Citroen C3 Picasso

Citroen C3 Picasso: Which Version Should You Buy?

The Citroen C3 Picasso covered here is a FWD Compact Van offered from April 2009 through January 2017. The choice is less about body style—all listed versions share the same body type, drive layout, 174 mm ground clearance, and 50-litre fuel tank—and more about engine character, gearbox, economy, and weight.

The Citroen C3 Picasso covered here is a FWD Compact Van offered from April 2009 through January 2017. The choice is less about body style—all listed versions share the same body type, drive layout, 174 mm ground clearance, and 50-litre fuel tank—and more about engine character, gearbox, economy, and weight. The strongest all-round performance comes from the restyled 1.6 MT Diesel with 98 hp and 254 Nm: it reaches 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds while returning 3.8 l/100 km combined. For a Gasoline engine, the 115 hp 1.6 MT is the quickest choice at 12.1 seconds, while the 115 hp 1.6 ESG trades some acceleration for a 6-speed Robotic gearbox and lower combined consumption.

Generations and versions

The original 1 generation ran from April 2009 to December 2012 as a Compact Van and included 5 versions. Its range comprised the 95 hp 1.4 MT Gasoline, three distinct 1.6 MT choices—112 hp Gasoline, 115 hp Gasoline, and 110 hp Diesel—and the 115 hp 1.6 ESG Gasoline.

The 1 generation, restyling ran from December 2012 to January 2017, remained a Compact Van, and expanded the range to 7 versions. It retained 95 hp and 115 hp Gasoline choices while adding a broader Diesel selection: 1.6 MT versions with 92 hp, 98 hp, or 110 hp, plus a 92 hp 1.6 ESG. The restyled range therefore provides the widest choice, especially for buyers comparing Diesel engines and Manual versus Robotic transmissions.

Citroen C3 Picasso engine specs

Because several versions use identical names, generation, fuel, and output are essential identifiers.

The 115 hp 1.6-litre Gasoline engine produces about 72.0 hp per litre. The original 112 hp 1.6 MT Gasoline produces about 70.6 hp per litre, while the restyled 98 hp Diesel delivers about 62.8 hp per litre. Specific output alone does not decide the purchase: the 98 hp Diesel has 94 Nm more torque than the 115 hp Gasoline versions.

Performance, mpg and fuel economy

The restyled 98 hp 1.6 MT Diesel is 0.6 seconds quicker to 100 km/h than the 115 hp 1.6 MT Gasoline and consumes 2.8 l/100 km less on the combined cycle. Against the 92 hp Diesel Manual, it adds 6 hp and 24 Nm, cuts the acceleration time by 2.0 seconds, and lowers combined consumption by 0.3 l/100 km.

For buyers seeking a Citroen C3 Picasso automatic alternative, the data lists Robotic rather than Automatic gearboxes. The 115 hp 1.6 ESG Gasoline has 6 speeds, takes 12.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h, and consumes 6.0 l/100 km combined. The 92 hp 1.6 ESG Diesel also has 6 speeds and uses 4.3 l/100 km combined, but its 15.7-second acceleration time makes it 3.0 seconds slower than the Gasoline 1.6 ESG.

Dimensions, weight and wheels

Overall exterior dimensions are not measured in the supplied data. Seating capacity, tyre pressure, engine-oil capacity, and engine-oil type are also not measured. The available size-related specifications are weight, ground clearance, fuel-tank capacity, and wheel sizes.

The 115 hp Gasoline versions have the most favourable weight-to-power figure at about 11.2 kg/hp. The restyled 98 hp Diesel carries about 14.3 kg per hp, yet its 254 Nm peak torque and 11.5-second acceleration result make it the quickest version in the supplied catalogue.

Which Citroen C3 Picasso version should you buy?

Choose the restyled 1.6 MT Diesel with 98 hp if performance and measured economy matter equally. It combines the quickest 0–100 km/h result, 11.5 seconds, with the lowest combined consumption, 3.8 l/100 km. It also has the catalogue’s highest torque figure at 254 Nm.

Choose the 1.6 MT Gasoline with 115 hp if you want the best weight-to-power ratio with a Manual gearbox. At 1290 kg, it carries about 11.2 kg per hp and reaches 100 km/h in 12.1 seconds. The original version consumes 6.4 l/100 km combined, while the restyled version records 6.6 l/100 km.

Choose the 1.6 ESG Gasoline with 115 hp if a Robotic gearbox is the priority. Compared with the equivalent 1.6 MT, it is 0.6 seconds slower to 100 km/h but uses 6.0 l/100 km combined—0.4 l/100 km less than the original Manual and 0.6 l/100 km less than the restyled Manual.

Choose the restyled 1.6 MT Diesel with 92 hp when measured consumption matters more than acceleration. Its 4.1 l/100 km combined figure is economical within this range, but it takes 13.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h. The 92 hp 1.6 ESG Diesel reduces combined consumption only to 4.3 l/100 km and is 2.2 seconds slower, so its principal distinction is the 6-speed Robotic gearbox.

Choose the 1.4 MT Gasoline with 95 hp for the lightest specification. Its 1259 kg kerb weight is 31 kg below the 115 hp Gasoline versions, although its 13.4-second acceleration and 13.3 kg/hp ratio are less performance-focused. Finally, the 110 hp 1.6 MT Diesel supplies 245 Nm and 4.9 l/100 km combined in either production phase, making it the clearest like-for-like choice when comparing an original car with its restyled counterpart.