Citroen C4 SpaceTourer 2019 review

Model Review

The story of the C4 SpaceTourer is far from exhaustive, given it only debuted in 2018, and is about to be put out to pasture just a year on. However, the story of this car really dates back to 2006, when the first Citroen C4 Picasso came on the market.

Following from the success of the Citroen Xsara Picasso, the C4 Picasso and the seven-seat C4 Grand Picasso were far more modern and stylish than their predecessor.

The C4 Picasso was spacious and sold well – thanks in part to competitive pricing - even if reliability reports went against it. 2010 saw a minor facelift for the Picasso alongside much of the French marque’s range, as well as new engine and equipment options.

2013 marked the debut of the second-generation C4 Picasso. The car it replaced was ultimately considered to be one of the best MPVs on the market, and the second-generation model continued that trend.

The car’s design was refreshed, and though crossovers were already becoming a major force in the family car market that had previously been the exclusive domain of cars such as this, the Picasso continued to be popular.

The model was refreshed for 2016, with new engines, updated styling and updated safety technologies.

Latest model

At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, it was announced that the existing C4 Picasso and Grand Picasso would be rebranded, now baring the SpaceTourer moniker.

As well as a minor facelift to the model – which is still the second-generation Picasso in all but name – a new eight-speed gearbox was offered, and a new, more efficient 157bhp diesel unit was added to the line-up.

Euro NCAP testing proved that the C4 SpaceTourer is a safe car, as it achieved a five-star result.

Behind the wheel, the C4 SpaceTourer is certainly not the most dynamic driving experience, but that is not the point of such a vehicle. It does, however, ride superbly; and when it comes to day-to-day use, you won’t be overly concerned by the fact that the likes of the Ford C-Max can be more versatile on the bends.

However, with the Citroen C5 Aircross now on the market, and the decline of the MPV in general, the C4 SpaceTourer is no longer in production; only the remaining UK stock is on sale.

Value for money

Among its rivals such as the Renault Scenic and Ford’s C-Max, the C4 SpaceTourer is roughly priced competitively. £22,780 buys an entry-level Touch Edition model. This comes as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, a seven-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors. The higher-spec models are also competitively priced compared to rivals of a similar spec.

In order to get a true picture of the used market, you should take into account this car under its previous C4 Picasso guise, too.

High-mileage early examples baring 07 or 57 plates can be found for around £1,000, though these are likely to have accrued well over 100,000 miles. Approach the market with a shade over £2,000 in your back pocket, and similarly aged examples with less than 80,000 miles on the clock can be found.

Early, high-mileage examples of the second-generation C4 Picasso can be found for around £5,690, though as of writing, one near 200,000-mile example on a 63 plate was less than £3,000. Some examples with less than 50,000 miles on the clock can be found for less than £6,000, too.

For post-May 2018 cars – the first to leave the factory as C4 SpaceTourers – £14,000 will buy a nearly-new example with just a couple of thousand miles of the clock, or even just delivery miles. This represents a very impressive saving.

Looks and image

Relative to a majority of the MPV market, the C4 Picasso has always been the stylish option. And, the move away from Picasso badging and the minor restyling that came with the change to SpaceTourer nomenclature has done nothing to harm that.

Certainly, it will stand out from a crowd more than a majority of its primary rivals.

Inside, the interior does the trick; sure, it’s not ‘premium’ in feel, but at this price point that’s not really an expectation. For the most part, every part of the interior that a driver or passenger would regularly interact with feels like it is of good quality, including the soft touch dashboard.

In the Feel and top-spec Flair trims, the interior is gifted with a 12.0-inch central display that goes some way to modernise what is an otherwise slightly dated looking dashboard.

Space and practicality

In terms of boot space, the C4 SpaceTourer is a class leader.

With the back row of seats up, the boot space is a very handy 537 litres. Forego the back row of seats, and this increases to 1,851 litres, which beats its most notable rivals by some margin, including many crossovers.

From a passenger perspective, the car’s flat floor is something of a godsend; there is no issue with gearbox appendages necessitating a tunnel running through the cockpit, and therefore, the middle seat passenger in the second row will have some legroom at their disposal.

Engines

The current engine line-up is rather slim, with two diesels and a solitary petrol unit being the extent of your options.

The only petrol is a 129bhp 1.2-litre, three-cylinder motor. At 45.3mpg, its economy is certainly respectable.

On the diesel side of the range, the ‘base’ engine is a 129bhp, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit. This motor is the most efficient available, with a claimed combined mpg figure of 58.1. Meanwhile, the most powerful engine - the 160bhp, 2.0-litre diesel – is a little thirstier at 47.0mpg. It is also a more expensive option; overall, the 1.5-litre unit looks to be the pick of the bunch.

Running costs

As stated above, the economist’s choice, and the most balanced overall, is almost certainly the 1.5-litre diesel unit.

In terms of insurance grouping, there is very little to separate the two 129bhp units, which sit between 20 and 23 depending on the spec you choose. Meanwhile, the 2.0-litre diesel sits in group 27 regardless of spec. These figures put the C4 SpaceTourer in much the same ballpark as its rivals.

Things to look out for

The C4 SpaceTourer – in its previous, near-identical Picasso form – has had a patchy record of reliability. Unfortunately, Citroen’s reputation on this front is questionable; a WhatCar? survey found the French brand to be the 28^th most reliable manufacturer from the 32 included.

Of the issues with the Picasso, the most common involved the suspension, on both the regular car and the seven-seat ‘Grand’ version.

As always, make sure you or someone more mechanically-minded takes a thorough look at a used example before you put money down.

Rivals

While the MPV market isn’t quite the intense battleground it was ten or 15 years ago, there are still a few strong contenders in the sector that you should consider. Of them, the closest rival is the aforementioned Ford C-Max, while the Renault Scenic and Volkswagen Golf SV are also close competitors.

In many respects, the one you pick is down to preference; the C-Max is comfortably the most dynamic to drive, for instance. However, when it comes to doing the expected MPV job of swallowing people and luggage, and then driving to a destination in comfort, the C4 SpaceTourer makes a lot of sense.

Of course, the MPV market covers much the same ground as crossovers such as the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai, which you should also consider.

Depreciation

The MPV sector is not one blessed with strong residuals, and unfortunately the Citroen is not an exception to this rule. C4 Picassos purchased new three years ago have already fallen to a used value of less than £10,000, and unless you use your SpaceTourer sparingly, we’d expect the same story with the ‘new’ car too. Nearly-new models that rolled off the forecourt new less than year ago can sell for less than £15,000, despite having just a couple of thousand miles on the clock.