These days, it's not good enough just to launch one mini-MPV: you have to launch two. Hence cars like Renault's Scenic and Grand Scenic and the model we're looking at here, the Citroen C4 Picasso, the five-seater stablemate to the French maker's Grand C4 Picasso.

Citroen certainly offers plenty of MPV choice to an apparently hungry market. There's the van-based Berlingo Multispace for budget buyers, or the old Xsara Picasso for those of them who can't cope with being mistaken for a delivery driver. Above the C4 Picasso models, there's also the larger C6. But do you really need something that big? The answer for most mini-MPV buyers is probably not - and for them, this 5-seat C4 Picasso, priced from £13,995, may prove to be a perfect package.

Citroen's original Xsara Picasso was a testament to the French company's boldness and clever dealer support. In the year preceding its launch, an intriguing case study played out in the mini-MPV market. The Vauxhall Zafira was launched, going down the rather unexciting route paved by the Renault Scenic. Also launched that year was the Fiat Multipla, a hugely superior car that was bold and refreshing. And, it transpired, a commercial flop, in this country at least. It seemed that the mini-MPV market rewarded conservative design. Citroen disagreed and their radical egg-shaped Xsara Picasso soon went on to become the best-selling vehicle of its type, helped by aggressive price promotion and a focus on the things that really mattered to UK buyers - space, rugged build and utility. This latest C4 Picasso aims to show that bold design and keen pricing can once again be a winning tactic.

With a choice of a 127bhp 1.8-litre or 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol engines or 110bhp 1.6 or 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel units, C4 Picasso drivers won't be wanting for decent powerplants. The driving experience is, as was its predecessor, geared towards comfort and safety rather than outright handling prowess.

Although the C4 Picasso's athletic stance is the first thing to catch your eye, the second is the wide-angle panoramic windscreen that rises up and over the front seat occupants, doubling vertical visibility in the front to seventy degrees compared to 35 degrees in a standard MPV. Vauxhall may have already offered a similar thing as an option on the latest Astra but this is the first time it's been fitted as standard to an MPV and the effect is just stunning, the sheer acreage of glass in front of the driver being at first a little unnerving.

"Citroen needed to box rather clever with this C4 Picasso and it looks as if they've pitched it almost perfectly"

It's almost like the cockpit of a jet fighter. By slimming down the windscreen pillars, the effect of airiness and front visibility is increased still further. It's not just a styling affect either, the added field of view making it easier to spot motorbikes, cycles and pedestrians coming while preventing the usual craned neck when negotiating small roundabouts.

I'm not sure if someone at Citroen has been getting a backhander from a glass manufacturer because the C4 Picasso also features the biggest sunroof in its class, the extensive side windows too help edge it towards having the largest glazed area of any mini MPV. All of this glass means that the vehicle needs a seriously punchy air-conditioning system to prevent it become a mobile propagator. The C4 Picasso utilises its available space very well. That wheel at each corner stance doesn't just look good, it also maximises space for the all important passenger cell. The boot has a 500-litre capacity which is about par for the course for a five-seater vehicle. Fold the rear seats down and there's a massive 1.734 litres of available space.

The C4 Picasso goes head to head with cars like the Volkswagen Golf Plus, the Ford C-Max, and the Renault Scenic - in other words, the quality offerings in the mini-MPV sector. As such it'll need more than just a pretty face to succeed. Automatic and sequential manual gearboxes are offered to free up floorspace and at prices around £500 cheaper than the Grand C4 Picasso, it looks solid if not spectacular value.

Citroen needed to box rather clever with this C4 Picasso and it looks as if they've pitched it almost perfectly. No other mini-MPV looks as good and none will be able to rival the technology that the French company can borrow from the C4 hatch and lever into the Picasso. That includes functions like an electronic automated manual gearbox, lane departure warning systems and the clever fixed hub steering wheel. Options like video screens in the headrests will be very popular with family buyers as will the Picasso's five-star EuroNCAP safety rating.

Although it departs from the Xsara Picasso's spectacularly successful cheap and cheerful philosophy, the added utility of this model isn't hard to appreciate. My guess is that most Citroen customers will be happy to pay the premium.

TOP 5 C4 PICASSO DEALS

The results below show the top C4 PICASSO deals on buyacar

	Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 16V VTi VTR Plus 5dr [5 Seat] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £224	Saving £4,161	Price £12,179
	Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6HDi 16V Exclusive 5dr EGS [5 Seat] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £271	Saving £5,275	Price £14,881
	Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6HDi 16V SX 5dr [5 Seat] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £223	Saving £4,601	Price £12,520
	Citroen C4 Picasso 2.0HDi 16V Exclusive 5dr EGS [5 Seat] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £277	Saving £5,991	Price £15,242
	Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6HDi 16V VTR Plus 5dr [5 Seat] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £237	Saving £4,598	Price £13,209

typical 12.33% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000