Although not yet tested by independent experts at Euro NCAP, Citroen Grand C4 Picasso safety levels are expected to be high. With the five-seater version scoring five stars it would be expected that the seven-seater will be similarly successful.

In addition to passive safety systems like all-round airbags, there are a number of active safety features available, depending on the chosen trim level.

Lane departure warning alerts you to drifting across roads without indicating by pulling repeatedly on your seatbelt. It’s quite sensitive though with no degree of adjustment other than on or off. The blind spot monitoring is far less intrusive, with orange lights appearing in your wing mirrors when vehicles approaching from behind are detected.

Automatically dipping headlights are a boon at night time, switching off the main beam as soon as another vehicle in danger of getting dazzled comes into view.

Radar-guided cruise control and collision avoidance are also available. The former system monitors the gap to the vehicle in front and either accelerates or brakes the car as required. It worked effectively but with the manual gearbox it seems keener to disengage than on automatic versions.

In addition to its role as a people carrier, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso practicality levels ensure it has the ability to be van-like when needed, too.

Passenger doors open up to a wide 65 degrees to make getting into the back two rows even easier, with all five seats folding flat into the floor at the pull of a handle on each chair. The front passenger seat can also be folded forwards to increase load bay length to 2.75m.

Secure mounting of child seats is enabled with ISOFIX mountings in the rear and all seats have a conventional three-point seat belts as well as a complement of airbags all around the car. An additional convex rear view mirror allows the driver to keep an eye on what’s going on in the cabin too.

With all the seats folded, the Grand C4 Picasso can accommodate an impressive 2,181 litres of cargo but even in five-seater mode it can swallow 790 litres – a 69-litre increase over the previous model. Citroen also claims it’s the widest boot in this class too, with a 1.17m distance between the wheelarches. High specification models also have an electrically raising and lowering tailgate as standard.

Storage areas and cubby holes are dotted around the Grand C4 Picasso’s interior, with two deep lidded bins in the dashboard, pockets in the door, a covered storage console between the front seats – which is longer on automatic versions – with additional holders and stowage facilities in the rear.

Based on an all-new platform, Citroen has managed to increase the amount of interior space available despite the overall length remaining identical. Middle row passengers in particular benefit with 5cm more leg-room and with up to 15cm of fore and aft adjustment, third row occupants benefit too.

At 11m, the turning circle is the best in class too which, combined with the Picasso’s shorter overhangs, make it easy to thread through narrow urban roads.