Item: Citroen Berlingo
Rating: 4

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Drive for more than half an hour on any UK road and we’ll forgive you for wondering if the Citroën Berlingo accounted for at least 10% of the vehicles plying the roadscape based on how many you’d mentally totted up.

While they are popular – and justifiably so – there’s a large degree of amplification going on here, courtesy of parent company Stellantis’s badge-engineering programme. In other words, not every Berlingo you see is a Berlingo.

Swap out the Citroën’s headlights, front grille-incorporating-bumper and a few other largely superficial details for essentially the same car sold as the Peugeot Rifter, Vauxhall Combo Life and – late to the party on these shores – the Toyota Proace City Verso. So far, Brits have missed out on the Fiat Doblo-badged clone, but never say never.

In addition to the people-carrying versions, there are panel van iterations of the quintet. That's not altogether a surprise, given the perpendicular bodywork and sliding rear doors celebrate its commercial vehicle origins, although that won’t necessarily win over those loyal to the now defunct Citroën C4 SpaceTourer.

Powertrains are skewed towards frugality rather than excitement, which feels entirely appropriate for this kind of van-derived car. ICE fans are catered for by a single petrol engine and a pair of diesels. Alternatively, there’s a fully electric Citroën ë-Berlingo for those who prefer to plug in.

Previously available as both the shorter, five-seater M and longer, seven-seat XL, the latter is now available in only ë-Berlingo guise.

Aside from its in-house rivals, the Citroën Berlingo goes toe to toe with the Ford Tourneo Connect and Volkswagen Caddy twins, as well as the almost as spacious Dacia Jogger.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Citroën Berlingo

Loyal fans swear by this unpretentious family holdall, but van-based styling will remain a turn-off for many

Good

Masses of interior space

Flexible storage solutions

Comfortable ride quality

Bad

Bulkhead compromises

No seven-seat version

Limited powertrain options

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Modern looking… for a van

Sliding doors reduce car park dents

Enormous tailgate makes most of boot space

Cons

Generic-looking rear and side profiles

Most convenient features on pricier models only

Van-like shape won't appeal to all

There’s little chance of the Berlingo winning any car park beauty pageants, but any such expectation rather misses the point: function is far more important than form here.

Nevertheless, along with the larger – and also van-based – Citroën SpaceTourer, the Berlingo introduced Citroën’s new corporate face, complete with C-shaped headlight graphics and an oval-framed logo medallion, as part of its 2024 facelift.

However, from the nose job backwards, the makeover was of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it variety, with only minor tweaks here and there. While that’s great for the vehicle's ability to swallow people and loads, as well as for keeping costs down with no expensive sheet metal changes, from most angles it’s too similar to its Stellantis cousins for a brand such as Citroën, which has historically prized its individualism.

Those rear sliding doors are useful for avoiding dings in tight confines as kids pour in and out, but they can be heavy to operate for younger and elderly passengers and it’s worth noting that their windows wind down on only higher-spec Berlingos. On less expensive models, they’re merely hinged vents.

At the very back is an enormous top-hinged tailgate to provide unimpeded access to the cavernous load space, although its size can be a hindrance in tight garages and multi-storey car parks. Again, the preserve of pricier Berlingos is the separately opening tailgate glass to overcome this hurdle, which is fine providing whatever you’re loading isn’t too heavy.

Stellantis calls this generation of the Berlingo, and its near facsimiles, K9. While there’s nothing derogatory to be inferred from that, it’s appropriate given its platform is something of a mongrel.

Up front, it uses an evolved version of the EMP2 platform, similar to that found underneath the Citroën C5 Aircross, while the rear – complete with its space-saving suspension packaging – is a modified take on that found below the previous B9-generation Berlingo.

INTERIOR

Pros

Exceptionally roomy for passengers

Masses of storage space throughout

Low loading lip for spacious boot

Cons

Bulkhead creates unfortunate compromises

Modutop is an expensive option

Seven-seater only available in EV guise

The price to be paid for enduring the van-style exterior is one of the most capacious cabins currently available. Shorter Berlingo M versions can comfortably seat five adults, while the XL has seven perches all capable of accommodating grown-ups.

When not required, those third-row seats can be folded over to the sides of the boot or removed altogether, providing you’ve somewhere convenient to store them.

Passengers won’t complain about feeling sardined, with generous leg and shoulder room and enough free air above to sate top hat enthusiasts. Although the Berlingo is SUV tall, the seating height is closer to that of a conventional hatchback's.

Amplifying the Berlingo’s airiness is the Modutop, optionally available with five-seater Max trim. Specify it for a panoramic glazed roof with an illuminated, translucent storage shelf suspended below and an aircraft-style overhead locker above the boot.

Even without the Modutop, there are 28 storage areas within the Berlingo’s cabin, totalling 186 litres of space, much of which is lidded for additional security.

The available load space within combustion-engined Berlingos has been compromised since spring 2023 due to a mesh steel bulkhead being fitted behind the second-row seats, which legally categorises them as vans. Electric Citroën ë-Berlingo models don’t have the bulkhead and continue as cars.

This means that ultimate carrying capacity is reduced, although Citroën still quotes a maximum of 1255 litres with only the front seats in use. In five-seat mode, there’s 775 litres below the sturdy parcel shelf.

Nevertheless, its loading lip is conveniently low and Max models have three individual second-row seats that can be whipped out for added flexibility, while the front passenger seat can be folded flat to accommodate longer loads.

Despite those commercial vehicle origins, the Berlingo’s driving position feels very car-like, once you’re acclimatised to the space above you. Although the manual versions’ gearlever is conveniently high set, its baggy shift action makes the automatic more desirable.

It's not the last word in high-definition, lag-free convenience, but the infotainment touchscreen works sufficiently well and physical controls remain for the air-con and other functions.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Zingy petrol engine

Punchiest diesel a fine all-rounder

Automatic gearbox preferable

Cons

Manual transmission isn't slick

Limited engine/gearbox choice

That mesh bulkhead fitted in the boot, which legally classes petrol and diesel Berlingos with it installed as N1-category commercial vehicles, has further implications for the Citroën: lower speed limits apply than for the electric ë-Berlingo and pre-2023 ICE-equipped versions.

If you fancy your Berlingo in petrol form, there's good news because its three-cylinder 1.2-litre Puretech engine is impressive. It's smooth even when pulling below 2000rpm in higher gears and surprisingly strong in the 3000-4000rpm range, although outright performance is nothing special and there’s little point in revving the meaty little turbo engine beyond 5500rpm.

Badged 110, its 109bhp output doesn’t sound much to write home about, but it propels the Berlingo along in a refined manner, with an adequate 11.5sec 0-62mph time. It's a shame that the rubbery six-speed manual is the only transmission choice, though.

Two diesels are available, both four-cylinder 1.5-litre versions of the familiar BlueHDi unit. Lumbered with the manual gearbox is the 100 version, which produces a just about sufficient 101bhp. By today’s standards, its 14.1sec 0-62mph time is glacial, but this is the Berlingo to go for if maximising fuel efficiency is important to you.

A far better all-rounder is the 130 version, complete with the smoother, rocker-switch-operated eight-speed automatic. Frugality isn’t dented too much by having 129bhp at your right foot’s disposal, but it’s more relaxing to drive in traffic and its extra muscle makes for safer overtaking on single-carriageway roads. The 0-62mph benchmark takes 11sec to complete.

Note that if you’re intending the plump for a top-spec Berlingo Max, it comes in BlueHDi 130 guise only.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Comfortable

Body control surprisingly good

Cons

Look elsewhere for fun

Rides better when loaded up

Room for steering improvement

If you’re concerned that the Berlingo’s van-esque shape is a portent to an unappealing and distinctly utilitarian driving experience, then fear not, because it has a charm that’s missing from many cars.

It impresses instantly by being refreshingly different from the average family hatchback or SUV and it’s all the better for it.

Not only does it ride quietly, but it’s also soft without generating that floatiness so feared by parents of kids suffering with travel sickness. Assuming a 'strolling' motion reminiscent of earlier generations of the Berlingo, here it’s far better controlled by its compliant dampers.

It smooths ripples and copes brilliantly with high-frequency bumps, but inevitably with a car designed to carry passenger and luggage payloads in the region of 500kg, it feels more resolved with more people on board than just the driver.

The steering is accurate and the Berlingo is easy to manoeuvre, but there’s a mild feeling of stiction around the straight-ahead that it could do without. There’s a special, lighter parking setting for the steering at low speed, which we’d also prefer to forgo.

Drive the Berlingo briskly and you will induce mild understeer, although its onset feels entirely predictable and is soon dialled back out. Nevertheless, given the Citroën’s inherent soft suspension arrangement and its tall bodywork, there’s surprisingly little roll.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Inexpensive to run

Unpainted exterior plastics boost resilience

Will stand up to family life well

Cons

Comfortable and spacious, but not plush

First-year VED not cheap for most versions

Fuel efficiency is decent enough

Citroën makes no claims that the Berlingo is an upmarket car by any stretch of the imagination. While not exactly austere, the hard, resilient plastics and visible, painted metal sections inside that bely its commercial vehicle beginnings see to that.

Given it’s designed for the rigours of family life, this is very much a good thing, so it should stand up well to the task.

Large sections of the bumpers as well as the deep bodyside mouldings are unfashionably unpainted, meaning minor bumps and grazes can be remedied at very low cost.

It will be among the cheapest cars to insure for its size. All petrol and diesel Berlingos fall between groups 12 to 15, while modestly sized wheels – by mid-2020s standards – of 16in and 17in not only assist with ride comfort but will also keep replacement tyre costs reasonable.

Official WLTP fuel efficiency figures quote combined cycles of 38.2-45.5mpg for the Puretech 110 petrol, 43.6-51.8mpg for the BlueHDi 130 diesel and 46.3-54.8mpg for the BlueHDi 100.

Back in the real world, expect to average closer to 35mpg with the petrol and around 40mpg for the diesel pair – fine, but not outstandingly good for a family car.

Emissions range from 143g/km of CO2 for the BlueHDi 100, helping to keep the first-year VED cost down, to 153g/km of CO2 if you choose either the Plus specification Puretech 110 or BlueHDi 130 in Max trim.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Citroën Berlingo

Loyal fans swear by this unpretentious family holdall, but van-based styling will remain a turn-off for many

Good

Masses of interior space

Flexible storage solutions

Comfortable ride quality

Bad

Bulkhead compromises

No seven-seat version

Limited powertrain options

If you can look past the Citroën Berlingo’s van-based origins – and we accept that is a big ‘if’ for many lamenting the demise of conventional MPVs – then you’ll enjoy a family-focused flexible friend that’s as capable as it is capacious.

A vast interior, which is used intelligently with an array of storage spaces and solutions, sliding rear doors that improve access in tight confines and its robust furnishings make it a fine choice.

Despite its 2024 facelift, there remains room for improvement, though. Not only would more choice of engine, gearbox and trim combinations be appreciated, but hybrid options to boost fuel efficiency would be very welcome too.

With starting prices just north of £23,000 for the cheapest, the Berlingo is not exactly the bargain it once was to buy, but the biggest issue facing these petrol- and diesel-engined versions is that steel bulkhead in the boot and the van-status compromises that go with it.

If you need to maximise the potential space on offer – or you need the added flexibility of seven seats – then the fully electric Citroën ë-Berlingo is a better alternative. Unless, of course, you can negotiate a better price on a near-identical Peugeot Rifter, Toyota Proace City Verso or Vauxhall Combo Life.

Keith WR Jones

Title: Contributor

Following a diverse career that included PR-ing Q branch-aping covert surveillance kit and secondary school teaching, Keith followed his automotive passions by launching an award-winning blog in 2011, switching to full-time car journalism with Bauer Media two years later, writing for Parkers as well as CAR Magazine’s print and online guises.

Rapidly rising through the ranks to become the first managing editor of Bauer’s New Car Automotive Hub, he eventually sought a fresh challenge by moving into the automotive data industry, but the lure of a return to journalism eventually proved too strong to resist and he ventured into the world of freelancing in early 2024.

In addition to his contributions to Autocar, Keith’s also written for BuyaCar, Carwow, Classic Car Weekly, the Daily Mail, Diesel&EcoCar, HeyCar, Honest John, MSN Cars, Practical Classics and The Telegraph.

He’s also the go-to guy for many automotive PRs when it comes to researching their brand’s historic model ranges, using his ever-expanding personal archive of car sales ephemera and magazines to determine technical specifications, pricing data and detailed timelines.

Keith graduated first from the University of Lincoln with a BA in Management Studies in 1998, then in 2002 from Sheffield Hallam University with a PGCE in Secondary Education.