasso, indeed, looks much more modern than the Scenic and has lots of smart design ideas ideas. It is also longer (4270 mm) and has a larger 515 litre boot. The sharply raked bonnet and deep windscreen, going in a straight line from the top of the bumper to the start of the gracefully arched roof, immediately catch the eye. Then there are the teardrop headlamps, the low waistline, wide body and lots of glass area which create a bright, airy cabin. A central instrument panel with digital instrument display dominates the interior with a stubby dash-mounted gear lever allowing easy cross cabin access. The rear seats, three very comfortable individual chairs which are all the same size, are raised slightly to allow passengers a better view. In fact all five full-sized seats accommodate occupants of all shapes and sizes in relaxed comfort with ample head, leg and elbowroom, yet there is still a class-leading 19cu.ft of boot space increasing to 75cu.ft. as the seating is easily removed – some 25 per cent better than key rivals. Additionally there are 30 different storage areas, including underfloor compartments, to accommodate cups, can, coins, tickets, documents and personal items. And the backs of the front seats provide flip down picnic trays. The tailgate has two open positions (making life easier for tall and short drivers) and three-position door opening. The load floor is commendably low and flat. Standard features include antilock braking, four airbags, remote central locking, front fog lights, CD player, velour upholstery and an on board computer as standard. The Plus Pack models, one of which we were testing, add automatic air conditioning, alloy wheels and front seats armrests. The versatile cabin, a quiet and relaxing place to be, offers a comfortable, slightly elevated driving position. However, the Picasso’s main glaring fault is its restricted view at the front and sides. The large area of dash to the base of the windscreen, the slightly raised bonnet and the front pillars make parking awkward. Standard safety features include a front passenger airbag with a cut off device, child locks with dashboard indicator, a ring of steel roll over protection, high tensile steel side protection bars, pre-programmed crumple zones, three-point rear seat belts and retractable rear headrests. POWER: The Xsara Picasso is available in a choice of two petrol engines – an upgraded 95bhp 1.6 litre and a new 117bhp 16v 1.8 litre derived from the unit in the Peugeot 206GTi and powering our test car – and a 90bhp 2.0 litre HDi diesel unit. The 1.8 litre is quiet and smooth, although not particularly fast with the 0 to 62mph coming up in 12.2 seconds en route to a top speed of 118mph. We averaged 35mpg. The ride is nicely controlled and for a tall car body roll is fairly well contained.
by Gerry Boud.

Head-turning Picasso