Road test - Citroen C4 Picasso

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It's a striking looker, but is there substance behind the C4 Picasso's sharp styling? We find out...

Price: £16,195 (without options)
On sale: Now
0-62mph: 11.9 seconds; top speed 115mph
Average fuel: 35.3 mpg
Standard equipment: Body coloured door handles and mirrors, a leather bound steering wheel and gearknob, automatic lighting, cruise control, air-conditioning, electric front and rear windows.

Tiscali verdict: 6/10 A welcome return to style from the French manufacturer. But fit and finish could be better.

The first generation Picasso was a big sales hit with UK buyers. In 2006 Citroen shifted 30,000 and the total sold in the UK since introduction has topped 235,000. The previous Xsara-based product was far from being the best on the market, but with Citroen's seemingly never ending cashback deals, prices were attractive. The Blobby styling of its predecessor has given way to sharp edges and the design features of the new C4. The C4 Picasso is attractive with distinctive styling and could never been mistaken for any other MPV. But is the five-seat C4 Picasso good enough to tilt at big-hitting rivals such as Ford's recently face-lifted C-MAX? We'll find out.

From the front, the C4 Picasso looks really radical against the sober MPV competition. Worthy of particular mention are the distinctive front headlight units and the bold double-chevron front grille - it's particularly big and is a design cue shared with other modern members of the current Citroen range, such as the C4 and C6. Other design highlights from the front include the C4 Picasso's huge, panoramic windscreen which works well with the futuristic look to the rest of the car. The glassy look is carried on through to the rear of the car with the large rear screen and sculpted rear light clusters. It's a welcome return to form from the French manufacturer that produced stunners like the DS and CX. I particularly like falling shoulder line from front to rear and cambering roof line. To really appreciate the design details I'd suggest specifying a brighter finish than the test cars Iron Grey finish, as the shape works better with some colours than others.