Citroen C3 Picasso (2008): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara

First Official Pictures

08 July 2008 10:52

Citroen today announces the C3 Picasso, a supermini-MPV it claims has the innovative magic of the company’s DS masterpiece, the ‘useful and beautiful’ approach of Apple’s iPhone and the unblinking practicality needed to wound the market-leading Vauxhall/Opel Meriva.

The spacious, eye-catching MPV goes on UK sale in summer 2009. It’s based on the next-generation C3 supermini, and runs four-cylinder engines turning the front wheels. Expect a starting price just under £11,000. 
 
‘The C3 Picasso is more than an MPV, it’s so innovative,’ said Gilles Michel, Citroen boss, who announced the car during a press conference this morning (8 July 2008). Actually, it’s not that innovative but the package is superbly focused on satisfying the punter.

It’s not just the C5’s advertising campaign that’s gone all German: Citroen has designed the C3 Picasso with unbending, Teutonic discipline, to give it class-leading practicality. CAR was treated to a sneak preview last month, and sat through a presentation which compared the baby Picasso’s metrics with key rivals the Vauxhall Meriva, Ford Fusion, Nissan Note and Renault Grand Modus.

We’ll spare you the wheelbase, elbow space, headroom, lateral vision and boot space comparison test, except to say that the C3 Picasso is bigger, roomier and better than its rivals.

Click 'Next' to find out more about the Citroen C3 Picasso

By Phil McNamara