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With new cars becoming ever more homogenised and indistinguishable, Citroen should be applauded for continuing to plough its original, quirky furrow.

Such bloody-minded defiance of convention can be frustrating, bizarre, sometimes downright incomprehensible. But when Citroen gets it right - and never has it been more right than the C4 Picasso - the attention to detail is a joy to behold.

Every one of the Picasso's tiny, unique touches - and there are hundreds - feels like a little gift direct from the designer. Boot light that doubles as a removable torch? That one's for you, mon ami.

Strip lights across the ceiling, auto-lighting side pockets in the doors, push-forward sun visors... the list goes on. At the risk of sounding schmaltzy, the C4 is a product of love.

But it's not just a bunch of clever gimmicks. The C4 Picasso is a serious family car. Yes, it drives well - very well, actually - but that hardly matters. What matters is that the Picasso will ferry you and your darling progeny for thousands of miles - and keep you entertained from start to finish.

And then there's all that glass. So much of the stuff that it makes the Louvre pyramid look a bit claustrophobic. The optional full-length glass roof merges into the wrapover windscreen to give the Picasso an airy, panoramic feel that makes every journey a sight-seeing tour.

And that's what the Picasso is. An event. A relationship between you and all the mildly unhinged designers that came together to create this completely different car. A work of art? It just might be.

Don't forget: the only place to get full details of all the winners is in the Awards issue of Top Gear magazine, on sale December 13.

Read Citroen C4 Picasso Car Review

Citroen C4 Picasso road tests
Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDI VTR - May 15, 2007
Citroen C4 Picasso 2.0 HDi - April 3, 2007
Citroen C4 Picasso 1.6 HDi Ambiance - October 23, 2006