Item: Used Citroen C4 Picasso 2013-2018
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

<p>The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/c-max/mpv/used-review/n337">Ford C-Max</a> is better to drive than most MPVs, with a comfortable ride and plenty of room inside for five, as well as a flexible interior. All three rear seats fold individually for maximum practicality. There’s a range of punchy engines, too.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf-sv/hatchback/review/?aq=Volkswagen%20%20Golf%20SV&amp;amp;type=review&amp;amp;src=SearchDropdown&amp;amp;oq=vw%2520golf%2520sv">Volkswagen Golf SV</a> is a five-seat MPV version of the enormously popular Golf hatchback. It shares much of that car’s underpinnings and, as a result, has a good range of powerful and efficient engines, as well as a good ride and handling balance. However, the rear seats aren’t able to fold individually, so it’s not as practical as the C4 Picasso.</p>

<h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/citroen/c4-picasso"><strong>Find a used Citroën C4 Picasso for sale with&nbsp;What Car? Used Car deals&nbsp;&gt;&gt;</strong></a></h3>

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<p><strong>Page 5 of 5</strong></p>


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<h3><strong>Fuel leak</strong></h3>

<p>There have been two recalls related to fuel leaks. The first relates to cars made between 4 January and 15 July 2014 due to the fuel rail allowing fuel to escape on to hot parts of the engine, potentially causing&nbsp;a fire. The second involves the in-built heater in the fuel filter of Picassos built from the start of production up until 2 January 2014. The heater could be faulty and&nbsp;melt the&nbsp;filter housing,&nbsp;allowing both excess air into the&nbsp;system and fuel to escape, leading to poor starting. In both cases, speak to your dealer to find out if your example is affected and whether it requires repairs.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Door might open</strong></h3>

<p>A problem with the door locks on some Picassos manufactured between 5 May and 21 November 2015 might lead to one or more doors opening when they shouldn't. Find out from your dealer whether your car has had this recall carried out, because the locks might&nbsp;need to be replaced in order to fix this issue.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Starter motor</strong></h3>

<p>Two recalls have been issued for problems related to the starter motor. The first is for examples made from 28 June to 15 July 2016 where the wiring harness could be damaged, leading to a&nbsp;short circuit. The second is for an issue with an electrical relay for the starter motor that could lead to it overheating and catching fire. Check with a dealer to find out if either of these applies to your car.</p>

<h3><strong>Airbags not deploying</strong></h3>

<p>A small number of C4 Picassos constructed between 10 and 14 November 2017 could have a problem with the computer (ECU) controlling when the airbags are triggered in a collision. As a precaution, all of these ECUs will need to be replaced on affected examples, so find out from a&nbsp;Citroën dealer if yours is one of those.</p>

<h3><strong>Engine failure</strong></h3>

<p>An internal problem with some engines put into vehicles made between 1 October to 30 November 2017 could lead to engine failure. Find out from a dealer if your car is part of this recall, because it'll need to be checked by a technician&nbsp;and have the whole engine replaced if necessary.</p>

<h3><strong>Front suspension failure</strong></h3>

<p>The bolts attaching the wishbone of the front suspension might fail on Picassos built between 26 March 2013 and 26 January 2015, leading to a loss of control. The recall might already have been carried out of your car, but it is best to check this with your dealer to make sure.</p>

<h3><strong>Bonnet skin</strong></h3>

<p>The outer bonnet skin might become detached from the internal frame to which it's attached on some examples built between 1 September 2016 and 6 April 2017. Speak to your local&nbsp;Citroën dealer to check if you need to bring it in for repairs, because additional adhesive will need to be applied if it is.</p>

<h3><strong>Oil leak</strong></h3>

<p>An oil leak might occur from a connection to the turbocharger of some vehicles manufactured from 25 January to 15 February 2016&nbsp;and, if this isn't checked, could allow the oil level to drop to the point where engine damage occurs. Contact your nearest&nbsp;Citroën dealer for further information if you suspect your car is affected by this.</p>

<h3><strong>Engine overheating</strong></h3>

<p>A software problem could lead to the engine not getting sufficient cooling, leading to the engine overheating. This recall applies to Picassos built between 5 December 2012 and 21 April 2015, and if your example is affected, it'll need a software update to make sure the cooling system kicks in when it should.</p>

<h3><strong>Nitrogen oxide emissions</strong></h3>

<p>Another software problem, this time with the engine management system, which might allow the engine to produce excessive levels of nitrogen oxide emissions. Updated software can be uploaded to vehicles made between 25 September 2013 and 15 May 2016 to prevent this from happening.</p>

<h3><strong>Seatbelt&nbsp;might fail</strong></h3>

<p>The seatbelt straps fitted to the second row of some C4 Picassos manufactured from 14 September to 10 November 2015 could fail in a collision and not restrain the occupant as intended. Ask your local&nbsp;Citroën dealer for further information, because a technician will need to check the batch number of the seatbelt to determine if your car is affected by this.</p>

<h3><strong>Incorrect gear might be selected</strong></h3>

<p>Due to an issue with the reverse gear lockout on some vehicles constructed from 11 April to 13 November 2013, it might not be possible to select the correct gear. Find out from your local dealer whether your Picasso is affected by this, because a new locking collar will need to be fitted if it is.</p>


<p>Citroën, as a brand, finished in a disappointing 22nd&nbsp;position out of 31&nbsp;car manufacturers in the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, although this is an improvement over results in previous years.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">If you want to read more results from our Reliability Survey, click here.</a></p>

<p><strong>Page 3 of 5</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr">Citroën is probably most famous for its quirky design, and the latest cars from the brand live up to this tradition, featuring paintwork-protecting ‘Airbumps’ and eschewing the sporty looks favoured by most rivals.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Indeed, Citroën tends to keep away from sportiness altogether and instead tries to put comfort first.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Value (but not cheapness) is also key to the appeal of most Citroëns. And the company’s range includes everything from small hatchbacks (such as the C1 and C3) to big, family-friendly seven-seaters (the Spacetourer and Grand C4 Spacetourer).</p>

<p dir="ltr">The C3 Aircross SUV is another of its popular models, while a larger C5 Aircross is planned.</p>


CITROEN

C4 PICASSO

<p>The C4 Picasso is one of our favourite five-seat MPVs. It’s reasonably priced and good to drive</p>


Used Citroen C4 Picasso 2013-2018

<h3><strong>MPG</strong></h3>

<p>Top marks for fuel economy&nbsp;go to the 1.6 diesel, because both the 89bhp version with the ETG6 automated manual ’box and later 118bhp versions&nbsp;officially return&nbsp;74.3mpg (NEDC).&nbsp;The 2.0 diesel isn't too far behind with&nbsp;65.2mpg.</p>

<p>The 1.2&nbsp;is the most efficient petrol at 55.4mpg, while the bigger 1.6 will cost you a bit more to run, returning&nbsp;46.3mpg.</p>

<h3><strong>CO2 emissions</strong></h3>

<p>Go for either of the aforementioned 1.6 diesels and reap the benefits of emissions of under 100g/km. The bigger 2.0 diesel won't set you back too much, though, due to a figure of only 112g/km, which is actually marginally better than the 1.2 petrol's 115g/km. The 1.6 petrol is the worst for CO2 emissions at 140g/km.</p>

<h3><strong>Road tax (VED)</strong></h3>

<p>If you are looking at a late C4 Picasso, be aware that the tax system changed on 1 April 2017, so any vehicles registered after this date will have to pay a yearly flat-rate fee. Anything registered before this date will be charged based upon the CO2 emissions the engine produced.&nbsp;To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a> for further information.</p>

<h3><strong>Insurance and servicing costs</strong></h3>

<p>Insurance groupings are low, too, starting at 14 and working up to 25. Citroën servicing costs tend to be&nbsp;reasonable and, if your car is more than three years old, you can choose a fixed-price service. Prices&nbsp;start&nbsp;at £115 for an interim service and £195 for a full service.</p>

<p><strong>Page 2 of 5</strong></p>

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The C4 Picasso is one of our favourite five-seat MPVs. It’s reasonably priced and good to drive


<p>You’ll need around £4000 to buy a&nbsp;C4 Picasso, at the time of writing. Spend a bit more and an early 2013 example with below-average mileage can be found for £6000, while a 2015 Picasso with the improved EAT6 auto 'box is around £8000.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Post-2016 cars with revised trim levels cost from around £9500 for an entry-level Touch version and&nbsp;up to £16,000 for a top-of-the-range Flair with an&nbsp;average number of miles.</p>

<p><strong>Check the value of a used Citroën&nbsp;C4 Picasso&nbsp;with<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation"> What Car? Valuations</a></strong></p>


<h3><strong>Engine</strong></h3>

<p>The petrol engines in the C4 Picasso range are smooth and fairly punchy units, but economy predictably suffers; that's&nbsp;why the higher-output (113 or later 118bhp)&nbsp;1.6 BlueHDi diesel engine is the one to go for. It’s smooth and reasonably gutsy, so it rarely feels short of puff. The 2.0 BlueHDi may be more powerful than the 1.6 BlueHDi, but it’s noisier and not as smooth, so it isn’t worth the extra.</p>

<p>We’d stick with the standard six-speed manual gearbox over the dim-witted ETG6 automated manual option, but if you really must have a self-shifter, go for an EAT6 that replaced it in 2015, because&nbsp;it's far smoother when changing gears.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Specification</strong></h3>

<p>Of the various&nbsp;trims on offer over the C4 Picasso's lifespan, VTR+ and&nbsp;Feel are&nbsp;our favourites. Each&nbsp;has everything you're likely to&nbsp;need, plus it has the useful additions of&nbsp;a DAB radio and&nbsp;rear parking sensors.</p>

<p><strong>Our favourite Citroën C4 Picasso</strong> 1.6 BlueHDi&nbsp;VTR+/Feel manual</p>

<p><strong>Page 4 of 5</strong></p>


<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all the family and their paraphernalia</li> <li>Comfortable ride for everyone inside</li> <li>Seats with plenty of adjustment and versatility of layout</li> <li>Engine that can cope with a full load of people and luggage</li> <li>Excellent efficiency to avoid big fuel bills</li></ul>

<p>Practicality is king in the MPV market, which has taken a hit as buyers have turned towards trendier SUVs. There are still plenty of decent offerings to suit most budgets, though, with Citroën fielding a particularly strong line-up. The French manufacturer’s Berlingo offers bags of space for not much money and you can easily haggle off thousands of extra pounds in discounts, too.</p>

<p>Citroën also scores with the larger Grand C4 Spacetourer, which offers seven seats, lots of oddment space and appealing running costs for something so large. A similarly priced and even better option is the Volkswagen Touran. Meanwhile, if you prefer a premium badge, there's always the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourers or Mercedes B-Class and V-Class.</p>

<p>But for something sizeable that's still decent to drive, we’d recommend you check out the Ford Galaxy, which can offer three rows of seats and decent luggage space at the same time. It’s not that much pricier than the smaller S-Max.</p>

<p>This spacious and flexible family car will have been used in car parks and on tight urban routes, so check bodywork carefully for damage and alloy wheels for kerbing. Also, look at the interior for signs of wear and tear, and make sure all the seats move easily.</p>


<p>Once the flavour of the month, the MPV as a breed has suffered at the hands of higher-riding&nbsp;SUVs in recent years. However, there are still plenty of reasons why you should consider an MPV such as the Citroën C4 Picasso. Not only is it packed with features designed to take the stress out of family motoring, but it's also exceptional value for money when you buy used.</p>

<p>The line-up of petrol engines includes 108bhp and 128bhp 1.2-litre units and a 1.6 with 153bhp (increased to 163bhp in 2015).&nbsp;There are three diesels: 1.6s with 89bhp or 113bhp (later increased to 99bhp or&nbsp;118bhp&nbsp;respectively) and&nbsp;a 2.0&nbsp;with&nbsp;148bhp.&nbsp;You also have a choice of a five-speed manual gearbox (on the least powerful diesel) and a six-speed manual on everything else, plus a six-speed <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/which-type-of-automatic-gearbox-should-i-buy/n17022#3">automated manual</a>&nbsp;called ETG6 for the 1.6 diesel or a&nbsp;more traditional six-speed auto named EAT6 for most engines from 2015 onwards.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pre-2016 Picassos can be found in one of four different flavours. VTR is the entry point and has 16in alloys, dual-zone climate, cruise control and a 7.0in infotainment touchscreen, while VTR+ adds automatic lights and wipers, rear parking sensors and a DAB radio. Next up is Exclusive with a&nbsp;12.0in digital instrument panel, 17in alloys, sun blinds on the rear doors, sat-nav and a reversing camera. Top-of-the-range Exclusive+ has extra driver assistance tech in the form of adaptive cruise and blindspot monitoring, 18in alloys, an electric tailgate and front parking sensors.</p>

<p>After 2016, the range was simplified to Touch, Feel and Flair. Think of Touch as the previous VTR+ trim and Feel as Exclusive, although front parking sensors and an improved infotainment system was added that allowed for <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> phone integration. Again, Flair is much like the previous Exclusive+, except you also get a panoramic glass roof.</p>

<p>The C4 Picasso’s supple suspension deals with bumps reasonably well once up to speed&nbsp;but can be a touch fidgety in town. The handling, although secure, is numb and doesn’t inspire great confidence when you’re pressing on, but at least it's not particularly taxing, and both wind and road noise are well suppressed when cruising along a motorway.</p>

<p>The interior is more than spacious enough to worry its rivals, particularly in terms of boot volume, even with the rear seats in place. With the rear seats folded flat, you get a massive 640 litres of space. The front passenger seat can also be folded flat, so you can carry objects up to 2.5 metres long. But while there are clever storage cubbies spread around the interior, including under the rear floor, the C4 Picasso doesn’t move on the design of medium-sized MPVs in any significant way.</p>

<p>Nonetheless the C4 Picasso is a practical and economical car and a competitive rival for the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/scenic/mpv/used-review/n1002">Renault Scenic</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/c-max/mpv/used-review/n967">Ford C-Max</a>, even if ultimately both of those cars are better to drive&nbsp;than the C4 Picasso.</p>

<h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/citroen/c4-picasso"><strong>Find a used Citroën C4 Picasso for sale with&nbsp;What Car? Used Car deals&nbsp;&gt;&gt;</strong></a></h3>

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Used Citroen C4 Picasso 2013-2018 review

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