Our Citroen Berlingo Review
The Citroen Berlingo is one of the most well know cars for families looking for a spacious, comfortable and efficient drive.
Over the years Citroen has built several variations of their Berlingo range with each designed to provide a reliable and multi-functional experience.
Citroen Berlingo 1996 – 2008
- Roomy and easy to drive,
- Large boot space
- Rear sliding doors
Between 1996 and 2018 the Citroen Berlingo ranges shared their designs with similar sized vans. A trend with multi-purpose cars that brings spacy interiors and plenty of storage compartments.
Interior
Being a van-derived car; the interior is a little basic, especially within the older models; but, its convenience and practicality easily make up for its lack of looks.
The Berlingo’s designed for just about anything. Whether it’s the domestic daily school run or the commercial transportation of tools, it can handle it.
With its roomy design, there is plenty head and leg space for four people, or five at a squeeze. In terms of storage, the 1996-2008 range of Berlingo comes with plenty of cubby holes and roof-shelves. And when the seats are folded flat, it offers ample boot space comparable to a small van.
Saftey
Although these ranges only offer driver-side airbags as standard. They do have a four-star NCAP rating, which means it’s just one short of the highest five-star ranking.
Engine Efficiency
All models are comparably cheap to run with the diesel variations offering excellent fuel economy.
The Citroen Berlingo ranges between 1996 and 2008 all perform well on the eco front; with average CO2 emissions being around 160g/km. However, a large number of diesel models brings down the average. In any case, buyers have plenty of low-emission options that they can choose.
For the Eco-conscious buyer, we’d recommend considering the 1.6-litre diesel as it’s one of the greenest models in the range.
Given the Berlingo’s van-derived design, it’s quite fuel-efficient with a modest average of 45mpg.
Our thoughts on the 1996-2008 Citroen Berlingo
Like most van-based MPVs, we’d go for the diesel. The 2.0TD to be exact. It offers better performance with bigger loads, is incredibly refined and economical. The 1.4 and 1.6 models are more than suitable for most needs and are just as capable as the 2.0 variation.
All Berlingo’s are within competitive insurance groups ranging from 11 to 16.
In terms of handling, the Berlingo is pretty agile for its size and shape. Despite the slightly noticeable body roll, it feels light to drive, and the steering is very accurate.
We’re not surprised that Citroen has sold over 1.7 million passenger-carrying Berlingo models over the last two decades.
Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2008 – 2018
- Hugely practical
- Improved quality over the predecessor
- Economical diesel
- Spacious cabin
- Rear sliding doors
Given Citroens success with their Berlingo range, there should be no surprise that a revamped model dubbed the Citroen Berlingo Multispace came to fruition. Afterall the Berlingo is one of the most popular cars in its class.
Interior
Unlike its predecessors the Berlingo Multispace isn’t based on a van; instead, Citroen designed it from the ground up to be a people-carrying multi-purpose car.
Comfort
With a generous amount of head and legroom, the Berlingo cabin feels roomy and spacious even while carrying five adults. The light fabrics on the seats and the optional extra to have glass roof panels makes the already plentiful space feel even bigger.
Noise in the cabin is far less than predecessors, partly due to the durable materials and revised design.
Convenience
Despite air-conditioning being optional in all but the XTR model, all Berlingo Multispace is comfortable for both passenger and driver. The higher seating positions give a great view of the road to the driver and make entering a leaving the vehicle a breeze for all travellers.
Electric front windows are standard across the range, and for those in the back, many Berlingo Multispace offers a split-opening tailgate. Which means the window on the boot door can be opened.
The interiors crafted from hard-wearing materials, making it feel much more robust than previous iterations. Design-wise it’s still a little bland, but in our opinion, that’s a small price to pay for the practicality the Berlingo provides.
Storage
Despite not being van-derived anymore, the Berlingo Multispace offers more in terms of storage space. Unlike predecessors, the rear seats can be removed, as well as folded. This feature is great when you need that extra space for transporting items; as it makes the maximum load volume 3000 litres. That’s pretty much a small van.
Storage compartments and cubby holes located throughout the cabin provide ample spots for smaller items. Overhead storage is also an option.
With passenger doors that slide open loading the vehicle with larger items is a breeze.
Safety
The Berlingo Multispace scored a fair four-stars for occupant protection in the NCAP tests. It comes with twin front airbags as standard and ESP.
Engine Efficiency
All Berlingo in this range contains 1.6-litre engines, with the choice between two petrol and three diesel.
The base-level petrol engine provides a comfortable 90bhp and takes roughly 15 seconds to reach 62mph. However, it offers a decent amount of pull and feels faster while on the road.
With 110bhp the larger petrol engine is a better choice providing a nippier car with more power and seemingly no penalties on fuel efficiency or CO2 creation.
Our personal choice would be one of the two diesel models. Both the 90bph and 110bph offers an excellent drive and is more than capable of matching the speeds of other road users.
The 75bhp might not be anyone’s first choice with a top speed of 94mph and an exuberant 17 seconds to reach 62mph.
All models use a traditional 5-speed manual gearbox.
Compatible Citroen Berlingo
Citroen Berlingo 1996-2007
Citroen Berlingo 2008-2018
Citroen Berlingo 2019 - Present
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Our Citroen Berlingo Review
The Citroen Berlingo is one of the most well know cars for families looking for a spacious, comfortable and efficient drive.
Over the years Citroen has built several variations of their Berlingo range with each designed to provide a reliable and multi-functional experience.
Citroen Berlingo 1996 – 2008
- Roomy and easy to drive,
- Large boot space
- Rear sliding doors
Between 1996 and 2018 the Citroen Berlingo ranges shared their designs with similar sized vans. A trend with multi-purpose cars that brings spacy interiors and plenty of storage compartments.
Interior
Being a van-derived car; the interior is a little basic, especially within the older models; but, its convenience and practicality easily make up for its lack of looks.
The Berlingo’s designed for just about anything. Whether it’s the domestic daily school run or the commercial transportation of tools, it can handle it.
With its roomy design, there is plenty head and leg space for four people, or five at a squeeze. In terms of storage, the 1996-2008 range of Berlingo comes with plenty of cubby holes and roof-shelves. And when the seats are folded flat, it offers ample boot space comparable to a small van.
Saftey
Although these ranges only offer driver-side airbags as standard. They do have a four-star NCAP rating, which means it’s just one short of the highest five-star ranking.
Engine Efficiency
All models are comparably cheap to run with the diesel variations offering excellent fuel economy.
The Citroen Berlingo ranges between 1996 and 2008 all perform well on the eco front; with average CO2 emissions being around 160g/km. However, a large number of diesel models brings down the average. In any case, buyers have plenty of low-emission options that they can choose.
For the Eco-conscious buyer, we’d recommend considering the 1.6-litre diesel as it’s one of the greenest models in the range.
Given the Berlingo’s van-derived design, it’s quite fuel-efficient with a modest average of 45mpg.
Our thoughts on the 1996-2008 Citroen Berlingo
Like most van-based MPVs, we’d go for the diesel. The 2.0TD to be exact. It offers better performance with bigger loads, is incredibly refined and economical. The 1.4 and 1.6 models are more than suitable for most needs and are just as capable as the 2.0 variation.
All Berlingo’s are within competitive insurance groups ranging from 11 to 16.
In terms of handling, the Berlingo is pretty agile for its size and shape. Despite the slightly noticeable body roll, it feels light to drive, and the steering is very accurate.
We’re not surprised that Citroen has sold over 1.7 million passenger-carrying Berlingo models over the last two decades.
Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2008 – 2018
- Hugely practical
- Improved quality over the predecessor
- Economical diesel
- Spacious cabin
- Rear sliding doors
Given Citroens success with their Berlingo range, there should be no surprise that a revamped model dubbed the Citroen Berlingo Multispace came to fruition. Afterall the Berlingo is one of the most popular cars in its class.
Interior
Unlike its predecessors the Berlingo Multispace isn’t based on a van; instead, Citroen designed it from the ground up to be a people-carrying multi-purpose car.
Comfort
With a generous amount of head and legroom, the Berlingo cabin feels roomy and spacious even while carrying five adults. The light fabrics on the seats and the optional extra to have glass roof panels makes the already plentiful space feel even bigger.
Noise in the cabin is far less than predecessors, partly due to the durable materials and revised design.
Convenience
Despite air-conditioning being optional in all but the XTR model, all Berlingo Multispace is comfortable for both passenger and driver. The higher seating positions give a great view of the road to the driver and make entering a leaving the vehicle a breeze for all travellers.
Electric front windows are standard across the range, and for those in the back, many Berlingo Multispace offers a split-opening tailgate. Which means the window on the boot door can be opened.
The interiors crafted from hard-wearing materials, making it feel much more robust than previous iterations. Design-wise it’s still a little bland, but in our opinion, that’s a small price to pay for the practicality the Berlingo provides.
Storage
Despite not being van-derived anymore, the Berlingo Multispace offers more in terms of storage space. Unlike predecessors, the rear seats can be removed, as well as folded. This feature is great when you need that extra space for transporting items; as it makes the maximum load volume 3000 litres. That’s pretty much a small van.
Storage compartments and cubby holes located throughout the cabin provide ample spots for smaller items. Overhead storage is also an option.
With passenger doors that slide open loading the vehicle with larger items is a breeze.
Safety
The Berlingo Multispace scored a fair four-stars for occupant protection in the NCAP tests. It comes with twin front airbags as standard and ESP.
Engine Efficiency
All Berlingo in this range contains 1.6-litre engines, with the choice between two petrol and three diesel.
The base-level petrol engine provides a comfortable 90bhp and takes roughly 15 seconds to reach 62mph. However, it offers a decent amount of pull and feels faster while on the road.
With 110bhp the larger petrol engine is a better choice providing a nippier car with more power and seemingly no penalties on fuel efficiency or CO2 creation.
Our personal choice would be one of the two diesel models. Both the 90bph and 110bph offers an excellent drive and is more than capable of matching the speeds of other road users.
The 75bhp might not be anyone’s first choice with a top speed of 94mph and an exuberant 17 seconds to reach 62mph.
All models use a traditional 5-speed manual gearbox.