Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (2014-2018) Review

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is fairly unashamed about what it is – it’s a sensible, practical and family-oriented seven-seat people carrier. Perfect for those that don’t want a big SUV but do have a big family to carry around.

It stands out from its rivals, and from the traditional MPV image, by being comparatively good looking rather than being a boring box on wheels. The inside is pretty smart, too – this is a car designed to make your family life easier rather than requiring you to adapt around the quirks of your car. Folding seats, space for three child seats and a comfy ride mean it is good for those for whom family is the top reason for buying a new car.

You won’t be disappointed if the used Citroen Grand C4 Picasso that looks perfect in every other way turns out to be an entry-level Touch Edition – it comes with some excellent kit, in the form of cruise control with a speed limiter, two-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, auto lights and wipers and USB and Bluetooth connections. 

If you have the ability to step up to Feel then that would be the pick of the bunch as you get rear electric windows, the huge panoramic windscreen and front parking sensors.

The diesel engines with the more modern EAT6 automatic gearbox are the best fit for the Citroen’s relaxed character. The 120PS model is more efficient, so edges it as an all-round option.

There are fewer traditional MPVs around these days as direct rivals to the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, like the Ford S-MAX and Galaxy. We also have Renault Grand Scenic and SEAT Alhambra/Volkswagen Sharan as the main contenders.

If you want something that is more stylish and rugged looking then do as many have and look at a seven-seat SUV like the Skoda Kodiaq or Peugeot 5008. If you’ve got a bit more money to spare then the SUV class opens up options like the Volvo XC90 and Land Rover Discovery, too.

The materials in the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso are a mixed bunch. The ones up on the top of the dash and on the doors are decent, with soft touch plastics and metal but the further down you go the less impressive it gets. The plastics lower down feel scratchy and cheap, though, which is not great given that small fingers tend to explore the areas that adults don’t think are the sort of bits you would usually come into contact with.

That said, the surfaces are generally easily wiped clean and are durable, which is arguably more important. The upholstery depends on which model you go for. The lower trim levels feel a little rugged and rough, but once again up to the rigours of family life. The higher trims get leather upholstery that feels of a good quality.

On all but the lowest trim, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso comes with two large screens in the centre of its dashboard. The one up top is a huge 12-inch display that shows all manner of information such as speed, temperature, navigation details and the time. You can configure it to be laid out in different styles or even put your own wallpaper image up there.

The one below is the one you will come into more regular contact with, as it is a seven-inch touch screen that you use to control most of the functions in the cabin. Sadly it isn’t the best system as it is fiddly and slow to react, and several of the functions are buried in the menus. It’s particularly frustrating that the climate control is one of the functions that is tucked away and only controlled by the screen – there are no standard dials to adjust the temperature.

You do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the post-2016 models, so you can opt for the more user-friendly interface of those if you prefer.

Space and practicality would be the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso’s specialist subject on even the toughest of TV quiz shows – this is where it excels.

The three rows of seats are capable of taking a full complement of passengers in pretty much any combination. The middle row has that rare of features – a full set of ISOFIX points so you can put a child seat in any of them. Better than that, it is wide enough that you can get three alongside one another, which will be music to the ears of parents with more than two small people in their family.

Those seats slide back and forward, too, so you can make the most of space in the boot or slide your passengers further back so they can’t kick the back of your seat. The third row isn’t quite as spacious but you will be able to get two adults back there with some careful sliding of those middle seats. You’ll have to ask smaller adults if they are ok with going in the third row, though, as taller grown-ups won’t thank you for it.

If you’re using the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso as a five-seater than the boot is an excellent size and shape. You get 638 litres with the middle row slid back and up to 793 litres if you slide them forwards. You don’t get much in the way of clever tricks like underfloor storage as that’s where the third row of seats is, but it gets an even and wide boot entrance with no lip to haul things over.

The cabin storage is decent, but let down by the glovebox – the fuse box is in the same position as the left-hand drive models, so the space left behind is good for actual gloves, but not masses of other stuff.

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso dimensions are 4602mm long, 2117mm wide and 1638mm tall.

The most recent engines on the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso were a 130PS 1.2-litre petrol and a trio of diesels in 100PS, 120PS and 150PS formats.

Despite being relatively small, the 1.2-litre engine is more than up to the task of carrying the Citroen’s bulk around, it works well and it’s quiet, too.

The diesel engines are the better all-round fit for the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso’s relaxed nature, though, particularly if you go for the automatic gearbox. This means you get the 120PS or 150PS version. This big bonus of the more powerful engines is the levels of torque that they offer. They pull really easily even when you are in a higher gear than you would normally expect. 

Need to pull past that slow-moving lorry, up a hill, with a fully-laden boot? Sure, no problem. It might not be quick in a straight line, but it will accelerate in gear and cope with a heavy load with no bother.

The older versions came with slightly different diesel engines, with lower power outputs, but the older petrol engine was a larger but not as impressive 1.6-litre version. If petrol is your thing then the newer models are much better.

If you’re after an automatic model then the post-facelift models are the better bet, too. Before the 2016 update the automatic gearbox was a jerky and slow-responding automated manual but this was changed for a much smoother unit in 2016 that is far superior in every way.

The lower down the engine range you go in the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, the quieter it gets. The petrol is the king of them all, as you would expect, as the quiet engine is barely audible at all when you sit at traffic lights, and it never really kicks up much in the way of noise unless you really blast away from a standstill.

As far as the diesels are concerned, the two smaller engines are marginally less grumbly than the biggest 150PS model, but there isn’t a vast amount in it. It’s most apparent when you’re at a standstill, and the likes of the Renault Grand Scenic are slightly quieter.

It’s been a while since the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso went through the Euro NCAP testing procedure, with its latest test in 2013. At that time it did manage the full five stars but things have got a bit stricter since then as far as the test is concerned.

The safety kit is good, though, but it wasn’t all standard fit so it is worth checking whether a used car had the right boxes ticked or not. At the time of the 2016 facelift the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso could have one of two packs. The first had active lane departure warning system, active blind spot monitoring system, speed limit recognition, automatically adjusting headlights and driver attention alert. The second included all of the above plus active radar guided cruise control.

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso scored a solid 9.24 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, making it one of the better-performing Citroens of recent years. Of the issues reported by owners, most appear to be related to electrical issues.

As a brand Citroen was placed a lowly 25th out of 30 manufacturers in the same survey, but as one of Citroen's better products the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is less of a risky choice.

Insurance groups stayed consistent throughout the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso’s life, ranging from 13 on the lowest powered petrol with the manual gearbox up to 26 for the highest-powered diesel with the automatic gearbox. This doesn’t stand out either way in the class, with it being competitive with similarly priced and sized rivals.

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso managed impressively low CO2 emissions. Post 2016, even the petrol managed to keep its official rating at 115g/km, while the rest of the range was all close to or just over 100g/km. Given the size of the car, this is impressive and means that VED is much lower than alternatives like the Renault Grand Scenic and the Ford S-Max.

Most versions will pay the standard £165 per year VED, but if you go for the 1.6 e-HDi with the EGS gearbox you'll pay just £30 a year for a pre-2017 car.

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Touch Edition includes a decent level of equipment including 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, speed limiter, two-zone climate control, reversing sensors, engine start button, auto lights, auto wipers, Bluetooth, USB and AUX connections. 

Stepping up to the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Feel is worthwhile though as it adds emergency brake assistance, rear electric windows, row two air vents, additional 12V outputs for rear passengers, front parking sensors and that huge panoramic windscreen.

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Flair adds more safety kit including the blind spot monitor and more comfort equipment including air conditioning in the third row, an electric tailgate, park assist, integrated rear window blinds, driver and passenger massage function seats, fold flat front passenger seat and the electric front passenger foot rest.