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Exemplary road manners
Driving
pleasure and peace of mind are also linked to a
vehicle’s road
behaviour. C4 Picasso drivers can count on
high-performance running
gear and a safe and efficient braking system.
The C4
Picasso keeps an excellent vehicle attitude at all
times and boasts
precise roadholding. Built on the same platform as the
Grand C4
Picasso, the new visiospace has high-performance
running gear, with
springing and damping adapted to body weight for an
optimal balance
between ride comfort and roadholding.
The
MacPherson-type front suspension features lower
wishbones and an
anti-roll bar. The wishbones, steering and cradle of
this system, based
on that of the C4, have been reinforced to support the
MPV’s increased
mass on the front axle.
Based on a transverse beam
and an anti-roll bar, the originality of the rear
suspension system
lies in its inclined shock absorbers, positioned so as
not to encroach
on boot space. Its dimensions and stiffness provide
excellent driving
sensations. It is also designed so that it can be
equipped easily with
either conventional or pneumatic springs.
Depending
on trim level and engine, the C4 Picasso ships with
15-inch wheels and
205/65 R15 tyres, 16-inch wheels with 215/55 R16
tyres, or, as an
option, 17-inch wheels with 215/50 R17 tyres or
18-inch wheels with
215/45 R18 tyres. The range is available with a choice
of two new
aluminium wheels, 16-inch or 17-inch. The 18-inch
alloy wheels fitted
on the C4 Picasso, as on the Grand C4 Picasso, are now
also available
with chrome finish. The C4 Picasso is fitted as
standard with a 15-inch
or 16-inch spare wheel (depending on trim level) for
vehicles with
metal suspension, or with a puncture kit for models
with pneumatic
suspension.
An electric pump unit controls the
variable power steering, fitted as standard. The level
of assistance is
linked to engine speed and steering wheel position in
order to obtain a
level of power adapted to conditions of vehicle use.
Power steering is
firmer at high engine speeds for increased safety, and
lighter at low
engine speeds for easy manoeuvring.
The C4 Picasso
boasts high-level active safety, with exceptionally
surefooted road
manners and a high-performance braking system. In
difficult situations,
a full range of electronic driving aids spring into
action. ABS and EBD
(electronic brakeforce distribution) are backed up by
emergency braking
assistance and the automatic illumination of hazard
warning lights. ESP
is fitted standard from the first trim level. If the
vehicle loses
grip, this function automatically puts it back on
course and limits
wheel skidding by means of the ASR traction control
system. The C4
Picasso’s braking performance is among the best in the
segment, with
finely regulated ABS/ESP.
Exceptionally comfortable driving position
Drivers
can easily adjust the driving position according to
their size and
preferred posture. The fixed-centred controls steering
wheel is height-
and reach-adjustable as standard, while the seat
(electric depending on
trim level) can be adjusted for height. Raising
the seat changes the
height from a hatchback-level driving position (height
of 32.5 cm) to a
high driving position (up to 37.5 cm).
All the
controls are at the driver’s fingertips. The fixed hub
groups the main
comfort functions and driving aids. This ergonomic
layout keeps the
controls together for easy use. Furthermore, in
vehicles equipped with
the 6-speed electronic gearbox system or an automatic
unit, the gearbox
controls are grouped on the steering wheel, with a
mode selector and
paddles for manual shifting. This assembly moves with
the steering
wheel and thus remains within easy reach for drivers,
whatever their
driving position.
Driving aids rarely seen in this segment
The
C4 Picasso brings drivers a long list of equipment,
rarely seen in this
segment, for easier and safer driving and increased
peace of mind
behind the wheel.
For enhanced comfort and safety, the vehicle is fitted
as standard with an automatic electronic
parking brake
that engages automatically when the engine is stopped
and disengages
automatically as soon as the torque applied to the
drive wheels is
sufficient to move the vehicle forwards. An
electric control, located
within easy reach of the driver in the middle of the
dashboard, can be
used to apply the parking brake in a conventional
manner whenever
necessary.
In addition to the automatic parking brake, the
vehicle is also fitted as standard with a hill
start assistance function that
helps the driver to set off or manoeuvre on gradients.
This system
automatically maintains the vehicle in position for up
to two seconds
so that the driver has the time to move a foot from
the brake to the
accelerator, without the vehicle moving forwards or
backwards down the
slope.
To make parking easier, the new MPV is also available
with front and rear parking assistance
and a parking space gap sensor
that informs drivers whether an available space is big
enough for the
vehicle (spaces measuring less than 3 metres and more
than 8 metres are
ignored).
The speed limiter and cruise control,
fitted standard, along with a low tyre-pressure
warning system and
dual-function directional headlamps, equipment rarely
found in this
segment, round out the range of driving aids. In
addition, the
C4 Picasso comes with the lane departure warning
system (LDWS), an
efficient system that counters the problem of
drowsiness at the wheel,
already available on the C4, Grand C4 Picasso, C4, C5
and C6.
Citroën’s latest MPV can be equipped with a Bluetooth
hands-free telephone system, enabling drivers to make
calls without
taking their eyes off the road or their hands off the
wheel. This
wireless technology is built into the passenger
compartment so that
drivers can make calls from their vehicle, with their
mobile phones
safely in their pockets.
The C4 Picasso also features a NaviDrive
system that combines a 7-inch 16/9 screen with a
built-in GSM telephone
(not Bluetooth compatible), audio system (radio, MP3
CD player, 5-CD
stacker) and a GPS navigation system. The main
functions can be
accessed easily using the steering-wheel controls,
which can also be
used for the voice recognition and synthesis
functions. NaviDrive was
also designed to offer a number of additional customer
services, namely
Citroën Emergency, Citroën Assistance and Citroën On
line. Working with
the GPS and telephone functions, Citroën Emergency
makes it possible
(depending on the country) to locate the vehicle if
the driver has an
accident or takes ill and to access the services of a
call centre.
The
C4 Picasso features the same safety equipment as the
Grand C4 Picasso,
a benchmark in the compact MPV segment with its 5-star
EuroNCAP
performance on passenger protection.
Complete set of occupant protection systems
The C4 Picasso features an extensive range of
protection systems for passenger protection in the
event of impact:
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The
vehicle boasts a new energy absorption strategy
for frontal impact with
an innovative reinforced structure. The energy
resulting from collision
impact is absorbed entirely by the lower part of
the vehicle. This has
made it possible to reduce the weight of the upper
part of the
structure, narrow the windscreen pillars, and
improve peripheral
visibility.
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Innovative
large-scale structural inserts in a
honeycomb-polyamide composite are
inserted in the main nodes of the vehicle body to
make the body
stiffer, preventing the deformation of box
sections. These inserts,
placed in the lower part of the A pillar, in the
lower and upper part
of the B pillar, and in the cross-member above the
rear axle, replace
the heavy reinforcements used in conventional
vehicle design.
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Seven
airbags are available as standard, including a
driver knee airbag and a
shape-optimised driver airbag made possible by the
fixed central
section of the steering wheel.
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Well-designed child safety features
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Citroën
placed considerable emphasis on child protection,
with four Isofix
seats available as standard from the first trim
level. The C4 Picasso
can also be fitted with a child surveillance
mirror and electric safety
controls to lock the rear electric window lifts
and doors. It also
features five audible and visual seatbelt warning
indicators as
standard.
Protection against theft and break-in
The C4 Picasso offers excellent protection against
theft and break-in. Key features are as follows:
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laminated side windows and windscreen to protect
occupants and their belongings;
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selective
door opening mode, with restricted access
programmed by the driver
using the onboard computer (only the driver door
unlocks);
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superlocking, making it impossible to open a door
from the inside after a window has been broken,
for example;
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a
perimetric alarm, which detects if a door is
opened other than via the
central control, and a volumetric alarm, which
detects movement inside
the car. The volumetric alarm can be disabled from
a switch positioned
bottom left of the steering wheel. This can be
useful, for example,
when leaving an animal in the vehicle, since it
maintains the
perimetric alarm;
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a transponder-based electronic engine
immobiliser;
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an unpickable electric boot lock;
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an anti-theft nut on each of the aluminium
wheels;
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automatic relocking thirty seconds after the
vehicle is unlocked if no doors are opened;
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automatic locking of the doors and boot as soon
as the car starts to move.
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