Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 VTI Exclusive

Oct 23 2009 Maxine Ashford

GUARANTEED to bring a touch of flair and eye-catching design to the industry the non-conformist French giant Citroen never disappoints with a new arrival.

And to be fair, the Citroen C3 Picasso is guaranteed to turn a few heads too.

With its high sides and spacious interior, it boasts versatility, great fuel economy and excellent features throughout - one of these being a massive panoramic sunroof stretching the length of the car.

The company prides itself on thinking outside the box, and by offering class-leading space it offers back seat passengers ample leg room plus plenty of storage capacity too.

Although, the C3 Picasso is not exactly the fastest car off the blocks and the publicised top speed of 117mph for the 1.6-litre version must have been down a steep hill with a strong following wind, it does deliver in so many other departments.

The fuel economy is excellent as is the initial outlay cost and for a family that cherishes the thrills of an outdoor lifestyle, it could be the perfect vehicle.

In and around town, it handles well and the fantastic all-round visibility really is second to none. That makes parking an absolute doddle and there are no blind spots caused by structural beams.

Out on the open road, the C3 is responsive, but I did find that at higher speeds I was looking for a sixth gear that didn't exist.

The interior boasts many top notch features including air con, automatically locking doors, a good sound system and sat nav.

The safety spec on the C3 is excellent too with anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency braking assistance, side impact protection, numerous airbags and hazard lights that come on automatically in an emergency stop situation.

But for me, the C3 is not a car that you are likely to spot being driven by the 20,000-miles-a-year business driver, or indeed by the I-can't-put-my-baseball-cap-on-the-right-way-round boy racer. But you will see plenty of them pulling up outside the school gates or on the weekly shopping run at your local supermarket.

The reason for this is simple - the C3 Picasso is a safe and versatile vehicle that offers plenty of value for money, but still boasts distinctive French flair and chic on the design front.

All in all, the C3 Picasso guarantees a whole lot of car for the asking price, but I look forward to that extra gear.

FAST FACTS

Citroen C3 Picasso 1.6 VTI Exclusive

Price: £14,745

Mechanical: 120bhp, 1,598cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 117mph

0-62mph: 10.9 seconds

Combined mpg: 40.9

Insurance group: 5

CO2 emissions: 159g/km

BIK rating: 17%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles