Citroen C4 Picasso diesel price dropped to match petrol model

Australians have been a little slow to embrace diesel powered cars but that has been changing in recent times in line with the steadily increasing cost of fuel. According to official VFACTS figures the first four months of 2008 has seen sales of diesels grow in all market sectors, with private passenger car diesel sales rising by 50.6 per cent, non-private by 64 per cent and SUV diesels by 48.5 per cent while petrol powered private car sales dropped by 5.0 per cent.

Diesel, despite costing more at the pump, offers genuine savings over petrol powered vehicles particularly with regard to larger heavier cars. Unfortunately, new vehicle buyers pay a premium at the showroom with the average diesel usually costing a significant premium over its petrol powered brethren—until now.

Citroen have introduced some real value to the diesel equation by slashing the price of its diesel C4 Picasso and bringing it in line with the petrol version—a saving of $4,000 on the recommended retail price and even more when on road costs are factored into the equation.

For the month of May the Citroën C4 Picasso, in its 2.0-litre petrol automatic and 2.0-litre HDi automatic variants, share the same recommended retail price of $39,990.

“People movers are, for obvious reasons, predominantly bought by families and it is families who are usually the first to feel the effects of a tightening economy. So we have moved to make the best family car on the market even more accessible in the diesel version, which will go on saving money throughout its life on the road, as well as saving at least $4,000 at the point of purchase. Add in the C4 Picasso’s long list of standard equipment, intelligent design, the environmental advantages of cutting fuel consumption with a diesel and its five star EuroNCAP safety rating and the C4 Picasso is, clearly, the ideal family car,” says Miles Williams, General Manager for Citroën in Australia.

Based on the Citroën C4, the new C4 Picasso occupies little more road space than a small hatchback, making it easy to drive and park. It also ensures a light environment footprint, with its diesel engine returning a remarkable open-road average of just 5.9 L/100 km with emissions further enhanced by a standard particulate filter.

Citroen's May special appears to be extraordinary value.