Cut-price Picasso heads next Citroen wave

CITROEN has slashed more than $6000 from the price of what it claims is Australia’s most fuel-efficient people-mover, with the seven-seat C4 Picasso wagon now priced at $39,990 drive-away.

Previously priced at $45,990 plus on-road costs, the vastly more affordable Picasso will be followed here by the release of Citroen’s all-new DS3 premium small car in September and the redesigned C3 light hatchback in November.

Next year will also see the rejuvenated French brand release its new C4 small hatch, which will be launched in Europe next month, as well as the all-new DS4 – which could make its global debut at the Paris motor show on September 30 – and R3 and WRC racing versions of the DS3.

Citroen expects the repositioned C4 Picasso to kick off the sales momentum for the brand in Australia, where sales are 8.6 per cent down in a market that is 15.6 per cent up so far this year. C4 Picasso sales are down 17 per cent to July, with 68 examples sold.

Citroen general manager in Australia, Miles Williams, said: “By definition, people who are buying people-movers already have a wide range of unavoidable expenditures, usually revolving around the children who will be occupying all those seats.

Left: Citroen DS3. Below: Citroen C3.



“Therefore we decided that already offering the lowest fuel consumption of any people-mover in the Australian car market was not enough, we also had to trim the price below the critical $40,000 barrier and ensure that it was an on-road, drive-away price.

“After all, $6000 goes a long way on children’s clothing, toys, school uniforms and all the essentials of family life.” The Picasso price reduction follows the release of a revised 2010 model here in May, when the range was reduced to a single, more efficient model variant powered by a revised 100kW 2.0-litre HDi turbo-diesel engine mated to a s new six-speed EGS automatic transmission.

As we’ve reported, the upgrade – which was accompanied by a $1000 price increase to $45,990, saw the Picasso’s average fuel consumption figure fall from 7.4 litres per 100km to 6.0L/100km and carbon dioxide emissions tumble from 195 grams per kilometre to 153g/km.

“For 2010 we added class leading fuel economy and now it’s all available for just $39,990 drive-away,” said Mr Williams.