Faults:

The common-rail system is very sensitive to fuel quality. Using low-quality diesel can clog or damage the injectors, causing rough running and heavy black smoke.

If the car is used a lot in the city and at low revolutions, the EGR valve and the DPF become clogged with soot, causing loss of power or the vehicle entering "emergency mode".

This engine uses a main timing belt, but the two camshafts are connected to each other by a small internal timing chain. This chain tends to stretch or wear out, causing a metallic sound (like a sewing machine).

It is common for small oil leaks to occur over the years and with mileage.

General Comments:

I measured up our Picasso and found it had more rear-seat space than expected. Up front, there’s plenty of space and a simple, just-enough dashboard with everything logically placed.

Especially those wonderful, elevated digital dials – a real safety boon, and I loved the way they were backlit by the ambient daylight.

The cabin wasn’t perfect, mainly down to the quality of materials failing to impress. Plastics used aren’t exactly cheap, just not special enough to match the build quality outside.

The panoramic windscreen is this car’s ace card. It just lit the cabin up and almost entirely obliterated all blindspots. Effortless visibility is a subtle quality you actually benefit from every day. Brilliant!.

I really enjoy driving the C3 Picasso. Our car’s 1.6 HDI engine was well suited to the car’s DNA. There was sufficient punch, whispery refinement and around 70 km/l – which has to be counted as disappointing for a small diesel MPV. Perhaps it needs a sixth gear, as many of our journeys were rushed airport runs and fifth is a noisy affair at 110-130 km/h.

The Picasso never felt like a fish out of water on faster runs. The ride is slightly bobblier at high speeds, but most of the time is pillowy soft. I loved its floaty softness on my daily cross-country commute – I just found it a very relaxing place to be, the car gently yawing and pitching thanks to its compliant suspension.

Did anything go wrong? Not really. Nothing broke, but a fuse blew on the screenwash in cold weather (a known problem, see below) and we were disappointed to pay 246 euros (481 old bulgarian Levs) for a 25.000 km oil change.