French car turns on its full charm

[caption id="attachment_35764" align="alignright" width="405"] EYE CANDY: The Citroën designers and stylists have also been given the opportunity to showcase their ability with an attractive exterior for the new C4 Picasso[/caption]

CITROËN may not be the biggest or the best motor distributor in South Africa, but boy are they changing that perception! Last week the wind, snow and rain may have spread its cold claws along the Garden Route, but at Ou Baai in George things were hotting up.

Citroën launched their new C4 Picasso MPV which is bound to light a fire under the backsides of their competitors.

And Peugeot Citroën South Africa managing director Francis Harnie – is loving it because all his plans are coming together.

"We earlier announced an aggressive new model introduction policy for Citroën in South Africa at the time of the recent restructuring of our business in terms of the establishment of Peugeot Citroën South Africa," Harnie said.

"The launch of the C4 Picasso MPV is the first step in a programme which will increase the Citroën range of innovative, trend-setting cars," he said.

Two derivatives are available – the Seduction and Intensive – both powered by a 1.6-litre e-HDi 115 turbo-diesel engine developing 85kW of power and 270Nm of torque. Power is delivered to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The launch from Ou Baai took in Oudtshoorn via the mountain passes in the area and then back to the airport at George.

The good-looking Picasso has a smoothrunning engine and offers adequate performance with a top speed of 189km/h and 11.8 seconds for the 0-100km sprint.

With the tight economic times and high fuel prices it was refreshing to drive a vehicle that is capable of delivering good fuel economy figures with a consumption of 4litres/100km for the combined cycle with CO2emissions of only 105g/km, according to Citroën figures.

Pricing of the five-seater MPV is keen, with the Seduction model launching from R325900 and the even more comprehensively equipped Intensive version from R345900.

Driving the car equipped with the exclusive Lounge Pack comprising front seats with a massage and seat-warming function is like travelling Business Class while the front passenger can also stretch his or her legs using the extending seat squab. All the seats are fitted with Relax headrests for optimum neck support.

Although comfort is always top of the list with the Citroën design and development team, they do not stint in terms of driving enjoyment which means good handling and roadholding.

The exterior styling is pacesetting, with bold, modern lines tending towards a futuristic look with a shorter front overhang and wider track giving it an aggressive, road-hugging stance.

The 3D styling effect for the LED lights at the rear was inspired by the rear light treatment of the Tubik, Survolt and Revolte concept cars displayed at recent motor shows and employed on the Citroën DS3 last year.

We also liked the vast array of standard safety and security equipment, including ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), emergency braking assistance (EBA), electronic stability control (ESC) with intelligent traction control, automatic activation of the hazard warning lights in case of rapid deceleration or impact, six air bags, and a deflated tyre indicator.

The car comes with athree-year/ 100000km warranty, five-year/100000km service plan, three-year 24-hour roadside assistance, with the extra cost option of extending the warranty to five-years/ 100 000km.

Then there is the option of purchasing Citroën Freedrive, which consists of a five-year/100000km warranty and a five-year/100000km maintenance plan. - Bobby Cheetham