Citroen Grand Picasso Euro NCAP 5 Stars
Winner of the prestigious 2007 Whatcar? MPV award, the 7 seat Grand C4 Picasso is a pleasure for both driver and passengers, and eye-catching for everyone else! Spacious, practical and airy interior combine with a very comfortable ride.
The interior is classy and everything feels well screwed together. Visibility is excellent. All the seats are individual and can be independently moved and reclined, and the rear seats couldn't be easier to fold down - all you do is pull a cord on the side of each
chair! There is plenty of room for 7 and the big 5 boot
is a square shape and the loading lip is very low, making loading a doddle. There's also plenty of stowage space in the cabin. A built-in air freshener on VTR+ models upwards is a pleasant touch. DVD
screens that pull out from behind the seat-back tables are an optional worth considering to keep the kids amused on long trips.
The Grand Picassos trim levels of LX, SX, VTR+ and Exclusive offer something for all prospective purchasers. The Grand C4 Picasso bristles with bright ideas designed to make owning a people carrier easier and more enjoyable. There are easy fold-flat seats in
the back, an outsized windscreen for better visibility, lots of clever storage and even a boot light that doubles as a torch. And, being a Citroen, its generally good value for money and very comfortable.
Petrol engines are a 1.8 and 2.0-litre, whilst diesels are available in an entry level 1.6 and a superb 2.0 which is ideal for cruising on motorways. Both entry-level models (petrol and diesel) are available with a five-speed manual gearbox. All others get Citroens dash-mounted semi automatic electronic gearbox system.
With emissions of 150g/km the penny pinching 1.6HDi (110hp) version of this MPV fits in VEN Band C. Combine this with fuel consumption of 49.6mpg combined and 55.4mpg extra urban and you have some very economical and green motoring, particularly when transporting a full load.
The C4 Picasso is packed with safety kit so A five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating ( which is as good as it gets) should come as no surprise. Seven airbags (dual front, side, curtain and drivers knee), ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and an electronic
stability programme, four Isofix child seat anchor points and hill start assist are just a few items. On top models there is also Citroens lane departure warning system, which is activated when the driver strays over white lines. Deadlocks (which prevent the doors being
opened if a window is smashed) will deter thieves, while optional laminated side windows further boost safety and security.
Every new Citroen car offers the benefit of a 3year, 60,000 mile warranty package. There is also a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty against all internal to external perforation to bodywork or underbody.
About the manufacturer
Citroen are taking action at each stage of the product life cycle in an attempt to reduce the effects of their cars on the planet. They are achieving this by managing their industrial sites to high standards, reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant vehicle emissions, and designing recyclable vehicles. Indeed in the space of 20 years Citroen claim to have reduced vehicle
emissions by a factor of between 10 and 20. Whats more they developed the diesel particulate filter system, which destroys the particulates produced by diesel engines.
One of the main natural resources used in the production of cars is water, accordingly Citroen is working hard to reduce this and over the past ten years has invested a total of 2.7 million in
recycling resources. Through this worldwide policy, the Group states it has reduced water consumption per vehicle by an impressive 46% since 1995.
To reduce the amount of waste being dumped in landfill sites etc current Citroens have a recycleability of between 85% and 95%.
The most public and arguably biggest issues facing Citroen (and all other manufacturers) remain the elimination of harmful emissions and the eradication of reliability on the planets ever diminishing natural resources.
To this aim Citroen has already committed toward reducing fuel consumption and co2 emissions through innovations in technologies. Its new HDi engine for example reduces consumption by 20% compared with an indirect injection diesel engine, thereby cutting CO2 emissions by between 90 and 120g/km, depending on the model.
The new Start & Stop system cuts the engine automatically when the car comes to a standstill in neutral (at a red light for example). It then starts up again quietly and instantaneously as soon as the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal. To reduce fuel consumption still further, the Stop & Start system can be coupled with engines that have already been downsized. Launched in 2004, the C3 Stop & Start, can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15% in heavy urban traffic.
More recently, Citroen committed to develop a mid-range hybrid HDi family vehicle consuming 3.4 litre of fuel and emitting 90g of CO2 per km, with the aim of bringing this vehicle to market at an affordable price by 2010. The advantages of the hybrid HDi are linked to its fuel economy and to its ability to function in all-electric mode in the city. CO2 emissions could potentially be
halved, compared with a petrol vehicle and with the power battery, the vehicle can be driven in electric (zero emission) mode at up to 45 kph with no pollutant emissions and no noise. This is a car that will contribute to quality of life in the city while also being highly versatile.
For more than ten years, PSA Peugeot Citroen has been committed to promoting the use of ethanol in petrol up to 10%. The Group believes that it is the effective way of developing the use of biofuels by widely and rapidly extending it to the entire car range. The implementation of Flex-Fuel technology involves
the adjustment of the engines currently available on the market and PSA Peugeot Citroen plans to launch flex-fuel vehicles in Europe in 2007. These cars will be able to run on all blends of pure petrol and E85 fuel (85% ethanol) and will comply with Euro IV pollution standards. The Group has expertise in this technology, which it has successfully distributed in Brazil since 2005. Today, flex-fuel vehicles make up 80% of Group sales in this market.
The Group is also promoting a type of biodiesel called diester 30, made up of 30% VOME (vegetable oil methyl esters) and 70% diesel fuel. This fuel brings a 22% reduction in particulate emissions from HDi diesel engines. It also helps cut CO2 emissions by as much as 19%.
Finally, a European Directive to address the treatment and disposal of vehicles when they reach the end of their life, was published to the EC Member States in September 2000. To fulfil its obligations under the terms of these regulations, Citroen UK Ltd, has contracted with CarTakeBack.com (CTB), to guarantee that qualifying vehicles will be taken back from the last owner or keeper at no cost.