The C3 Picasso, with its spacious interior and fresh design, is Citro‘n’s latest MPV – and looks an appealing family car, reckons Peter Carroll.

When it comes to MPVs, Citro‘n is the market leader in Europe, supplying one in four of all people carriers sold across the continent.

The French firm has a huge range of this type of vehicle, with three separate models already bearing the Picasso moniker.

However, the latest and fourth addition to the Picasso range could well turn out to be one the most important cars for the double Chevron brand.

The C3 Picasso marks the arrival of a new design style for Citro‘n and it also debuts the firm’s new 3D style logo.

In recent years Citro‘ns, particularly those badged as Picassos, have tended to sport a curvy outline. But in the race for space, boxier designs win out, so the C3 sports a new cube-like look.

The design is far from utilitarian, however, and the funky touches should be enough to prevent owners from thinking they are driving a glorified van.

The quality of the interior is a cut above what you used to get in the old Berlingo, for example, and the large glazed areas make for a light, airy cabin as well as boosting all-round visibility.

The C3 Picasso range starts at £11,495 on the road and there’s a choice of three trims and four engines.

The basic VT model appears to lack air conditioning, which could be a real issue with all that glass surrounding the cabin. The VTR + and Exclusive models look well-equipped, however.

The benefits of the boxier shape become apparent as soon as you open the boot. There’s a healthy 500 litres of space availble for starters and a further storage tray lies underneath the boot floor. This space is particularly useful for storing the parcel cover when it is not needed.

There are plenty of other family-friendly touches too: the back seats have plenty of leg, head and elbow room for three kids and some models have aircraft-style trays which fold out from the back of the front seats.

The rear seats fold flat in one easy movement – as does the front seat, when awkwardly long boxes from Ikea need to be accommodated.

With the back seats down you have over 1,500 litres of space – which is pretty good for a car that is a foot shorter than a Ford Focus.

The cabin betrays some evidence of a raid on the PSA parts bin – both gearknob and trip computers have previously seen service in Peugeots – but the overall effect is of a good quality, spacious interior.

On the engine front there are two diesels and two petrols from which to choose: I tested the less powerful (90hp as opposed to 110hp) of the 1.6 litre diesels and it is fine for family needs.

You are supposed to be able to achieve 60mpg on the combined cycle from this engine but I could only get mid-forties on a route which included some motorway driving. Maybe a sixth gear would have helped economy levels.

Although Citro‘n makes great play of the C3′s refinement – and it does possess thicker window glass than any of its rivals – I did not find it especially quiet to drive.

The shape of the vehicle and those big glass areas mean that wind noise picks up as you approach motorway speeds. It does ride comfortably though.

The steering will be too light for some tastes but does make the car easy to manouevre when parking.

With the Picasso C3, Citro‘n has come up with a family-friendly car that is as stylish as it is practical. Emissions of CO2 and running costs are low, while comfort and safety features are high.

Those who need more space and the option of sliding rear doors could take a look at the larger Berlingo, while those after more refinement and creature comforts should look higher up the Picasso range.

If even the C3 Picasso is too big and expensive, then a smaller, cheaper people carrier based on the Nemo van will be along in due course.

So Citro‘n has probably got most people carrier bases covered – but I think it’s the C3 Picasso which has the potential to become the most popular of the firm’s MPVs.

By Peter Carroll

FACT FILE:

Model: 1.6 HDi VTR 90hp VTR+

Price: From £13,695 on the road

Engine: 1,560cc, four cylinders, diesel

Power: 90bhp

Transmission: Five speed manual, front wheel drive

Performance: 0-62mph in 14.7 seconds

Top speed: 104mph

Economy: 60.1mpg on combined cycle

CO2 emissions: 125g/km

Length: 4,078mm

Weight: 1,408kg

Insurance group: 4

Servicing: 20,000 miles

Warranty: Three years / 60,000 miles