Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Feel BlueHDI 120 manual review

Citroen’s C4 Picasso mini-MPV has been given a mid-life upgrade just in time to fend off the all-new Renault Scenic.

Sampled here in ‘Grand’ form (Citroen’s name for the larger seven-seat version), the C4 Picasso’s upgrades include a mildly reworked front end plus new lights both front and rear.

However, the major revisions have been saved for the in-car entertainment and tech systems. With drivers now more focussed than ever on their mobile device, a car without proper connectivity to the owner’s mobile is going to lose out to one with connectivity. This is also likely to trickle through to the used car market and new car residual values.

The revised C4 Picasso has both Apple Carplay and Mirrorlink for Android phones, which makes using both types of devices possible, both handsfree for phone calls, but also allows music, podcasts and other services possible through the car’s screens and controls rather than through the phone.

It’s the kind of system that once experienced, drivers won’t want to pick a car without it in future.
The car’s seven-inch touchscreen (standard on all models) has also been upgraded for the improved connectivity and to allow pinch-to-zoom in the satnav (standard on Feel trim level and above). Citroen claims the satnav has also been upgraded, although on our test the mapping data was woefully out of date on a couple of occasions meaning a far longer journey than was necessary.

What hasn’t been changed is the interior seating layout and this is no bad thing. The Grand C4 Picasso has one of the best designed mini-MPV interiors on the market. There are three independent seats in the middle that will all fit a large child seat. These can be slid forward or back and folded to maximise or minimise legroom and storage space.

The third row of two seats is also good enough to seat grown-ups, although larger adults will find it tight. However, it is possible to carry seven adults with all having decent legroom, which is normally something only full-size MPVs can do.

The ride quality remains excellent. The suspension may be on the soft side with some body roll in the corners, but that’s what you want from an MPV – they’re not the kind of car you buy for a sporty drive.
On top of this, the 120hp 1.6-litre diesel engine remains economic with an official figure just over 70mpg and a CO2 output of 106g/km.

All this comes together to make for an excellent mini-MPV that’s highly recommended.