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| Test Scores: Front 11 (69%) Side 16 (89%) Overall 27 (79)% Pedestrian 12 (33%) |
| The Picasso´s side airbag should protect the driver’s head and upper torso. But in the pole impact, it extended only as high as his shoulder. While it still protected him in this instance, it could not be relied on to keep him from harm in some other types of crash. For this reason, Euro NCAP awarded only one of the two points available for this part of the test. |
| Frontal Impact
The car’s passenger cell proved itself to be strong and it protected its occupants from being struck by objects outside the car. Airbags are standard for the driver and passenger. The driver’s airbag allowed his head to slide to the right and it also ‘bottomed out’. In another accident, this could put him at risk of head injury. His chest also struck the steering wheel, increasing the injury risk for this vulnerable body area. In addition, there were hard points under the facia that could damage his legs and feet. The centre rear seat had a three-point belt which provides better protection than that of a lap belt. However it was possible to mis-route the diagonal part of the belt. The front belts had load-limited reel-mounted pyrotechnic pre-tensioners to reduce injury risks. |
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| Side Impact
As well as not extending far enough in the pole test, the side airbag did not protect the drivers chest as effectively as some of the others tested. The Picasso’s tailgate also opened as a result of the impact. |
| Child Restraint
Citroën specified universal Römer Peggy forward-facing restraints for both children be used for testing. The 3-year-old’s head was not protected in the side or forward impacts. The younger child was protected but testers noted a high neck load that is typical of a young child in a forward-facing seat. A front passenger airbag is fitted as standard and this could cause serious, even fatal, injuries to a child placed opposite it in a rear-facing seat. But no written warning of this risk was given. In-car labels could also peel off and be lost. |
| Pedestrian Protection
The Picasso offered too little protection, especially along its bumper. The bonnet was better but it did not do well where a child’s head might strike it. |
| Model history and safety
equipment
The Picasso was launched in Europe during January 2000. Standard equipment in EU countries includes twin front airbags, side airbags (head and thorax), front belt pre-tensioners and load limiters, plus ABS. |
| Optimised safety
The Xsara Picasso offering, like all those developed by Citroën, is a dynamic offering. It is regularly enhanced with new technologies that increase driving pleasure and on-board well-being – as in the case of the new engine/automatic gearbox - as well as enhancing safety levels. As a result, the Xsara Picasso features all the latest electronic systems, designed to take active safety to even higher levels. The ESP (Electronic Stability Program), which is standard on the 2.0i 16V Automatic, works with the EBA (Emergency Braking Assistance) to provide further back-up for safe driving. This twin function is accompanied by traction control, disc brakes at the rear and hazard lights that come on automatically in the event of sudden deceleration. The 2.0i 16V Automatic also features a cruise control function as standard, to maintain vehicle speed at the level set. Like other Citroën vehicles, the Xsara Picasso aims to prevent accidents, wherever possible, and to provide maximum protection for occupants should impact occur. From the basic trim level, the Xsara Picasso is fitted with two front airbags and two double side airbags (head and chest), front seatbelts with force limiters and pyrotechnic pretensioners, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, an Isofix system to anchor child seats to the rear side seats and functions to warn the driver of black ice and excessive speed. The Xsara Picasso is well
protected against theft and break-ins with a function that relocks the
car
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| and on another
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In compliance with the Marque's traditions, the running gear is designed to provide the Xsara Picasso with high-performance control, grip and power, as well as ensuring the comfort of the vehicle's occupants through the design of the suspension and the attention given to damping. The result is a coherent, homogeneous assembly, tailored to the different powerplants and performing well in all circumstances.
The Xsara Picasso boasts a wide range of safety-enhancing features and functions: rear-door child lock status displayed on the instrument cluster; an anti-fouling function to prevent water from running down the side windows; two electrically controlled, defrosting, spherical wide-angle rearview mirrors; adjustable headrests on all five seats. Three Isofix anchor points are provided for safe and easy installation of rear-facing or forward-facing child seats. The Xsara Picasso is well protected against theft and break-ins. Central locking of the doors and tailgate relies on a high-frequency remote control unit associated with a transponder. |
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A
roll hoop optimises safety in the event of side impact or rollover. This
system is completed by beams in the front and rear doors and energy-absorbing
side impact protection in the front doors. The head and thorax are protected
by driver and passenger airbags, together with twin side airbags integrated
with the seats. The front seatbelts are height adjustable, with pyrotechnic
pretensioners and force limiters. The three rear seatbelts are all 3-point.