Citroen Xara Picasso

The Citroën Xsara Picasso compact MPV released by Citroën in 1999. At the time of its release, two trim levels were available, LX and SX, with a choice of three engines two 1.6 and 1.8 litre petrols, and a 2.0 Litre HDI engine, all shared with the smaller Citroën Xsara. The Executive trim level was introduced to the UK market in late 2000.

The rear seats can be removed to create extensive storage space. It became the bestselling multi-purpose vehicle and Compact MPV in France, Great Britain, and most of the rest of Europe.

The Xsara Picasso was assembled on the PSA plant on Vigo (Spain) and also built in Brazil for the Latin American market since 2001, where it is the top selling car in its class.^[1]

In early 2003 the Xsara Picasso in the UK was given a 2.0i 16v engine version with a four-speed Automatic gear box . In August 2006, Citroën unveiled its successor Citroën C4 Picasso, based on the Citroën C4. There are two versions, the Grand C4 Picasso seven-seat and the slightly smaller five-seat C4 Picasso.

From June 2010, the Xsara Picasso is no longer listed on Citroen’s UK price range, although it is still marketed in other countries e.g. in Belgium. The Citroën Xsara Picasso (as according to the Autofacíl magazine’s price guide) is said to be discontinued from Spain in 2012.

Citroen C4 Picasso

The Citroën C4 Picasso is a range of two compact MPVs, a five-seater and a seven-seater (Grand C4 Picasso), unveiled by French automaker Citroën in August 2006 and presented at the 2006 Paris Motor Show in September 2006 for the seven-seater, and in January 2007 for the five-seater. It shares platform and engines with the Citroën C4 and Peugeot 307 and coexists with the Xsara Picasso, the previous compact MPV produced by Citroën.

The second C4 Picasso model was officially unveiled on January 5, 2007^[1] and has been displayed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. For range consistency, the seven-seater is named Grand C4 Picasso.

One of the main features of both cars is the enormous windscreen which stretches back into the roof beyond the back of the driver’s head. Two additional blinds are attached to the conventional sun visors and can be deployed to reduce glare, or simply on occasions when occupants find the large glass area unwelcome.

The Grand C4 Picasso is slightly larger than other seven-seat compact MPVs like the Mazda5 and Renault Grand Scénic, and even larger than some early large MPVs like the Citroën Evasion. For this reason, some critics consider it as a large MPV, while other do not because of its similarities in engine range, inner room and price with compact MPVs.

A pneumatic rear suspension is available as an option which make the ride smoother and can lower the sill. In some markets this option is only available on higher trim levels.