15/07/08

• Price13,995-£22,430
• We like...The way it looks
• We don't...The way it rides

Pick between five- and seven-seat versions of this stylish but handy people haulerYou buy a car like Citrn’s C4 Picasso because you’ve a busy life. It’s full of kids, dogs, maybe both. And/or your weekends are spent outdoors, buzzing between one thing and the next. You’ll ask plenty of your cars. But the one thing you won’t expect is that it’ll be stylish.

After all, packing five or even seven seats plus a big space for luggage into a compact road-space usually means that you end up with something box-like and, let’s face it, dull. So full credit to Citrn for making the Picasso look so interesting.

Whichever angle you come at it from, it’s a mix of intriguing curves and shapes, a world away from the plain-Jane boxes that rivals put on sale. And while there are two versions offering five or seven seats, their body shapes are distinct and different – Citrn hasn’t built a five-seater, then added a bit on to create room for seven.

The new car takes over from the previous Picasso but dsn’t erase it: the oldster has promise of a spot in showrooms until 2010. But where the first Picasso became Britain’s top-seller MPV on the back of discounts, cashbacks, whatyouwill. But Citrn intends to move sharply upmarket with its new ‘un.

Citrn pledged at launch that cashback and other manufacturer backed sweeteners would not apply here because, the company argued, the car didn’t need them to sell. So far, they’ve kept their word.

But with a top-flight C4 Picasso costing £20k+, and a (seven-seat) Grand Picasso at £21k, it’s a big jump from Picasso original, which cost as little as £9995 new after discounts.

So it has to be good. Fortunately it is. First, the cabin is a great place to be: airy, well ordered and comfortable. It ds all the usual MPV tricks: flipping and moving its seats every which way and offering endless variations of passenger and load space, while staying true to its sense of style.

The LX and SX models prop up the range but look glum when stood next to the bright ‘n’ showy VTR+ and range-topping Exclusive. Pick between 1.8 and 2.0 petrols or 1.6 and 2.0 diesels, but for us the 1.6 disel wins because it feels pretty much as strong as the 2.0. At launch, Citrn was confident that as many as half its customers would plump for the semi-automatic gearbox. But we’re unconvinced: it changed gear jerkily when left to its own devices and was almost as ill-tempered when we helped it by shirting manually. For us, a conventional ‘box with gearshift and pedal worked best.

On the move it steers tidily but the ride is disappointing and harsh, particularly over the kind of broken road surfaces you’ll encounter in most towns.

Should you buy one? Mark one as ‘worth considering’ for sure, and think strongly about pitching for the seven-seat Grand. At £1000 dearer , model for model, than the five-seat, it’s an attractive proposition.

• Engines1.8, 2.0, 1.6 HDi, 2.0 HDi
• Power127bhp, 143bhp, 108b
• 0-60 mph11.9sec, 11.5sec, 12
• Economy35.3mpg, 3
• CO2g/km190, 190, 155, 159,
• Insurance groups6-9
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5 or 7

Motors.co.uk value verdict: