Skip advert
Advertisement

Citroen Xsara Picasso 110 HDi

There's no secret to the Xsara Picasso's sales success - its price. While the Citroen lacks the driver appeal of Ford's Focus C-MAX, the safety of Renault's Scenic or the seven-seat versatility of the Volkswagen Touran and Vauxhall Zafira, the Picasso pulls in the buyers with exceptional value for money.

Citroen's Picasso range is now topped off by a new 1.6-litre HDi turbodiesel, which although frugal, is raucous and short-geared. Build quality is still mediocre, but good kit and keen pricing compared to rivals - even allowing for this model's £850 premium over the 90bhp HDi - should ensure continued sales success.

Advertisement - Article continues below

There's no secret to the Xsara Picasso's sales success - its price. While the Citroen lacks the driver appeal of Ford's Focus C-MAX, the safety of Renault's Scenic or the seven-seat versatility of the Volkswagen Touran and Vauxhall Zafira, the Picasso pulls in the buyers with exceptional value for money.

This mild mid-life facelift is not go-ing to change that winning formula, but a new diesel does appear to give the Picasso another string to its bow. Cosmetically, there's a reworked nose and lights, a set of new bumpers and a tweaked grille. Inside, the cabin has Alcantara seat trim for the first time.

Citroen argues that there's no point in change for change's sake. Better to spend its budget on what customers really want - more power. Which is why an advanced new 1.6-litre HDi turbodiesel, developed in conjunction with Ford, sits under the bonnet.

Performance
With 110bhp and 240Nm torque - a 20bhp and 45Nm increase in performance over the existing 2.0-litre oil-burner - the MPV now has enough muscle to flatten out inclines and overtake slower traffic without having to drop down a gear. From just above idle to 4,000rpm, there's an elastic-like surge of acceleration which is smooth across the rev range, unlike the peaky delivery of the old HDi unit.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Yaris Cross

2024 Toyota

Yaris Cross

27,323 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £21,299
View Yaris Cross
4 Series

2023 BMW

4 Series

52,860 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £27,399
View 4 Series
CT

2019 Lexus

CT

35,000 milesAutomaticPetrol1.8L

Cash £15,499
View CT
Q2

2024 Audi

Q2

35,002 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £17,499
View Q2

There's no fuel consumption pen-alty for this extra zest, either. Com-pared to the 2.0-litre, combined fuel economy climbs from 51 to 58mpg, while C02 falls from 147 to 131g/km.

But the news is not all good. Given its advanced common-rail fuel injection system, sophisticated variable geo-metry turbo and all-alloy construction, the 1.6 is a surprisingly noisy engine. And although fitted with an 'overboost' feature for an extra dose of power under full acceleration, the new unit never feels particularly punchy.

Shorter than expected gear ratios don't help either, filling the cabin with the engine's high-rev drone at motorway speeds. And until it's fitted with an exhaust filter later this year, the powerplant won't meet Euro IV emission regulations and will be saddled with a three per cent company car tax burden. As the most powerful model, the 110 HDi will top the current Picasso line-up until its C4-derived replacement arrives in late 2006. But we'd argue that the £850 price premium it carries over the existing 90bhp diesel is pretty hard to justify, given its mediocre refinement levels, lack of real punch and unnecessarily short gear ratios. Unless, that is, you can effectively haggle that amount off the asking price at your Citroen dealer.

Skip advert
Advertisement

More reviews

New & used car deals

Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £5,568 off RRP*Used from £12,295
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,831 off RRP*Used from £15,519
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,725Avg. savings £4,199 off RRP*Used from £15,337
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,721 off RRP*Used from £8,600
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025