The (Rented) Citroën C4 Picasso in Europe

"Van Man, rocks the Man Van" (jacoboconnell) 08/20/2015 at 17:26 • Filed to: Citroën, Europe, Rental cars

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A couple of things off the bat:

Yes, I rode around for hundreds of miles through beautiful European scenery in manual diesel Citroën hatchback.

No, you will never be able to buy one in America.

Yes, I loved it.

(Full disclosure: Citroën wanted me to review their C4 so badly they sold one to the Vienna airport Avis. My family booked a Škoda Superb or similar, but got the Citroën instead. I’m that special.)

As soon as my family found out the date of the wedding, we began to plan our trip. The wedding would take place in Prague, but our plane would only fly us to Vienna. Which is 3 and a half hours away. And then we would spend a week in Prague before my Aunt’s wedding. We needed transportation. We needed...

A rental car.

In the U.S., this phrase fills anyone, especially a car enthusiast, with dread. Luckily, rental cars in Europe are more interesting than the wide selection of Chrysler 200s and Chevy Impalas (hey, you can get a free upgrade from midsize to full-size). So what would we rent for our trip?

I looked up various rental car websites, hoping to find an interesting car to spend time with.

After a bit of searching, I found a few cars I liked.

Option #1- Mercedes S-class

Who wouldn’t want to rent an S-class? However, it’s not practical enough. At least that’s what I said to convince myself that we wouldn’t be renting a Mercedes solely because of the insane price.

Option #2- BMW M550d xDrive

Another totally awesome choice that was just far too expensive to make sense. I couldn’t use the practicality excuse because it is available as a wagon, so I criticized its lack of a manual transmission.

Option #3- Škoda Superb (or similar)

Why would a car enthusiast ever want to rent a cheap Škoda? Let’s see: Forbidden fruit? Check. Manual? Check. Diesel? Check. What’s more to want? Nothing, that’s what.

I was super about getting to write about the Superb, but there was a problem. Upon arriving at the airport rental counter, I received the bad news: we weren’t getting a Škoda. We were getting a Citroën. Which Citroën though?

A few minutes later, I found out the answer: a C4 Picasso. A very Citroën-y Citroën. Which is good. I also noticed the key was fairly new. In fact, my family and I were the first people ever to rent the car, so it only had 16 kilometers on the odometer.

As we walked up to the C4, I noticed a few nice things about the exterior, including a split A-pillar and unique styling. Opening the door, I discovered something strange: an extra pedal, to the left of the brake, as well an odd moving lever between the seats. Wolfgang Hatz assures these are nothing but a footrest and a radio joystick.

For a medium-sized hatchback, space was fairly good. My family fit 4 large and 4 small suitcases into the back, albeit with the help of a folded rear seat. Those bags were in addition to three people well over 6 feet tall and child seat. All 6’7” of me fit about as well as someone of my height can physically fit in a mid-sized French hatch (not great, but I made it work). From the driver’s seat, my dad offered only four words: “All windshield, no headroom.”

First impressions from the (mostly highway) drive: at low speeds the engine is a bit loud and feels a bit coarse, with a slight touch of diesel clatter. This gets better at higher speeds, where the engine is just about unnoticeable, and there is almost no tire or wind noise. Almost immediately, my dad mentioned the clutch, which he claimed had an extremely late bite point and a long travel. Our car also featured auto stop/start, which was was relatively smooth in its function. Originally, my dad thought he stalled it, but I explained it was just a fuel-saving measure. He later turned it off.

The transmission itself was suited perfectly to the car’s relaxed demeanor, allowing for easy fifth gear cruises at 100 KPH (62 MPH) along the highway. At a rest stop, I got a chance to play the shifter and clutch for a bit, and I found it to have a good feel in my hand, with unexpectedly short throws. It felt all but impossible to miss a gear, due to the widely spaced gates and only 5 cogs. I do agree with my dad about the clutch feel.

Once my family and I reached Prague, I did some research on the C4, and I discovered that it was powered by a 1.6L HDi 4-cylinder engine. I asked my dad to guess how much horsepower the engine packed, but he didn’t give a specific estimate, instead simply saying it wasn’t as peppy as the 130 horsepower Toyota Matrix we used to own. He was right, because the engine only made 90 horsepower (but 170 lb-ft of torque) and propelled the car to 60 in a measly 12.9 seconds. However, it got an average of 38.2 MPG over one week and a few hundred miles, as well as an easy 50 MPG on the highway.

Unfortunately, we had to keep the little Citroën parked until the third day of our trip, when we went to visit the nearby Škoda factory and museum. I originally planned to get a cool photo of a Škoda parked in front of the factory in which it was made. That obviously didn’t work out.

However, our car was no longer burdened by about 250 pounds worth of luggage, so accelerating was closer to “semi truck” than “tree growth.” Which was better. Also, the back seat felt much more comfortable, since I wasn’t sitting next to my little brother.

Another ride in the Citroën gave me a chance to further appreciate the interior, which was definitely my favorite part of the car, and not even because of the space. For one, the infotainment actually works (except everything was in German), there’s no central tunnel in the rear, and it has a really nice, twin screen design. Their are no gauges ahead of the driver, just a high central screen with a tach and speedometer. Below that is a nice sized touchscreen, and even further below was a nice amount of storage space. And I haven’t even mentioned the best part yet.

Before we left the small town in which the factory and museum were situated, we made sure to grab some snacks from a nearby supermarket for the ride back to Prague. Don’t worry: these snacks weren’t for our enjoyment, but rather as a serious and scientific test of the Citroën’s rear tray tables. Yes, our car really did come with tray tables for the rear passengers. Trust me, they work quite well. My brother and I tested.

Ride was still excellent, with the suspension keeping the C4 very composed on the highway. Around town, the ride felt a bit bumpy, but never too harsh. However, Prague’s cobblestone streets are about as smooth as the moon’s craters.

Another surprising part about the C4 was the build quality. For a realtively cheap, base model car, everything felt nicely put together. The doors and trunk slammed nicely, and all of the dash material were soft touch.

But don’t think the Citroën C4 Picasso has become some sort of reasonable car for normal people. If you want that, go buy (or rent) Škoda Superb. This car is still French. I already mentioned the strange gauges. There was also the fact that the rearview mirror was in the middle (not joking) of the windshield, a random strap on the tray tables, storage compartments below the seats, and weird windshield wipers. Not crazy, just odd.

After our adventure at Škoda, the car stayed parked for another two days. After that, we embarked on a final, one and a half hour journey that would take us to location of the wedding. My mom went with her sister to the castle, while my dad, brother, and I went to pick up my uncle at the airport.

My uncle and his family also needed a rental car. They booked a Volkswagen Passat or similar, and they actually got a European-spec Passat wagon. In brown. With a manual. And a 2.0l diesel. I was officially jealous.

However, I got to sit in the front seat of our Citroën during that final drive, so I at least got to enjoy the ample amount of front seat space and excellent visibility (except the visibility caused me to be taunted by the Euro Passat’s awesomeness).

Two days later, my dad returned the Citroën to the Vienna airport Avis. Our time with the C4 Picasso was officially over.

Gather ‘round, children: it’s final impressions time! My brother’s take on the car: “Good.” When my dad was telling my uncle about it at the airport he described it, saying, “It drives like a marshmallow. A fluffy, 90 horsepower marshmallow.” He later mentioned that it was “A very economical mode of transport for a family that needs some space.” That’s about as accurate as I could describe it.

Now, would a Škoda have been better for my family? Definitely. But most people don’t have as much stuff as we had on our trip and aren’t as tall as us. We still made it work, which is impressive on the Citroën’s part.

dogisbadob > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 17:37

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Cool stuff! Awesome writeup.

I remember when Derek D drove one of these on the Nurburgring :)

And fuck them for not selling it over here :(

duurtlang > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 17:39

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Small knitpick: this isn’t seen as a hatchback in Europe. It’s an ‘MPV’, basically a minivan-like vehicle.

Also, but I guess it depends on the market, the least powerful diesel option in the C4 Picasso is (in my market) the 120 hp unit.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > dogisbadob 08/20/2015 at 17:40

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Thanks! The trip was almost three weeks ago, so that’s how long it’s taken me to write this (or just how lazy I am).

I’d love for Citroën to bring this and some other cars to good ole ‘Murica, but I’m not sure if I’d get one myself. Would I recommend one to a friend? Sure. That’s the problem: it wouldn’t sell.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > duurtlang 08/20/2015 at 17:43

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I always thought the Grand Picasso was more of an MPV while this is just a larger C4 and therefore a hatchback.

Our car had the 8-valve 1.6l diesel (I know because it had a 5 speed vs 6) while that one is the 16-valve version. I guess the valves add 30 hp.

Cé hé sin > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 17:45

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“weird windshield wipers”

Not that weird in fact. They’re what some people call “clap hands” wipers. Focuses have them.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Cé hé sin 08/20/2015 at 17:46

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Weird to me. I’ve never seen a car with them before.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 17:48

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The Škoda Muzeum at Mlada Boleslav was pretty fun as a half day trip, it’s not very big, but they’ve got some neat stuff.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 08/20/2015 at 17:49

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I liked it too. It was a full day trip because we went to the factory as well. I'll post pictures from the museum later!

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 17:52

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I took a bunch there as well.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 08/20/2015 at 17:55

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Your pictures are much better than mine, but there aren’t as many.

Few questions:

Did you get any of the models they were selling?

Did you get to see the depository?

Hovoris po Cesky?

Cé hé sin > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 18:01

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Here’s one of the first commonly-seen sets:

One of the advantages is that you can use the same setup for LHD and RHD.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 18:04

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Unfortunately no, I didn’t get in any, the dealership/showroom was closed.

I saw the depository, it was kinda junky very authentic .

Nic moc, only enough to get by/what I learned in 6 months.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 08/20/2015 at 18:09

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The showroom was cool too, but the models were sold inside the museum, in the store next to the counter.

I was just wondering because I speak Slovak (basically the same as Czech).

Amoore100 > Cé hé sin 08/20/2015 at 18:20

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Eighth gen Civics as well; I know because my grandmother has one...

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 18:22

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Sorry, I read that as a mistype. I didn’t get any models, I wasn’t sure I could get them home in my very limited baggage. Unfortunately my Czech is pretty limited, only enough to not always stick out as an American (and cause confusion in Usti nad Labem).

BATC42 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 18:24

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Currently you have both Euro5 and the new Euro6 diesel engines available for Peugeot and Citroën. So a couple of engine of the same performance. The Euro5 engines are either named HDi or e-HDi (when they come with Start&Stop) and I think now you can only get the 1.6l in 90hp or 112/115hp flavours. Though they are slowly phasing out these engines so might already not be available anymore (they were still offered last year).
As for the BlueHDi engines they use the same technology as Mercedes’ BlueTec => you have a tank of AdBLUE that allows to get rid of the nasty particles that diesel creates. These are available in 1.6l (75, 102 and 120hp) and 2.0l (135hp to 210hp).
If the one you had on 90hp, it was definitely an older engine.

The 1.6l 90hp HDi is a good engine, though as you said, it definitely lacks on power when the car is full of stuff and people. When you’re alone in the car, it’s more than enough to propel you though. I always say to pony up for (at least) the 110hp option which is much more convenient to use (I have the older 2.0l 110hp in my car), especially in a big car.

I love how for them a C4 Picasso is similar to a Superb! Sure they cost around the same, but they are widely different cars...

Klaus Schmoll > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 18:27

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Did you drive it? A friend of mine had an early ‘00s Picasso as a rental and loved it.

I’m going to play the rental lottery tomorrow. “LWB Sprinter or similar” I want a Transit. We’ll see.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Klaus Schmoll 08/20/2015 at 18:30

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Did not drive it.

I bet you’ll get stuck with a Nissan NV or something. Throughout the trip I was thinking about the Seinfeld rental car bit.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > BATC42 08/20/2015 at 18:36

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Weird. I’m pretty sure our car said BlueHDi (not 100% though), but it came with a 5 speed, which (according to Wikipedia, not a good source, I know) is only available with the 90 hp diesel. Also, I couldn't imagine this car with 75 hp.

Amoore100 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 18:51

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Your means of travel sounds like us: we’re not tall, but usually my grandmother comes along (because she is pretty much the queen of travelling) so we need space for five plus tons of luggage. I keep wanting to go to Europe, but my parents are unwilling to pay for the airfare...besides that, I have always loved the C4 Picasso but how can you not appreciate the awesomeness of the diesel, manual Passat wagon? ( sarcasm ) Anyways, great write up!

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Amoore100 08/20/2015 at 19:04

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Thanks! I’m not sure this will help your case for a trip to Europe, but airfare for four of us (round trip, direct flight) was about $6,000. However, my mom’s family lives in Europe and this year was a wedding, so it was justified.

BATC42 > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 19:38

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Nah, you have to go for the 120hp to get the 6-speed. And the 75hp is obviously not offered on the C4 Picasso (and I’ve checked their website, they only offer the new engines on it)

KirkyV > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 08/20/2015 at 19:41

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“For a medium-sized hatchback”

This must be that perception of size relative to what you’ve grown up with thing. In my corner of Europe, the Picasso isn’t even seen as a hatchback, much less a medium sized one! Still, great write-up; I love it when I can look at stuff that, for me, is perfectly ordinary from a different perspective.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > KirkyV 08/20/2015 at 20:40

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Thanks! Yeah, I’m American, so the C4 is midsized to me. However, I noticed it was pretty big in Europe, at least relative to other cars.

Alex B > Amoore100 08/20/2015 at 20:41

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Have you ever been to Hawaii? I’m sure wing on the west coast you have.

I say this to say that, for me and my family to go to Hawaii it’s a lot more difficult because we are east coast. We just went for the first time this summer and if we lived on the west coast we would be going all the time!

If you were in the east coast, European airfare is much more reasonable I think. Just like how flying to Hawaii is cheaper of people on the west coast.

Amoore100 > Alex B 08/20/2015 at 20:45

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True, I remember our discussion on Hawaii a few weeks ago when you were in Maui...we go to Hawaii almost every summer and I went on a trip this April with my dad to Fiji for scuba diving, so you are right in that regard...doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back to Europe though ;)

Alex B > Amoore100 08/20/2015 at 20:50

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Yep! Being on the west coast Hawaii is so much more accessible.

I haven’t been to Europe yet, but I would love to go! My cousin and aunt did a trip to London and Paris for my cousin’s graduation. They seemed to like it quite a bit.

Amoore100 > Alex B 08/20/2015 at 20:58

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I visited with my grandmother when I was 9, unfortunately when I was too young to understand too much. We started by visiting my great aunt (who is Chinese and lives in Belgium, wait what?) and going with her to London for a few days before boarding a Baltic cruise and stopping in Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Russia, and Sweden before going back to London...it is a trip that I wish I could repeat, just so I could remember the experience...luckily I have photos, so I guess it’s time to delve into those!

Alex B > Amoore100 08/20/2015 at 22:01

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I know what you mean. There were a lot of trips I took as a kid that I would like to take now.

As for the destinations, they sound great. Do you like cruises?

Amoore100 > Alex B 08/20/2015 at 22:03

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That was my only one so far but it was great! My dad hates them though because both he and my mom and my brother can be sensitive to constant motion...it seems as if my grandma and I will the only ones able to go on cruises, at least for now!

Alex B > Amoore100 08/20/2015 at 22:10

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My Dad doesn’t like them either, but for different reasons.

I personally think a cruise would be a fun thing to do. I'm pretty sure my grandmother has done cruises in the past. I'll have to ask if it comes up!

Amoore100 > Alex B 08/20/2015 at 22:14

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We can plan the Oppo Grandmothers and Grandsons cruise...around the world!

Alex B > Amoore100 08/21/2015 at 09:31

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Haha, but you must have a Jalopnik Gold Memership to participate!!

Amoore100 > Alex B 08/21/2015 at 17:53

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Of course!

Damn, $99.95 is starting to seem like the bargain of the century...

Alex B > Amoore100 08/24/2015 at 08:53

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Indeed it is!

pjhusa > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/14/2015 at 22:29

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A few things:

Now, I REALLLLY want to write about my grandma’s Hyundai, a notable feature also being tray tables.

You loathe Sixt, yet you loved this car; though you didn’t get a Brown Diesel wagon, your experience seems quite good.

Finally, 6,7 is quite tall for anyone, especially for 13! (if you weren’t lying that time)

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > pjhusa 09/14/2015 at 22:39

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1. They were cool. I’ve never been in a car with them before.

2. I still liked it because it was a honest and pretty good little (not that little) hatch. But I want a wagon.

3. Not lying, do play basketball though.

pjhusa > Van Man, rocks the Man Van 09/15/2015 at 19:22

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btw, your uncle’s Passat rental seems to be from Sixt too

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > pjhusa 09/16/2015 at 07:32

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I actually didn't notice that. We were still jealous though.