This is the second Citroën C4 Picasso on test: this time it’s the Grand version, which means a total of seven seats rather than five. We’ve also stepped up an engine from the 1.6 to the more powerful 2.0-litre diesel.
The larger engine puts out 199lb/ft of torque, but the Citroën is around five seconds slower from 30-60mph than the Honda Accord, Mazda 6 and VW Passat.
Middleweight muscle doesn’t hold the Citroën back on the hill start. Expect some wheelspin when pulling away, but not as much as in the Honda Accord.
This top-spec Picasso comes with a semi-automatic gearbox. In automatic mode the shifts are rather jerky, but lift off the throttle as you change gear in manual mode and changes are smoother.
There’s no getting away from the over-soft suspension, however. It’s comfy for solo use, but it allows too much pitching and wallowing to make a really good towcar.