Citroen Releases Details and First Official Images for the Grand C4 Picasso [42 Photos + Video]

In case you are unfamiliar with Citroen’s model designations, if you add ‘Grand’ in front of ‘C4 Picasso’, that means you get a bigger body, which can accommodate three rows of seats, thus being able to seat seven.

Now there’s a new one, which has the same basic concept as its predecessor, yet wrapping it all up in a quirkily-styled package, with a much cleaner and simpler-looking interior than before, and the same basic range of proven engines.

As with the regular C4 Picasso, the big news is the move to using PSA’s new EMP2 platform, which cuts weight by 110 kg (242 lbs), thus economy, performance and handling all get a boost. It’s amazing how a vehicle this voluminous can be rated at 98 g/Km CO2, which it is, in 1.6-liter diesel guise, with the optional automated manual transmission called ETG6 (Efficient Tronic Gearbox) – we hope it works like the German boxes, and not just sounds like it was made there (the ‘Tronic’ is a dead giveaway).

The new Grand C4 Picasso has a longer wheelbase, and considerably shorter front overhang (shortest in the class, according to Citroen), while the track has also been widened over the previous model and the floor lowered. All of this translates into more interior space, which is, after all, a key selling point for a vehicle like this.

The initial engine range only appears to consist of diesel engines (according to the official press release). Kicking it off is a 90 PS diesel unit, which is probably quite sluggish lugging the MPV around, so the more powerful 115 PS unit seems like the safest bet in order to achieve the best real-world economy (having more power and not using it is better than not having it and straining the unit). A BlueHDI 150 unit is also offered, and despite the bigger two-liter displacement, it too emits very little CO2, being rated at just 110 g/km. Still, we expect the same basic range of engines as in the regular Picasso, so the petrols should also be carried over from the smaller variant.

By Andrei Nedelea

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