Citroen C4 Picasso (2013-2018) Review

If none of the latest people carriers pique your interest, then the Picasso is worth a look. It offered lots of tech to boot, had a decent range of petrol and diesel engines, and had plenty of space inside. If you regularly do the school run, this is the car for you. Likewise, there are plenty of cheap examples on the second-hand market.

There were lots. So again, this comes down to what you'll need it for. The petrol lineup included a 108 and 128 bhp 1.2-litre and a 153 bhp 1.6 (increased to 163 bhp in 2015). There were two 1.6 diesels (89 and 113 bhp and a 2.0-litre with 148 bhp. 

There were also five-speed and six-speed 'boxes and a six-speed automated manual. The VTR kicked off the range, while the VTR+ added automatic lights and wipers. The Exclusive was next, followed by the Exclusive+, the latter featuring adaptive cruise control and blindspot monitoring. 

While the market may have moved away from MPVs to small SUVs and SUVs, the humble people-carrier still offers more space and makes a better family car for many buyers. 

The Vauxhall Zafira and Ford B-Max were closest, but like the Picasso, these are long gone. Still, the used market's filled with them. The closest Citroen offers now is the e-SpaceTourer and C4. Similarly, there's the Volkswagen Touran, which looks sharper than before.  

Quality was drastically improved in newer models. The materials used felt much better, and the whole fit and finish was a big step up, with a better quality feel to the switches and controls. The design was much improved, and Citroen dropped the 'fixed-hub' steering wheel, which we were never convinced by, for a conventional one.

Citroen was keen to big up new technology in the C4 Picasso, mainly the new media interface. This included not one but two colour screens. There was a seven-inch touchscreen lower down, in a nice gloss black surround, that controlled all the main functions like air con, stereo and the sat nav (if fitted).

Perched above in the dash was a huge 12-inch widescreen that displayed the speedo and rev counter (there were no conventional dials) and could be configured to show other information such as trip data or navigation.

It was a system that was easy to use thanks to clear icons on either side of the screen, but it could be a little fiddly. For instance, turning the air con up or down meant you'd go to the relevant screen rather than just pressing a button or turning a dial. 

After 2016, many cars received Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. 

The boot was large at 537 litres of carrying space, plus the new tailgate design, with the tail lights integrated, meant you could fit more in. 

The seats folded flat, too, although there was no one-handle system for dropping them as in other MPVs. You pulled two levers on the seat - there was no way of folding them from the boot. The Citroen C4 Picasso's dimensions were 4438mm long, 2117mm wide and 1610mm tall.

There were two petrol engines in the range, starting with the 1.6 VTi followed by the 1.6 THP with 155PS. The latter was supposedly the 'sporty' choice, but while it was smooth and nippy from a standstill, it lacked in-gear pull. The diesel was better for this. 

The 1.6 HDi engine was available in two versions, one with 90PS and the other with 115PS. It was a great engine with plenty of torque - 270Nm in the higher powered version - yet still refined and quiet. Fuel economy was good, with a claimed 70.1 mpg.

The rather clunky manual gearbox was a bit of a letdown, but it was at least fairly positive. Citroen was also offering ETG6 - a development of the much-maligned EGC automated manual gearbox, which was certainly an improvement. The manual was, and still is, the better choice unless you require an auto.

The C4 Picasso's soft suspension handled bumps and ruts well at higher speeds, but struggled to remain composed through towns. Likewise, wind and road noise remain well suppressed at motorway speeds. 

The C4 Picasso was awarded the maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when crash tested in 2013. Adult occupant safety was rated at 86%, while child occupant safety was even higher at 88%.

Standard safety equipment on all versions included driver, passenger and side airbags and traction control, while higher grades added features such as parking sensors. Top spec Exclusive+ versions added adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring.

Being a fairly old car now, any manufacturer warranties will have expired unless extended. Recalls regarding fuel leaks on cars built between 4 January and 15 July 2014 were distributed. This was a dangerous defect that could lead to a fire. Starter motors were also an issue on cars built between 28 June and 15 July 2016. 

Similarly, airbags may not have deployed on cars constructed between 10 and 14 November 2017, and some engines were known to fail in cars built between 1 October and 30 November 2017. Citroen made the bottom four in the latest Honest John Satisfaction Index. 

The cheapest Picasso to insure was, and still is, the 1.6 VTi VTR at group 14. Topping the charts is the Flair BlueHDi 150 EAT6 auto at group 25. The 1.6 diesels range from group 15 to 20. 

Like insurance, road tax isn't an expensive affair with the Citroen C4 Picasso. The cheapest 1.6 BlueHDi 100 bhp VTR emits 99g/km of C02, meaning you'll pay just £20 per year when the new 1 April 2025 tax change kicks in. 

The most expensive is the 1.6 VTi VTR, emitting 145g/km. Put simply, you'll be paying £215 per year. 

The entry-level VTR came with 16-inch alloys, cruise control and dual-zone climate control. A step up was the VTR+, offering auto lights and wipers, rear parking sensors and DAB radio. Exclusive was second from the top and provided a 12-inch digital instrument panel, 17-inch alloys and a reversing camera. And finally, was Exclusive+. This range-topping guise had 18-inch alloys, adaptive cruise control and blindspot monitoring. 

Around 2016, these trims were dropped in favour of the Touch Edition, Feel and Flair. Most carried the same equipment as before, but with a few added extras and improvements.