Published: Thursday, 8th July, 2010 5:00pm

Picasso cubism in a car

by Brian O'Loughlin

The Citroën C3 Picasso shopping in Cavan... it suits the task well thanks to a large and practical interior.
Pic by==: 97

If you're going to name a car after Picasso, you'd better make sure it's capable of turning heads...

You can have a look at the accompanying photo and make up your own mind, but for this writer Citroën has got it right with its two-cube C3.

Its round-edged chunkiness suggests solidity, strength and safety, and there are design quirks from nose to tail that make it look smaller than it actually is...

Its size means it's handy for manoeuvring around car parks and busy streets and the height of the driving seat ensures a great view of the road. You're not exactly looking down on the rest of the traffic, like a 4x4 driver, but you definitely feel a cut above the rest.

That superiority carries throughout the car. The doors are hefty, the interior is rugged and looks like it will be hard-wearing and able to take the kind of punishment a family could inflict on it, and the feel of the fixtures and fittings suggest they'll last too.

At the wheel, a few things catch the eye before you even move off; the mirrors give a great view of what's going on behind you; the speedometer shouts in big loud numbers so you shouldn't be in any danger of going too fast and the rev-counter moves anti-clockwise... That's a little French quirk, but it looks and works well so fair enough.

There's a large flat dashboard with substantial cubby hole in the middle of it, and there's loads of room all around you - the high roof adds to that feeling too.

Citroën says it's 'thinking outside the box' with the Picasso, that it's 'stylish - spacious - bright - practical' as its press material puts it, and it would be hard to argue with that notion after a short test run around Cavan town.

It's well equipped too: you'll have acronyms concerned with efficient braking (ABS with EBD; EBA), cruise control, airbags, retractable rear head restraints, electric mirrors, a height adjustable driving seat (especially useful in a tall vehicle like this) and an adjustable steering wheel, air conditioning and a trip computer.

There's more on the list too, including the sort of things that are standard these days, but most of all you'll get good value.

The C3 Picasso is available at €17,550 under the scrappage scheme - that represents €1500 from the government and the same from Citroën, which includes an extra €500. The full retail price of the car is €20,550, so with or without scrappage it is still a lot of car for the money. It'll appeal to a wide range of buyers too, thanks to those stylish looks and the ability to carry huge loads.

Citroën puts a lot of thought into the design of its cars, and not just the exterior and the looks. There are little things you might only notice after owning one for a while, but they're things you'll appreciate on a practical level (like the hidden tray in the boot), and they're the things that make the difference.

A final note: the driving experience is good but it won't engage you fully. It's completely competent and will do everything well though... so if you want a sportier drive buy something sportier, like the Citroën DS3 (reviewed on this page a couple of months ago).

Whichever Citroën you want, call to Bradys Cavan and talk to the team there: ring them on 049-4331833 and book a test drive.

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