What is it?
Since its release back in 2013, the second-generation Citroen Grand C4 Picasso has been a dominant force in the MPV market, with its unique blend of Parisian style and class-leading practicality securing it a place at the top of the sales chart.
However, the MPV segment has been undergoing something of a crisis lately, with buyers becoming increasingly image conscious. Gone are the days where affordability and practicality were the main considerations when buying a family car; luxury and refinement now take priority. Thus sales of SUVs and premium people carriers have significantly increased, while overall sales in the MPV class have fallen.
So in order to keep the Grand Picasso relevant in this new market landscape, Citroën has treated its best seller to a comprehensive mid-life facelift. Three trim levels are now available: Touch, Feel, and Flair Edition. Feel models get 17in diamond-finish alloy wheels as standard and Flair models gain integrated roof bars and aluminium trim. All models also have a new front-end design and '3D-effect' rear lights.
However, the biggest change for 2016 is the addition of a new Citroën Connect Nav system. This offers 3D maps, touch operation and real-time updates, as well as voice recognition for sat-nav, telephone and media functions. Oh, and the system also gives you the ability to access and send texts and emails from the car - not that we recommend doing it while driving.
What's it like?
Mechanically, the 2016 Grand Picasso is virtually identical to the model it replaces, but that is no bad thing. We’ve always been fond of the big Citroën's dynamics traits, and on our demanding B-road test route the revised model once again proved itself to be an accomplished package.
Despite having a rather supple ride, the Picasso demonstrated impressive high-speed stability, body control and all-corner grip. With the car's direct – albeit uncommunicative – steering and grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres, we often found ourselves forgetting that we were in such a large vehicle. Granted, it’s certainly not as engaging as a Ford S-Max, but it’s an impressively capable MPV nonetheless.
At lower speeds, things are a little less compliant. Over small imperfections, the usually supple Citroën often felt unsettled, and the 2.0-litre diesel engine fitted to our test car sounded disapprovingly gruff at low revs. Thankfully, once speeds increased the engine’s tone settled to a distant thrum, but wind noise around the A-pillars and wing mirrors was somewhat annoying on longer journeys.
Aside from a new automatic option on the 1.2-litre Petrol PureTech, the range of engines also remains the same for 2016. As with the previous model, we suspect that the mid-range 118bhp 1.6-litre diesel will be the most popular with buyers thanks to its impressive frugality and low running costs. But for just £1200 extra it’s tempting to tick the box for the 148bhp 2.0-litre unit tested here.
However, we’re not convinced that the 2.0-litre engine is worth the premium. In day-to-day use, the diesel is smooth and responsive for a motor of its type, but once pushed harder it starts to show some shortcomings. When pulling from low revs it takes time to get into the meat of the rev range, and once it finally manages to produce peak torque, it’s all gone within what feels like the blink of an eye.
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NEW C4 PICASSO 2016 FACELIFT
Disadvantaged
When in the back, I mean the