There’s real in-depth strength in our second lightest weight class this year, as the Citroën Grand C4 Picasso shows. It’s a worthy winner of the Best MPV award.
As a people carrier, the Grand C4 Picasso has the lot: space for seven, flexible seating and plenty of storage space. The large glass area lets plenty of light in, too, making the Citroën a pleasure to travel in.
As a tow car, it’s very capable indeed. The Blue HDi engine has enough muscle to pull from 30-60mph in 14.5 seconds, so keeping up with traffic won’t be a problem. Stability is reassuring, with a secure and solid feel at the legal limit and beyond. Only when caught by a gust of wind from the side did the driver need to make slight steering corrections.
In the hill-start test, the electronic parking brake held the car and caravan still on the 1-in-6 slope. Some care was needed to balance the clutch and throttle properly, though, and judging by the smell, the clutch was very hot after reversing.
The tidy towbar installation, useful reversing camera and huge boot with the two rear seats stowed away earned the Grand C4 Picasso a strong score from our practicality test team. However, it’s worth noting that the 1700kg towing limit drops to 1400kg if the car is loaded to its Gross Vehicle Weight.
