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C4 - DS4 Owners :: Forums :: Citroen C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso (B78) 2013 onward :: Citroen C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso (B78) Road Tests and Model Reports

OWNER REVIEW: New model C4 Picasso 1.6HDi (115) Exclusive+ EGS

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Prasutagus   
Fri Nov 15 2013, 01:29am
Member No: #341
Joined: May 23 2007
Location: Norwich City, UK; & Loches, France.
Collected my shiny new C4 Picasso yesterday evening...

Looking forward to getting out there today to start learning about all the gadgets!
Dave_Retired.   
Fri Nov 15 2013, 02:37am

Member No: #1
Joined: Aug 07 2006
Location: Northumberland
Don't forget the 'Road Test' Mel, I'll move the thread there so you can continue.
Prasutagus   
Sat Dec 07 2013, 03:34am
Member No: #341
Joined: May 23 2007
Location: Norwich City, UK; & Loches, France.
My new Picasso is three weeks old now, so here is my Road Test report...

Firstly, it is relevant for readers to know my three cars prior to this have all been 2.0HDi Citroens - '55' C4 Exclusive; '57' C4 Picasso Exclusive; '60' C5 Exclusive (160). The C5 was fast, luxurious and very comfortable, so why have I gone back to a C4 Picasso? Well, when we had our previous Picasso we found it very versatile for carrying goods on our regular journeys to and from France. With the C5, when we had anything bulky to transport, we had to hire a small van for the 1100 mile round trip and that was neither comfortable or economic, so we ordered a new Picasso in August, taking delivery on 14 November...

The car: C4 Picasso Exclusive+ EGS 1.6HDi (115) in Shark Grey metallic.

My concerns before taking delivery: The loss of power with a smaller engine and the loss of comfort after all-round hydraulic suspension.

Answer to those concerns: Yes, after the 160 engine, I do miss the 'grunt' and the ability to beat similar sized BMWs, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the lively nature of the 115 engine. Acceleration from a standing start is, of course, helped by the 'automatic' gearbox and the car cruises comfortably and very well indeed at high speed on dual-carriageways, so I am getting used to the smaller engine. Suspension? I am tending to prefer the 'sprung' suspension. I never did like the sideways roll of the hydraulic suspension on bumpy roads.

The driving position is very good. Both front seats are heated and have a massage function. Love the heating in this weather, but I can live without the massage, albeit my wife enjoys it. (Careful...!) I'm not sure how long it will take me to get used to all the gadgets, but I'm sure I will eventually.

I do find the touch-screen reaction to be slow and not too positive, but the opportunities it offers are excellent. Will just have to live with a slow computer! Hands-free phone connections are essential to me in my work. The one in the Picasso is OK, but only OK.

The hands free in my C5 was excellent and I cannot see why this newer model car can't be equally as good? DAB Radio and music player are very good, but I was caught out by the fact there was no CD player, so gradually loading my music into the car's 8gb storage by way of memory sticks. Internal and mood lighting in the car is excellent.

The picture provided by the reversing camera is excellent. Best I have ever seen in a car. Front and rear parking sensors are good, but seem a little short on the distance they are set at, so be careful.

But I love the radar cruise control! Testing it out on the Norwich By-pass, with a clear road ahead of me I set it at 70mph. As I gradually caught up a slower moving vehicle in the nearside lane I waited for a reaction from my car. When I was about 100 metres away I felt a slight (deliberate) hesitation in my car and then it gently slowed down to match the speed of the car ahead which was 63mph. My car remained at this speed until I moved into the clear offside lane and the radar allowed my speed to return to 70.

On another occasion, I was behind a slower car which started to increase its speed and my car matched it. Brilliant technology for when I fall asleep on night-time drives on French autoroutes!

The gear changing on this EGS box has definitely improved since my 57 Picasso, but still needs a little thought by the driver at relevant times to smooth it out. It can be done quite easily and just needs a bit of concentration. The 'floppy paddle' gear changing is excellent!

So, the car looks good, drives very well, is lively for the size of engine and is very comfortable and warm. And, most importantly, I love an excuse to get out there and go for a drive! The so-called expert car assessors do not know what they are talking about when they refer to a body roll on bends. Absolute rubbish! It is a small people carrier, not a sports car and handles bends very well indeed.

So, what don't I like? I do not like the ECO mode on the engine! But I would do if Citroen could make adjustments to it and/or the hill start assist. On steep slopes there is no problem, the hill assist delay works and allows enough time to get re-start the engine and get your foot off the brake and onto the accelerator.

But there seems to be a mysterious pre-set particular gradient where the hill start assist does not work at (or below it). As such, you come to a stop, keep your foot on the brake and the engine stops.

Then the traffic ahead moves off, you take your foot off the brake to go back to the accelerator and there is a split second where the hill start isn't working and the engine is still starting with the inevitable slight roll backwards.

Not great if the following car has stopped right up your chuff box! As such, the only safe option is to use the handbrake every time which delays the whole process when crawling up a hill in slow moving traffic!

Summing up - I love the car, am pleased I bought it and love being in it!

BUT PLEASE Citroen - get the ECO/hill start situation sorted as it could cause unnecessary minor accidents!
3 User said Thank You to Prasutagus for this Post :
 PentlandC4 (19 Jan 2014 : 15:13) , PeterJ (20 Jan 2014 : 05:43) , nathanb (30 Mar 2014 : 03:09)
sloppysod   
Wed Dec 11 2013, 03:42pm
Member No: #15935
Joined: Oct 16 2010
Location: Wrexham
Glad you like it, and it settles my mind a little as to a possible next vehicle. The gearbox software may very well be updated, my car had 3 or 4 updates in the first 12 months - fingers cross.

keep us posted on how it goes.
1 User said Thank You to sloppysod for this Post :
 mouse (18 Dec 2013 : 06:33)
mouse   
Wed Dec 18 2013, 06:34am
Member No: #33528
Joined: Dec 18 2013
Location: herts
Hi is the hill hold rollback only in eco mode?
BigJohnD   
Wed Dec 18 2013, 08:10am

Member No: #82
Joined: Jan 22 2007
Location: Hoylake
I think it's more or less a standard feature across the range. My nouvelle C4 has it, though it took me sometime to realise it.

Basically, when the car is facing up hill, the brakes remain on for a second or two after taking your foot off the pedal. Personally I don't like it - I always use the handbrake when stationary.
routemaster1   
Wed Dec 18 2013, 08:58am
Member No: #574
Joined: Jul 08 2007
Location: Dorset
BigJohnD wrote ...

I think it's more or less a standard feature across the range. My nouvelle C4 has it, though it took me sometime to realise it.

Basically, when the car is facing up hill, the brakes remain on for a second or two after taking your foot off the pedal. Personally I don't like it - I always use the handbrake when stationary.

On C4GPs, the feature works on a downslope when in reverse.
Prasutagus   
Thu Dec 19 2013, 03:17am
Member No: #341
Joined: May 23 2007
Location: Norwich City, UK; & Loches, France.
I had hill assist on my last two cars – the previous model Picasso (EGS) and more recently, a C5 Exclusive which was manual. Neither of those two cars had an ECO function whereby the engine stopped whilst the car is stationary.

With the older EGS Picasso, the engine was always running and when I came off the brake to move my foot to the accelerator, take-up was instantaneous and no roll-back occurred even on occasions when the hill-assist had not engaged.

Of course, with the C5, the same thing applied because the engine kept running and as it was manual, there would be no roll back because control was always present through clutch/accelerator usage.

With my new ECO car, when I bring the car to a stop on the foot brake, the engine stops.

Using the handbrake is difficult in some situations. As every driver will have experienced, when you are crawling up a hill in bumper to bumper traffic which stops for a split second and then moves again, the immediate tendency is to come off the brake and go back on the accelerator.

A non-electronic handbrake is great as it can be used to hold the car briefly. But with an electronic one, there is a small time lapse for it to engage before you can take it off again.

With the ECO car, the spit second it takes for the engine to re-start, is the same split second when the foot moves from the brake to the throttle and a slight roll-back can occur. Drivers with slower reactions could take longer than a split second.

So, in my opinion, in these circumstances an EGS car would be better off with no ECO setting enabled – but we all know that is not going to happen.

As such, the only answer is for the hill-assist to operate on all gradients and not just on certain gradients.
BigJohnD   
Thu Dec 19 2013, 04:23am

Member No: #82
Joined: Jan 22 2007
Location: Hoylake
After three years, I've never noticed if it operates when reversing!

That's a combination of not reversing on hills very often and always using the handbrake.
routemaster1   
Fri Dec 20 2013, 01:36am
Member No: #574
Joined: Jul 08 2007
Location: Dorset
BigJohnD wrote ...

After three years, I've never noticed if it operates when reversing!

That's a combination of not reversing on hills very often and always using the handbrake.

It was a situation I had every day as my drive has a slight down-slope. The combination of EGS and auto brake was something SWMBO didn't get on with and was one of the reasons we went for a manual.
Prasutagus   
Fri Dec 27 2013, 02:38pm
Member No: #341
Joined: May 23 2007
Location: Norwich City, UK; & Loches, France.
LOL...

My SWMBO couldn't get on with a manual and that is why I went back to an EGS!
routemaster1   
Wed Jan 15 2014, 09:24am
Member No: #574
Joined: Jul 08 2007
Location: Dorset
I've just been to the local Citroen agent about a minor issue with our C3. While I was there I took the chance to sit in a new 2.0HDi Grand Exclusive+. This is the car I hope (SWMBO permitting) for Autumn delivery. But I've found an issue.

I am quite tall (~6' 2") but I have relatively short legs. This has historically led to problems with getting shirts long enough. The upshot is, with my long back, when I sit in the driver's seat with the head restraint as high as it will go, the shape is such that the bottom protruberances dig into my shoulders. It can't be set lower. I took out a VTR+ the other week and there is no issue with that, but it isn't what I want to buy. THe only solution at present would seem to be getting hold of a VTR+ restraint and fitting it to the Exclusive seat. It does fit; we tried it.

BigJohnD   
Wed Jan 15 2014, 09:41am

Member No: #82
Joined: Jan 22 2007
Location: Hoylake
routemaster1 wrote ...

This has historically led to problems with getting shirts long enough.The upshot

Snap! Try either M&S for their longer shirts (limited choice of styles) or High & Mighty - Click Here -
FrankBullitt   
Wed Jan 15 2014, 01:53pm

Member No: #19238
Joined: Apr 12 2011
Location: Cambridgeshire
It's the Exclusive+ or Exclusive (only when the latter is fitted with full or part leather) that gets the 'extra support headrests' - Exclusive models with Ondilice Cloth don't get them - you can specify most of the other goodies by going for the Exclusive Convenience Pack and Exclusive Style Plus pack, but you obviously can't specify any leather trim.

Having had a real poke around at the weekend I'm deeply impressed with the new Picasso - the VTR+ has a great spec although it's lost the boot torch and sun blinds which can be fitted in the dirt cheap kids pack but as we buy used I doubt any will have it fitted...
FrankBullitt   
Fri Jan 17 2014, 03:29am

Member No: #19238
Joined: Apr 12 2011
Location: Cambridgeshire
FrankBullitt wrote ...

It's the Exclusive+ or Exclusive (only when the latter is fitted with full or part leather) that gets the 'extra support headrests' - Exclusive models with Ondilice Cloth don't get them - you can specify most of the other goodies by going for the Exclusive Convenience Pack and Exclusive Style Plus pack, but you obviously can't specify any leather trim.

I think the brochure is wrong as I've been looking at used Exclusive models with cloth and they all have 'extra support headrests' fitted - the good news is the trim on the VTR+ is the same as the Exclusive so a swap won't look out of place.
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