New Citroen C4 Picasso previewed
* Technospace concept car shows next C4 Picasso * Shorter than current car, but roomier * Production version due on sale this autumn...
This is the new Citroen C4 Picasso - previewed as the production-ready Citroen Technospace concept car at the Geneva motor show.
The concept car is described by company insiders as 'a very good guide' to how the next-generation C4 Picasso will look when it reaches dealerships in the summer. The similarity is likely to extend to its radical front end, which includes ultra-slim lights that appear from under a 'brow' created by an extended element of Citroen's double-chevron logo. The show car's panoramic windscreen will also make production.
Citroen's new C4 Picasso is shorter and lower than the current car, at 443cm long, 183cm wide and 161cm high. Despite these more compact dimensions, Citroen says it will have a boot capacity of 537 litres; that's an increase of 37 litres over the current model and more than 60 litres up on a Ford C-Max's load space.
The car will use Citroen's new Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2) chassis technology. The French manufacturer says this offers significant weight savings (around 70kg, in the case of the C4 Picasso) and improves fuel economy and lowers CO2 emissions. The next C4 Picasso will emit as little as 98g/km of CO2 as a result (most likely from a lean diesel version), while most versions of the car are expected to emit less than 110g/km.
Citroen has not revealed any interior images; however, it has announced that the concept will have a 'high-definition 12-inch panoramic screen' and a 'full-touch driving interface'.
The next generation of C4 Picasso will go on sale in the autumn. A new version of the C4 Grand Picasso is also planned, but it's unlikely to reach UK dealers until early 2014.
Best family SUVs 2023
Want practicality, class and an elevated driving position in a relatively compact package? Then these are the top 10 cars you should be looking at – and the ones that are best avoided
