IT was smooth, round and startlingly bland. The old Citroen Xsara Picasso MPV was shaped like a river pebble and looked twice as nondescript. It was hardly something you would think of naming after the great Spanish master of Cubism, but somehow Citroen did.

Thankfully, though, the new Picasso is a much prettier picture. It's not quite a masterpiece but like other recent offerings from the French car maker, it has regained that typical Gallic flair.

The Grand C4 Picasso is just one of the many models built on Citroen's versatile C4 platform. Apart from a sedan, a five-door hatchback and a sporty three-door model dubbed a coupe, there is also a C4 Picasso. The difference between one 'Grand' is two seats - the Grand C4 Picasso has three rows of seats while the C4 Picasso, which has yet to arrive in Singapore, has only two.

The two are equally family-friendly, if the Grand C4 Picasso is anything to go by. The government should consider making it the official car for National Family Week. There are four Isofix seats (for the easy installation of child seats) - the front passenger seat and the entire second row.

The outer second row seats can also be flipped upwards with one hand and pushed forward for quick access to the third row (which has space only for children and small adults).

And so the driver can monitor the brood in the back and make sure they don't misbehave, there is a small fish-eye mirror mounted above the regular rear-view mirror. There are door pockets, storage bins and under-floor compartments galore for all the odds and ends required for a family travel.

If all these family features bore you, however, you can still hope to enjoy the Grand C4 Picasso's other aspects. One which stands out is the extremely airy cabin.

The car has a wide-angle windscreen that provides for a panoramic view out. The super-deep windshield extends into the roofline - perfect for newly minted millionaires going house hunting or a lost soul searching for an elusive HDB block number. Clever sliding sunvisors ensure it doesn't get too glaring for the occupants in the front.

Citroen's quirky design is continued in other features such as the in-dash air freshener and the fixed-centred controls on the steering wheel.

The ride, as with most French cars, is comfortably pliant, and the Grand C4 Picasso's suspension soaks up most low-speed bumps perfectly. Only the four-speed automatic gearbox seems like an anachronism in an age where five gears are expected.

Another downside is the Picasso's premium over a Japanese MPV, although this price gap has narrowed considerably over the years. The French model is at least $5,000 to $6,000 more than a 2.4-litre Japanese model.

Two versions of the Picasso are available. For an extra $7,000, the Exclusive version features enhancements like 17-inch alloy wheels (from 16 inches), rear pneumatic suspension, Xenon cornering lights and cool ambient lighting emanating from the dashboard, roof and door panels.

If it can't win on price, at least it can try to overtake the competition with lots of style.

Engine: 1,997 cc
Gearbox: 4-speed automatic transmission
Max power: 143 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Max torque: 200 Nm @ 4,000 rpm
0-100 kmh: 12.2 secs
Top speed: 190 kmh
Price: from $96,988 (with COE)
Distributor: Cycle & Carriage France. Tel: 6479-2792