Citroen Grand C4 Picasso: What makes an award winner?

07/03/2014 12:52 Share

The start of 2014 saw the release of the new Grand C4 Picasso from Citroen. It is a model that is no stranger to the UK market, but the latest edition has really caused a stir in the motoring world.

It has already picked up titles from TopGear magazine (Family Car of the Year) and What Car? magazine (MPV of the Year), and the end of February saw it claim the latest accolade in the shape of the inaugural UK Car of the Year's 'MPV of the Year' gong.

So what is it about the most recent addition to the Picasso family that has made it such a worthy award winner?

First and foremost, the Grand C4 Picasso offers space and versatility. Equipped with seven seats, which can be adjusted and configured to suit the day's specific needs, the car is ideal for those with a growing family, with a taste for shopping splurges, or with a desire for adventure.

It comes with class-leading cabin space in the first and second rows and interior room can be increased further by folding the seats down.

By folding the seats on row three flat and stowing them away using the concertina covers, the boot can hold up to 632 litres of luggage. This can be further increased to 793 litres with the second row seats in the forward-most position. Folding both rows flat creates a staggering 2,181 litres of useable space.

However, it's not just the storage that makes the model so impressive. The comfort and handling of such a big model is remarkable too.

Thanks to reduced weight and a lower centre of gravity, the car provides optimal handling while out and about.

Furthermore, acoustics and vibration are minimised significantly by the electric power steering system.

It's packed with technology too, including two fully digital displays - a seven-inch touchpad and a 12-inch panoramic HD screen - which offer an intuitive and stylish driving interface.

The touchpad controls in-car functions, such as the dual-zone air conditioning, navigation, audio system, telephone and other driving aids. The other screen can display driving information when configured to the driver's exact needs.

Efficiency is key too, with the latest version of the car receiving a reduction in CO2 emissions and an increase in fuel efficiency.

Now, the standard Grand C4 Picasso complete with the e-HDi 90 Airdream engine emits just 98g/km of CO2 while delivering 74.3mpg - a class record.

Alisdair Suttie from the Sunday Post, who was part of the judging panel, had this to say about the car:

"This is Citro�n at its very best, creating a family car that doesn’t worry about the rule book. Comfort is superb and running costs are as cheap as the cabin is classy."

With such impressive figures, it's difficult to see any reason the Grand C4 Picasso doesn't deserve the praise it's received. Why don't you find out for yourself?