Review

This month, some grumbles. Make no mistake, I am very impressed with the Grand C4 Picasso. But a number of issues have arisen, and I’ve decided to air them all in the same review.

First, an odd quirk: the near-side folding wing mirror often doesn’t return to its preset position, but rather one that points a few degrees lower, requiring minor readjustments at the start of almost every journey. More irksome was the engine cutting out in sub-zero temperatures while it was still cold. It happened on four out of five occasions as I dipped the clutch to pull up to a junction less than a mile from my house and required a re-start. No major issues, but I’d be interested to hear if any readers have experienced anything similar.

Finally, and this one will require a trip to our local Citroën dealer, the nearside rear-parking sensor frequently jams when reversing into a space. There are no obstacles to trigger the alert – the continuous ‘stop, you’re about to hit something’ bleep – and it simply requires a return to non-assisted parking.

More amusing than annoying is the total over-reaction of the Grand C4 Picasso when running low on screenwash. If you continue to use the last few drops in the reservoir before topping up, not only do you get a fill-up alert, but the service light pings on, and remains on for the remainder of the journey. Astonishingly, when I did top up, the car swallowed a five-litre can of washer fluid – and still wasn’t full.

To offset some of the criticisms in this review, here are three plus points, some of which will be explored in future reviews. The fuel filler has a misfuelling prevention device to ensure it can be filled with only diesel, preventing costly mistakes. The rear seats have a one-action fold flat lever which is among the easiest I’ve ever used. The stop-start system is almost
instantaneous and seems to work in all weather conditions. It kicks in at speeds of up to 14mph, saving even more precious drops of diesel.

Stephen Briers

Bauer B2B group editor Stephen Briers has been an automotive business journalist since 1995. He has been editor of Fleet News since 2009 and before that was editor of Automotive Management for almost seven years. He now oversees both brands, as well as RAIL magazine.

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Specs

Manufacturer
Model
Specification
Model Year 0.00
Annual VED (Road tax) £0
BIK List Price £25,855
CO2 105g/km
BIK Percentage 17%
Insurance Group N/A
CC N/A
Fuel Type
Vehicle Type
Luggage capacity (Seats up) N/A

Running Costs

70.6 MPG
105g/km CO2
£0 VED
P11D £25,855
Cost per mile 41.72ppm
Residual value £7,825
Insurance group N/A
Fuel Type
Cost per mile 0.00ppm
Fuel 0.00ppm
Depreciation 0.00ppm
Service maintenance and repair 0.00ppm

Info at a glance

  • P11D Price
    £25,855
  • MPG
    70.6
  • CO2 Emissions
    105g/km
  • BIK %
    17%
  • Running cost
    3 Year 60k : 41.72 4 Year 80k : £5,875
  • Fuel Type