THE Citroen C4 Picasso has been around for a few years now in its various guises, but this latest version is without question the best looking of the bunch.

With its distinctive signature LED daytime running lights at the front and a classy new look, this C4 Picasso has a degree of kerb appeal.

The interior is light and airy, thanks to its huge front windscreen which blends almost seamlessly into the roof on the outside, and features a pair of large quarterlight windows to ensure good visibility and avoid the need for chunky windscreen pillars which can obstruct vision and create blindspots, something I didn't find a problem with this car.

There are individual seats for five people which are surprisingly comfortable and supportive, the front pair each having an arm rest on the inside of the car, while at the back the three rear passengers each have adjustable headrests.

The backs of the front pair are also home to the now almost mandatory aircraft-style trays for the little tykes in the back to put their "stuff" on.

When not in use, the three rear seats fold flat into the floor with the tug of a tab, enlarging the already generous boot space which will swallow everything from pushchairs to bicycles and the weekly shopping with ease.

The dashboard is very modern and clean looking and can be personalised in a number of ways to suit either the driver's mood or simple preference.

The car came with a pretty blue dash display, but it is easy to change that to a "cubed" look, but the two displays are so different that switching from one to the other takes a system reboot of the on-board computer which takes a few minutes to complete.

Whichever option you choose, you can further adjust the screens, to show the sat nav mapping, media settings or the usual rev counter and temperature dials.

The rest of the car's main functions are controlled by surprisingly few touch-sensitive buttons which bring up various menus and functions on the touch screen interface. More controls are housed on the fairly complicated multi-function steering wheel.

I didn't find it particularly intuitive at first, but once you get used to using it, it became easier to navigate my way around.

Behind a drop-down door, just in front of the gear selector, is a good selection of USB and 3mm connectors, with any cables sensibly hidden from view. There is also a large storage bin with a sliding lid perched between the two front seats.

More storage space is to be found in large - and illuminated - door pockets, handy at this time of year when it always seems to be dark.

The C4 Picasso is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, but this week's test car featured the new 1.6-litre Airdream unit, which offers an attractive combination of reasonable performance, good economy and low CO2 emissions.

During my drive of around 280 miles, the car returned an overall average of 49.6mpg, but with careful, slow and economically-minded driving, a figure in the mid-fifties is possible.

I found the C4 Picasso a likeable car to live with. Its perimeters are easy enough to judge, the raised seating position gave a good view of your surroundings, and although there were no front parking sensors on this example, the screen on the dash doubled as a reversing camera which made parking easy.

I also liked the extra mirror in the centre of the car so you can keep an eye on the kids  - or pensioners - in the back - the latter suspects appreciated the ease of getting in and out of an MPV rather than a saloon car.

The car drives very well and cruises quietly, but I did find the suspension set-up on this model a bit too soft.

French cars are well known for their compliant ride quality, but this particular model was a tad too compliant for my liking, which combined with sharp steering inputs could get a bit of side-to-side body roll going if you made sudden adjustments to the steering, which could be a little disconcerting.

But overall, the new Picasso is a nice looking car, packed with practical solutions to family life and a pleasure to live with.