Citroen Xsara Picasso test drive since 2004 minivan

Family gazebo

A person strives to simplify the form, wanting to maintain the content. In addition to shampoo and air conditioning in one bottle, he invented Nissan Almera Tino and Citroen Xcara Picasso.
The European history of single -combatants or, as they are also called, compactwen begins its countdown in 1984, when Renault has launched the Espace model on the market. The idea was clearly ahead of time, and the novelty did not enjoy deafening success in the market. Cars were purchased mainly by corporate clients as a traveling car and cruised along the route of the Office-Aerport airport.
The fracture occurred in 1996. The restless Frenchmen decided on a rather bold step - on the basis of the Megane sedan, another minivan was designed in the Renault - Megane Scenic. It was a little shorter than Espace (a base of 2580 mm versus 2700 mm), but completely retained the wagon layout. This has become the law of the genre for numerous imitators. The new subspecies was named compactway. The word of the single -coater also took root, although the question of why we do not call the hatchback so, constantly hangs in the air.
Compactwainnah created on the basis of popular sedans and hatchbacks differ, first of all, by planting the driver. It is more vertical and tall, like the drivers of regular buses. On the one hand, this is justified - the main flights of the driver of the compactwane are on the city. Single-collapses were created on the sedate family consumer, who on weekdays takes two or three children to school, and on weekends is impressive shopping. Once a year he has a mandatory journey to the warm sea (option - to the winter mountains). Therefore, all the microvoans are initially adapted for long -range trips: pockets for cards, shelves for small things, cup holders, stamping for bottles and snacks for snacks - all this is the law of the genre.
As a rule, the most powerful motors of those that are provided for sedans and hatchbacks are installed on compactives. On the one hand, single-combatants are harder than 200-300 kg, and they are supplied with additional horsepower. On the other hand, the center of gravity at a higher (on average by 25-30 cm) the car is higher, and therefore, single-combatants sin on the highway of the same thing: the rolls in corners are much more dangerous, because the buildup is greater.
The price for them in Europe is always 5-10% higher than for ordinary cars. And, as production statistics show, modifications with automatic transmission are in particular demand.
The usual Nissan Almera with the sedan body is offered in our market with a 1.8 liter engine with a capacity of 114 hp. And an automatic gearbox. CVT curely sparks on this model are not installed, like a more powerful 2-liter engine. And the most powerful ALMERA in a decent configuration costs $ 18.9 thousand. The first time, material - TINO is more expensive by $ 5.1 thousand. Is it for an advanced engine?
   
The difference in weight. Having decided on the purchase of a single -racer instead of a sedan, the buyer receives, first of all, the extra 22 hp. - About 9 horses for each additional liter of engine volume. Or $ 232 for each horse. But the dimensions and weight of the single -raised reduce all the advantages of a more powerful engine to nothing - its maximum speed is lower than 5 km/h, and the accelerated dynamics is weaker. Moreover, Tino in the proposed configuration rides something like an ordinary ALMERA with a 1.6 -liter engine. I would not advise going out on her risky overtaking. As well as compete with the owners of sedans at the start from the traffic light. The engine quickly reaches limiting, only the speedometer arrow is very far behind the tachometer arrow. I decided to myself as follows: if we pay extra money, then by no means for extra horsepower, since instead of trotches we acquire in our stable of hard, but phlegmatic bityugers.
FRESH AIR. It can be assumed that we pay extra money in the literal sense of the word for the air. The trunk volume of the sedan is 425 liters. Tino has already 440 liters, but with regularly installed rear seats. If they are dismantled, then the size of the useful area will be 1950 liters. This is maximum. In addition, with three separate rear chairs, Tino can be played, as with the LEGO designer. They can be removed separately, you can move, you can lower the backs. In short, there are as many options for laying the cabin as there are bobbles marining recipes. Everyone to their taste.
At the driver's place, additional cubic meters of air are also circling their heads - it is time to treat claustrophobia. And the point is not only a more vertical landing. It seemed to me that in Tino it is just less bus than in Picasso or Scenic. However, as you like-the range of adjustments is great and you can get a way in every way.
Yes, there is really more living space. A simple example: if your fellow traveler is a charming girl, then it is almost impossible to hug her not only in motion, but also on a traffic light. The space between the two chairs is too large. For such exercises, it is better to move to the back row.
On Tino, in accordance with the already mentioned laws of the genre, this is not a single sofa, but three separate seats. They are located a little higher than the front ones - there is a legend that it is done specifically so that parents can control the children frolicing from behind. Moreover, the places where you can frolic is enough even for adults. And with quite worthy comfort.
The stock does not pull the pocket. As you know, you have to pay for comfort. And if you compare the comfort of Tino and Almera, it becomes clear how to spend the notorious five with a tail of thousands and not regret it.
I don’t know how you, dear readers, and I even lead a lot of little things with me in the city. As a rule, they are dumped as a shapeless pile in the glove compartment - at the right time I begin to rummage in it, like a mean knight in my chests. In Tino, the problem of storing small things was solved as if a pedantic colonel-respondent. Stamping for bottles of water are scattered throughout the cabin, the map finds its place in the net on the door. Less necessary little things are in the box under the seat. Cigarettes, lighter - in boxing over the central console, dark glasses - in a case above the head.
The back of the middle rear seat drops onto the pillow and turns into a comfortable table. Two more trays are leaning back from the backs of the front seats - as in airplanes. The picnic can be arranged not on the sidelines, but right on the go. There is enough space for a sufficiently exquisite serving, and not just for thermos and a pair of sandwiches.
HAVE A REST! Tino suspension is slightly different from the suspension, say, a sedan. Not constructive, but setting. In Almera, it is quite short and very painfully responding to the irregularities of the Russian road surface. And in Tino, riding a mixed route (city city) never caused us a sense of sharp discomfort. Maybe the matter is also in a more vertical landing - most of the shocks occurred on the mildest part of the body. In marginal modes, we did not test Tino - recall that this car was created as a family vehicle that does not provoke its owner to extreme behavior on the road.
Citroen XSARA, on the basis of which Picasso was created, is offered in our market in the body of the hatchback and compartment. The most powerful version is with a 2.0 liter engine with a capacity of 136 hp. A weaker motor has a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 109 hp. Such a engine will definitely not pull such an engine.
In comparison with Tino, the story is repeated exactly the opposite - a 1.8 liter motor and a capacity of 116 hp is installed on Picasso. The gearbox is mechanical. The cost of a hatchback 2.0 and Picasso is, respectively, $ ?? and $ 19.5 thousand overpayment for a single crew - $ ?? thousand.
 
The heir to the artist. The first thing that catches your eye is the very extraordinary appearance of Picasso. Only the design of the front part of the car has been preserved from the usual XSARA - everything else is to match the work of the Great namesake. Especially delights fans of the avant -garde front narrow glass, which creates an additional viewing sector for the driver. In Picasso, this is very relevant - even a vertical landing (even more vertical than in Tino) does not allow to fully control the front dimensions of the car.
As well as for comfort, for extravagance must be paid. And the developers tried so that the client did not feel offended. There is no standard combination of devices on Picasso. Instead of it, in the middle of the central console there is a large display, on which all (or almost all) information necessary for the driver is displayed.
The second stroke is the gearbox switching handle. It is located on a beard protruding in the salon and resembles a joystick for computer letters. How long are all these delights of Citroen designers, $ ?? thousand? You decide.
 
The same picture. You will not have to fly on Picasso. A 1.8 liter engine is quite enough for a calm and measured driving around the city. The maximum compactwane speed is 190 km/h, acceleration to hundreds - 12.2 seconds. And the head starts can give him a regular XSARA with a 1.6 engine. Its similar indicators are 197 km/h and 10.9 seconds, respectively.
But if Picasso would flew, like the wind, it would be difficult to enjoy its speed qualities. He is characterized by all the shortcomings of a single -racer: threatening rolls in corners and strong taping of the body can only cause enthusiasm for suicides. In fairness, we note that in many ways this is also facilitated by a longer -flowing suspension, developed for the sake of comfort. In general, and in this case, we pay money for the air: compare the beneficial volumes of the trunk of compact and hatchback - 550/1970 liters against 440/1190, respectively.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo Alexey Ilyin

The Citroen Xcara Picasso car is provided for the test by Citroen’s representative office in Russia (095) 937-8230, Nissan Almera Tino-a group of NATC GMBH, (095) 967-0680. Insurance is carried out by Ingosstrakh, (095) 956-5555.
 

Source: "Autopilot"