Perhaps it's a bit audacious to name a people mover after one of the world's greatest painters, but if I had to choose one MPV that would do the most justice to the name it would at least be this Citroen.
The five-seat Picasso, and its seven-seat Grand Picasso sibling on test here, were recently treated to a makeover but you wouldn't easily notice the changes, which include a new bumper on the Grand Picasso, a new Citroen logo and black surrounds for the taillights. No need to mess with a good formula then - the Grand Picasso is easy on the eye and slightly quirky.
Given that Peugeot and Citroen have the same local backers, the Grand Picasso has also been differentiated from its new 5008 platform sibling in that the Citroen range is limited to a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine while the Peugeot gets the turbocharged version of that motor.
This might make the Citroen a bit cheaper - at R254 900 versus the R282 000 to R314 300 price range of the Peugeot 1.6T - but that lower price does bring a downside.
I discovered this when undertaking a 500km road trip with four aboard in this Grand Picasso recently. With nothing but a naturally aspirated 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre engine to pull what is a fairly big and heavy vehicle, it feels underpowered on the open road. Building up speed is an exercise in patience and overtaking requires advance planning and caution. I kept wishing for this engine's force fed counterpart.
That said, it doesn't have much trouble keeping apace with city traffic and this is where the MPV will spend the majority of its time so perhaps the power deficit won't be a problem for many potential owners.
The road trip did, however, give this van the chance to show off some of its better qualities - like practicality. Interior space is ample and the two middle-row adult occupants found the seating to be spacious and comfortable. Even the back row could fit an adult if push came to shove, but then you'd need to tow a trailer if there was luggage - and I'm not sure where you'd get the power from.
The cabin is also very functional, with loads of nooks and crannies throughout and some nice touches like separate climate control buttons within easy reach on either side of the dashboard. The rest of the controls are positioned high on the dash and the radio can also be concealed behind a flap. Another quirky touch is the fixed-hub steering wheel, which allows for the fitment of a bigger airbag.
As for driving dynamics - the road holding is decent by MPV standards but the steering has a complete lack of feel and feedback and the ride quality, while generally acceptable, can get a bit too crashy for our liking over imperfect surfaces.
One saving grace for this Citroen is its price of R254 900, which is on the lower side of the seven-seater continuum. Although similarly-priced Mazda5 and Chevrolet Orlando models offer more power, the Grand Picasso boasts an impressive level of standard equipment for the price. If a stylish, town-bound MPV is what you're after, this one is worth looking at.
RIVALS:
Mazda5 2.0 - R252 800-R286 390
Peugeot 5008 1.6T - R282 000-R314 300
Toyota Verso 1.6 - R249 300-R262 700
VW Touran 1.4 TSI - R299 800