The Citroën Xsara Picasso is a five-seat, five-door compact MPV produced from 1999 to 2012. It was based on the Xsara hatchback platform and was assembled at the PSA plant in Vigo, Spain, from 1999 to 2010.
Citroën Xsara Picasso at a glance
| Maker | Citroën, Vigo, Spain, and Porto Real, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Production | 1999–2012 |
| On sale | December 1999 in France, June 2000 in the UK |
| Body | five-door, five-seat compact MPV |
| Base | Citroën Xsara hatchback |
| Engines | 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 petrol; 1.6 and 2.0 diesel |
| Trims | LX, SX, later Desire, VTX and Exclusive |
| Interior | fold-down tables in the front seat backs, removable rear seats |
| Facelift | early 2004 |
| Restyle | 2007 in China and South America |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia). The video available is about the later C4 Picasso, a different model, so the article has none.
History of the Citroën Xsara Picasso
1999: a Picasso for the family
The Xsara Picasso went on sale in December 1999, reaching Britain in June 2000. At launch there were two trims, LX and SX, later joined by Desire, VTX and the range-topping Exclusive, some with an electric glass sunroof. On all models the front seat backs had fold-down tables, and the rear seats could be removed to create a large, van-like space for bulky loads. The model was facelifted in early 2004 with updated bumpers and engines, and body-coloured bumpers became standard on every trim. Engines were 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 petrol — the 2.0 automatic only — and 1.6 and 2.0 diesels, all shared with the smaller Xsara apart from the 1.6 diesel.
The most popular MPV in Britain
On 22 March 2007 Auto Trader reviewed the car and called it the most popular MPV in the United Kingdom, thanks to a combination of practicality and affordability. It was also built in Porto Real, Brazil, from 2001 for Latin America, where it was for a while the top-selling vehicle in its class; in December 2002 Citroën do Brasil launched a limited Xsara Picasso Etoile to celebrate the election victory of Lula of the PT.
The name
The Picasso name was licensed from the family of Pablo Picasso, which created considerable international publicity at the time of the launch, as not all the family were happy with the association: in April 1999 the artist’s granddaughter Marina attempted to sue her uncle Claude. Pablo Picasso had been linked with Citroën in the 1960s, when he painted a DS with “The Wreaths of Peace”.
Design and features
- Xsara platform: hatchback mechanicals in a taller, five-seat MPV body.
- Practical cabin: fold-down tables in the front seat backs and removable rear seats.
- Trims: LX and SX at launch, later Desire, VTX and Exclusive.
- Two factories: Vigo in Spain for Europe and Porto Real in Brazil for Latin America.
- The name: licensed from the Picasso family, and controversial at the time.
Citroën Xsara Picasso versions
- Xsara Picasso (1999): the original range in LX and SX trims.
- Exclusive: the top trim, some with an electric glass sunroof.
- 2004 facelift: new bumpers and engines.
- 2007 restyle: wide chrome bars for China and South America.
- Xsara Picasso Etoile (2002): a Brazilian limited edition.
The Xsara Picasso sat above the Xsara in the range and was the one-box design the Xanae concept pointed at; the larger MPV is the C8. More cars are in the Citroën collection.
Sources
- Citroën Xsara Picasso, English Wikipedia: launch, trims, engines, sales, name and Picasso family
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