Modular platforms have become the most interesting technology of the current times not so much for itselves, but due to their effects on the automakers’ future plans. These structures’ biggest function is enabling them to skip this entire phase of each new development, both in time and costs. The company becomes free to save these resources or invest them at improving that given project on the other parts. That’s what makes it much easier to offer so many nice features like the brand new Citroën mid-size minivans’.
It doesn’t take being a huge Citroën enthusiast to remember the company has been a very active competitor in family-dedicated segments. The current lineup, for instance, has seven vehicles which could be classified as such. Nemo and Berlingo are somewhat different for being multivans, like Fiat Doblò and Qubo, C3 Picasso competes in the supermini segment, and the other four compose an interesting group to analyze: C4 Picasso, DS5, Grand C4 Picasso and C8. The latter is much likely to be replaced by this article’s car along with the older Grand, actually, due to what this article will mention later. Even though the new Picassos received a lot of new technologies, they already follow Citroën’s strategy of repositioning itself in order to stay away from Peugeot and the DS line. DS5 may be similar in dimensions, but being a luxury vehicle makes it very different in equipments, style and specially in pricing, which ends attracting an entirely different public. The other two, therefore, take benefit from the EMP2 underpinnings to become more efficient without costing too much. Elements such as boxier design and downsized engines reveal they haven’t left what made them famous years ago, but wrapped all of it in a much more rational package.
Grand C4 Picasso will always be more conventional than its shorter variation, but without letting such attitude hide its DNA. In the front, the upper grille was extended to include the LEDs lines, while the rest of the headlights stay right below them, in a slightly different bumper. The sides have dislocated the C-shaped line one pillar to the rear, compared to the five-seater, in order to generate the roof rack with it – the same piece also ends dividing the windshield in three portions, just like the Brazilian C3 Aircross. The rear combines a very boxy overall shape with bolder tail lights design than the other Picasso’s. The new car has the exact same 4,59-m length than the outgoing’s seven-seater, but looking at the pictures gives the feeling of being smaller. This comes from the idea of taking the axles closer to the car’s ends, which cleared space for an impressive 2,84-m wheelbase. In other words, Grand repeats all its sister’s characteristics carrying two people more, also with individual seats and exclusive air vents, and the claimed best-in-class legroom for second and third rows – the minimum trunk now has 645 liters. The car’s enormous technology package pampers the occupants in comfort, entertainment, safety and also performance, counting on very efficient engines such as BlueHDI 150, e-HDI 90 Airdream and an 1.6L with gasoline, all of them paired to manual or automatic transmissions.
