C3 Picasso Exclusive+ e-HDi 115 Airdream ETG6

Engine: 1,560cc, four-cylinder, turbodiesel

Power: 115bhp and 199lb.ft. of torque

Performance: 0-62mph in 12.3 seconds and 117mph

Economy: 70.6mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 105g/km

Price: £24,455

With the first generation Citroen Picasso’s distinctive pod-like design now unavoidably associated with beige-wearing, James Blunt-loving uncle Bryn from Gavin and Stacey and the subsequent C4 Picasso looking disappointingly conventional it was time for a change from the manufacturer famed for treading its own path.

Thankfully the latest C4 Picasso delivers from the moment its concept car looks first hone into view.

A billet smooth shape, short overhangs lending a more planted road presence than the original Picasso and a distinctive set of squinting LED running daylights atop the headlights makes it futuristic and immediately eye-catching.

My test car was the (£24,455) range-topping C3 Picasso Exclusive+ e-HDi 115 Airdream ETG6.

Fully-laden with a specification which includes a panoramic windscreen (giving the appearance of the car having a Art Garfunkel-style hairline), a panoramic glass roof, DAB radio, Bluetooth telephone connection and music streaming, sat-nav, an 8GB music storage hard drive, radar guided variable cruise control, reverse cameras with an automated Park Assist steering system and a motorised tailgate.

Optional Nappa heated leather seats (£1,750) which boasted a massage function, along with a lane departure warning and cornering headlights (£300) were among the options.

Prices for the C4 Picasso start at £17,500, making my test car look like an expensive option, but it does boast the kind of luxury usually the preserve of top end executive saloons.

Opening the windows had me open-mouthed at the lengths Citroen had gone to ensure interior refinement, with double-glazed glass keeping road noise to a minimum.

The distraction does not last long as I begin to drink in the quirky interior.

Two tiered and boasting a glitter infused soft touch plastic to colour-match portions of the leather seats, the dash immediately catches the eye.

A 12 inch HD screen takes pride of place in the dash’s upper portion, displaying a speed readout and a choice of sat-nav or driving aid information, while a seven-inch touchscreen sits below, providing a control centre for all in-car functions.

Some driver’s may continue to dislike Citroen’s approach of situating the speedometer centrally — meaning the driver must look right to check their pace — but there is no denying that the overall approach to serving up driver information and centralising various controls is both modern and clutter-free.

Both displays proved crisp and bold enough to be clearly readable at a glance and the various controls were easily navigated via the touchscreen.

A “stealth” function also allowed them to be switched off at night — retaining just the speed read-out — so that the driver is not illuminated by their light.

Given the relatively compact appearance of the C4 Picasso’s exterior, the interior is Tardis-like.

Placing the driver a long way from your front seat passenger it is a broad space, the upshot being that there’s shoulder room for three adults in the rear quarters’ three individual seats.

An ability to slide those rear seats fore-and-aft allows leg room to be tailored towards large loads in the boot or lanky rear passengers too — boot space varying between 537-litres and 630-litres.

Three diesel and two petrol engines are available for the C4 Picasso and the version I drove was fitted with the mid-range oil-burner.

The turbocharged, four-cylinder 1.6-litre engine delivered 114bhp and 199lb.ft of torque, enough thrust to log an 11.8 second sprint to 62mph in combination with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Unfortunately my test car faltered in the process of changing gear due to the inclusion of Citroen’s ETG6 automatic gearbox, knocking that benchmark time back to 12.3 seconds and punctuating progress with tardy pauses in acceleration with each gearchange.

Citroen have fitted paddle shifters to the steering column in and effort to allow the driver more control over the shifts, but going manual does little to alter their characteristics.

Thankfully there is no trade-off in terms of economy, the system lodging equally impressive 70.6mpg claimed fuel economy and 105g/km CO2 emissions to its £460 cheaper manual gearbox-equipped counterpart.

The ETG6 gearbox was a disappointing aspect to an otherwise comfortable drive, a supple ride granting a pleasurable experience for passengers who may be making use of their rear quarters’ fold-down picnic tables.

The chassis pushes into understeer if pushed beyond its comfort zone, but ordinarily the C4 Picasso is a satisfying steer offering a confidence inspiring, elevated view of the road ahead.

A level of innovation and quality in a sector that isn’t simply the preserve of the privileged few is a rare thing.

In the C4 Picasso Citroen have delivered both alongside affordable prices and impressive running costs.

But the most remarkable revelation of all is that the French manufacturer has actually managed to make the MPV format cool.

It has made the abstract into an impressive reality and lodged an early bid for the Advertiser Motors section Car of the Year 2014 in the process...