FAMILY CITROEN WITH A CATHEDRAL FEEL If you like the idea of light and airy cars, ones with a big glass area that feel like a conservatory on wheels, then make the most of it. Some pundits are tipping that the future of cars will see them with small window areas in order to save the world. How does it work? Well, the EU is setting some very hard targets for CO2 emissions which it wants in place for 2012. Car makers say that, to be realistic, the target date should be 2015. But either way, to achieve it means more efficient engines and lighter bodies. Glass is heavy, so one way to shave weight is to reduce the size of the windows. This doesn’t bode well for the squeegee merchants at traffic lights in big cities. It also means car interiors becoming much more gloomy although many makers, Citroen among them, are finding ways to introduce soft and variable colour background lighting. The politicians need to be aware, though, that they might meet consumer resistance, especially if too many families are taken by cars like the Citroen C4 Picasso. This has turned flooding the interior with light into an art form and inside this car is a fantastic place to be. I’ve never been in a car with such a wonderfully unenclosed feel before. The C4 Picasso is probably little larger than the Nissan Qashqai in terms of its footprint yet while the Nissan interior feels very enclosed the Citroen has a sort of cathedral feel. You are almost unaware it has a roof until rain falls and you remain dry. Part of this feeling is engendered by the high windscreen header, which is set way back into the roof. It feels very unusual and the only other car that shares this feature is the Grand C4 Picasso, the seven seat version of the same model. I use that description somewhat loosely, for although they are sister models sharing virtually identical names, they are actually quite different. While the Grand model is boxy, the style of the five seat car takes in a lot of curves and has a more sloped rear end. I like the side window line, too, which is reminiscent of the design in the old XM estate, a largely forgotten model these days although it still does have a dedicated following, as most quirky big Citroens do. A word of warning for those who think they quite fancy a nice, bright, glassy sort of car. The C4 Picasso is not the sort of motor you jump into and drive comfortably straight away. It takes a bit of adjusting to but the effort is more than worthwhile. Steering response is sharp and the brakes can be quick reacting, too. You really need to have a car with a manual gearbox in my view. I have never got on with Citroen’s electronic automated gearbox which is why I chose the manual 1.8 litre petrol C4 Picasso from Freeborn Citroen, Southampton, (tel 023 8033 1144) for test. The driving experience was much more pleasurable than the Grand C4 I tried with a diesel motor and electronic auto. What’s more, the petrol car was giving around 38 mpg despite only having a five speed gearbox, which I think is a good result. There’s huge attention to detail with this car – things like an air conditioning system that continues to function after the engine is turned off, ideal for pauses on hot days. My 1.8 VTR+ test car may seem expensive for some at £17,475 but with the seats folded it has 1,734 litres of space, more than most estate cars. That puts it in perspective. Maurice Hardy Annette's View Him indoors has always said I get on better with Citroens than he does, and the C4 Picasso is certainly a car that needs sensitive driver inputs to be an enjoyable ride for driver and passengers alike. When you take one for a test drive, make sure you spend several hours with the car. It will start to reward you and you will wonder why other family models have not been created with this much flair. Kids will love its huge windows and older people will appreciate the huge amounts of space all round. And, thinking of older people, if you are fed up with old ladies running you over with their shopping trolleys there’s a built-in revenge system in the boot of the Citroen called the Modubox trolley. It’s a feature first seen in the Xsara Picasso but has been greatly refined for this new car and can even be insulated. It’s touches like this that help make Citroen such a competent builder of sensible family cars that are also a very interesting every day experience. That never dulls, too, so as long as you own a C4 Picasso the entertainment will continue. Car: Citroen C4 Picasso 1.8i VTR+ Does it fit your ego?... 0-62 mph: 11.9 secs Top speed: 115 mph Bhp: 127 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 125 lb ft @ 3750 rpm ...and your wallet?... Price: £17,475 Urban: 25.0 mpg Extra urban: 46.3 mpg Combined: 35.3 mpg CO2 emissions: 190 g/km Insurance Group: 7 Best bits: it’s like a conservatory; a great place to be; manual models are good to drive.