Review of the new Citroen C3 Picasso HDI

If you want an MPV, talk to Citroen. At least, that would be a good place to start. The French brand has a bewildering array of the things, from utilitarian van-based models built to withstand the attentions of the most destructive brood to big, plush seven seaters with interiors that contort into more positions than a Romanian gymnast. Despite its undeniable usefulness, all that relentless practicality can still make the MPV a shade dull but Citroen thinks it has the answer to that too. It's called the C3 Picasso and with an HDI diesel engine, there's a lot to get excited about.

Citroen's Picasso series has been the cornerstone of its MPV success over recent years. It all started with the phenomenally popular and curiously egg-shaped Xsara Picasso, a car that was subsequently replaced by the C4 Picasso. Both of these models are based on Citroen's family hatchback underpinnings but the C3 Picasso is fashioned around a smaller supermini platform and slots into the range below the C4 Picasso derivative. It also adopts a more adventurous design approach than we've become used to seeing on Citroen's people carrying products. The C3 Picasso is certainly different but is it also good?

It's the diesel engines we're concentrating on here and that means Citroen's 1.6-litre HDi stalwarts. The two engine options are essentially the same common-rail diesel unit but in two different states of tune. The 90bhp HDi 90 option delivers its peak power at 4,000rpm with maximum torque of 218Nm generated at a lowly 1,750rpm, while the HDi 110 alternative produces 109bhp and 240Nm at identical engine speeds. In the C3 Picasso, it spells sprightly performance and even the HDi 90 engine has acceleration available across a wide spread of the rev range. You don't find yourself snatching for another gear to maintain progress, although things are likely to get trickier when the car's prodigious interior is fully-loaded.

"The C3 Picasso is a formidable competitor in the supermini MPV segment"

Neither of the C3 Picasso's diesel engines make it particularly fast. The 14.7s it takes the HDi 90 to get from zero to 62mph sounds laborious but in real world driving, it doesn't feel all that slow. The HDi 120 can do the sprint in 12.4s and barrel on to a 124mph top speed, plus it feels properly punchy out on the road.

Then we come to the ride and handling, an area where those familiar with other Citroen MPV products won't be expecting too much but one where the C3 Picasso really delivers. I drove to test this Citroen MPV in a Lexus and on the same bumpy B-roads and expansion-jointed motorways, the Citroen rides more comfortably. The suspension is supple over surface imperfections but taut enough to maintain its composure through humps and dips. The car changes direction smartly with responsive steering that's light around town but grows heavier as speeds increase to inspire confidence. It corners neatly too with none of the body roll that has afflicted so many of Citroen's past efforts. The gearbox action is a little loose and long throw and the stiff brake pedal feels at-odds with the long travel of throttle and clutch but otherwise, the C3 Picasso is a minor revelation to drive.

MPVs need lots of interior space which necessitates boxy exterior dimensions. There isn't really any getting away from this but an astute designer can disguise the fact that the car is the shape of a garden shed. On the C3 Picasso, this trick has been achieved with some style. It's a box but the rounded edges and circular detailing successfully draw attention away from that fact. There's barely a straight line on the thing and it seems likely that the people behind it had at least a passing familiarity with Nissan's Cube. The three-piece windscreen with its split side pillars enhances an already excellent view out and access through the wide door and tailgate apertures is easy.

The design theme inside the car mirrors that of the exterior with corners replaced by curves. The plastics aren't of the highest quality you'll find in the supermini-MPV sector but Citroen does appear to have upped its game in terms of build quality. The gimmicky features that appear in other Citroen models like the fixed-hub steering wheel and the multiple digital displays are swapped for a much cleaner and more stylish look with a hint of the retro about it. There's also a huge amount of space.

Citroen's creation isn't particularly long compared to its direct rivals but at 1730mm, it is very wide. With the front seat adjusted for a six-footer to drive, there's still plenty of legroom behind and more headroom than anyone bar the ludicrously tall would ever need. The front seat can be raised to give commanding, almost 4x4-style driving position which many buyers will like but that does make the handbrake hard to reach. The C3 Picasso gains a further edge over its rivals with a monstrous boot of up to 500-litres that extends to 1,560 litres with the rear seats folded. Folding the seats to create a flat load floor can be done with one hand and there's even a compartment under the boot floor to stow the parcel shelf in.

There are three mainstream trim levels, VT, VTR+ and Exclusive, but an Airdream+ efficiency variant is also available. The basic VT model has remote central locking, a trip computer, electric door mirrors, electric front windows and a CD stereo. Only the front seat occupants get airbags at this level, however, and many buyers will feel like upgrading to get side and curtain airbags in what is a family vehicle. ESP stability control is a cost option and then only with the range-topping Exclusive models which also get more luxurious trim materials.

The key rivals for the C3 Picasso are the Nissan Note, Vauxhall Meriva and Renault Grande Modus. Beyond these, the latest Nissan Cube and Kia Soul offer a similar blend of style and practicality. Citroen would appear to have little to fear in this company and will be expecting to tighten its grip on the European MPV market over coming years.

Both of the C3 Picasso's diesel engines can come close to returning 60mpg on the combined cycle. And emissions are pegged at 119g/km for the 90bhp model and 130g/km for the HDi 110. It means that despite its size and carrying capacity, this car should prove reassuringly inexpensive to run.

The diesel engines turn in some creditable economy figures but Citroen is most keen to crow about the residual values that are predicted for this car. CAP Monitor have predicted a retained value of over 37 per cent for the C3 Picasso, which significantly out-classes its contemporaries and is one of the best performances Citroen has managed in recent memory

Citroen has a lot of MPV products on its books these days but none of them get the essentials as right as the C3 Picasso. The marque's people carriers have always been spacious and good value but questionable technology features and lacklustre driving dynamics have often let the side down. The C3 Picasso ditches the gimmicks and goes for a clean, stylish design that's underpinned by excellent driving dynamics and masses of good, honest interior space.

The C3 Picasso is a formidable competitor in the supermini MPV segment and in diesel guise, it's at its most desirable. There's room for improvement in the interior and with the weighting of some of the controls but anyone in the market for a small MPV should give this one serious consideration. The rest have got some catching up to do.

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