Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2007/January 2008 | Page 108

life

MOTORING

Glassy and Classy
family favourite

If you wanted to cut a
dash, you could order your
Citroen C4 Picasso 5-seater
with an entirely glass roof.
Somewhat over the top for
most, especially given that
the standard screen is one
of the deepest ever in a
normal production car.
The car is up against the
Renault Scenic, and you
can tell when you get inside,
Citroen have really strived
to rise to the challenge. It is
roomy inside, the ‘paddleshift’
gearbox option making
for no central consol.
The car feels good to
the touch. The interior
padded surfaces have been
finished in quality fabric:
there’s nothing flash and
shiny, though even subdued
chrome reflects in that huge
windscreen in certain lights.
But once you’re driving you
really appreciate the visibility
afforded by that window. The
dashboard is elegant, backlit

108

even in daylight, with some
of the controls for volume
and tuning for the radio
and cd player housed in the
hub of the steering wheel
– no more reaching out for
the middle of the car and
compromising your safety.
And the drive feels centred
and secure, especially once
you know the positions of all
the airbags which are cleverly
stowed so as not to invade
the space of the interior.
The car comes in 1.8 litre or
2-litre petrol, or a choice of
turbo diesels. If it’s your first
time with a diesel you’ll be
surprised by its tenacity. And
if you’re looking for the day
when you move on to the next
version, the car is expected
to hold on to 38 per cent of
its value after three years.
Contact: Central Garage,
Riverway, Newport, IW.
Tel: [phone]

RAVishing on the
roads

Drivers on West Wight, where
the main roads seem to be
left to repair themselves,
will welcome the new RAV4
which seems to flatten out
the bumps as you go.
RAV4 stands for Recreational
Activity Vehicle, which about
sums it up: fun but safe.
The latest version seems to
take control of your more
extravagant pieces of driving.
Take a sharp bend a little
wildly and the car copes. This
is thanks to its integrated
active drive system, the
effect of which is to adjust
the torque of the vehicle,
the output of the engine
and even the independent
braking which, according
to the publicity, makes
sure that the wheels react
“appropriately with the road.”
To a boy racer that sounds like
the ultimate kill-joy. But this
isn’t a car for a boy racer. It’s a
family car, an MPV grown up.
Storage capacity is impressive:
the entire floor length can be
converted into a 1469 litre
luggage space, without much

effort. Even when the back
seats are up there’s 586
litres of luggage space.
You can’t help by being
impressed with all the little
touches like cooled glove
box, to keep your drinks
cold, and it’s not surprising
to find safety is a priority
– nine airbags include one
to protect drivers’ knees.
Despite its size it feels
bouncy, and given the
opportunity, exhilarating
to drive. Computer-aided
technology enhances the
stability and performance.
Since its inception in 1994 the
Rav4 has scored consistently
highly with owners, and this
the latest version will be no
exception. It has become a
firm favourite across Europe,
finding its way into 650,000
homes in the twelve years
since then. But Toyota is
never a firm to rest on its
laurels, and this version
has zoomed upmarket.
Wight Motors
College Close

Sandown
Isle of Wight.
T. 01983 405551

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net