Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 VTi Exclusive 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The C3 Picasso has a range of adjustments on the steering wheel and driver seat. Positioned correctly, the driver won’t have an issue with front and rear visibility. Driving in and about town is easy due to the light steering. Parking is not an issue since the car is highly manoeuvrable. Once you hit higher speed the steering weights up for better handling. The suspension is soft and the car can readily absorb bumps on uneven surfaces, but the car’s nose has the tendency to dive down and rise up once you prod the car for more speed. Body rolls in corners are expected but the grip is good enough. The engine is quite refined and road noise is contained.

The C3 Picasso is a 5-speed manual small MPV. Its engine is 1598 cc 4-cylinder 16-valve. It has the capacity to go from 0-62 mph in 10.9 s and has the potential to hit a top speed of 117 mph. The petrol engine revs at 120 bhp at 5660 rpm and delivers a torque of 116 lb-ft at 4250 rpm. The combined mpg is 40.9, indicative that this car is a good choice for both town and motorway driving.

The C3 Picasso’s interior is airy, bright and comfortable. All that glass affords excellent visibility. Its exterior has a cool and funky look that is attractive. The roofline is high thereby giving a sense of more space for the C3 where in reality it’s not that large compared to some rivals. The dashboard is highly functional and sensibly laid out.

This Exclusive version comes with a dual zone climate control, cruise control, electric rear windows and rear sun blinds on top of the front electric windows, CD player and MP3 connectivity, split-fold seats, Bluetooth, alloy wheels, front fog lights , rear parking sensors and more. Air-conditioning is not an option but sat nav and leather seat are. You can choose to convert to an automatic version for an additional £800.

The C3 Picasso VTi Exclusive is very spacious. The 60/40 split folding rear seats means that the Citroen C3 Picasso can be used as a small MVP. Its boot size is 385 litres which is ample enough for 5 passengers but with the seats folded boot space extends to 1506 litres. What’s wonderful with the rear seats is that you can slide forward or backward or individually fold them based on your storage requirement. There is an underfloor storage compartment in front and at the back.

The steering wheel column has adjustable height which is great for accommodating all sizes and shapes of drivers. However, the handbrake is too close to the floor and the gear box is in very close contact with the driver’s knee.

The Citroen C3 Picasso’s Euro NCAP Occupant rating is only 4 stars out of 5. Standard is the ABS brake assist, passenger and driver air bags and the usual Isofix, belt pre-tensioners and 3-point centre belt. Stability control is an option. For security, the standard immobilizer, deadlocks, central and remote locking should deter thieves.

The model has CO2 emissions of 149g/km. Its warranty is 3 years, 60,000 miles.

The C3 Picasso, with an mpg of 40.9, has a frugal engine and a large cabin which make the model an ideal family car. It’s economical, practical and adaptable. This is a good first family car, more so if you don’t venture out on the motorway too often. It’s a good second family car mostly for town driving.

Currently priced £16,150 the C3 Picasso is not exactly cheap. Adding options escalates the price by at least £1,000. As with the other versions of the C3 Picasso residual values are average. Even the diesel engine does not retain more than 40% of its value after 3 years. Nevertheless, this version is cost-effective and fuel-efficient so you save money running this car. This car is under group insurance 13 and Road Tax Band F.