Citroen Berlingo Van review: versatile van with improved connectivity

The Citroen Berlingo Van brings passenger car levels of kit and comfort to the small van world, plus you can specify a number of options to enhance its user-friendliness and versatility even further. Thanks to the car-derived tech under the skin, the Berlingo Van drives well, too, while the load area offers up to one tonne of payload capacity, making it a solid choice for van buyers looking to downsize.

About the Citroen Berlingo Van

The Citroen Berlingo Van is a big player in the small van sector, and the spiritual successor to compact vans such as the 2CV Van and Visa-based C15. The third-generation model incorporated plenty of technology from the Citroen passenger car range to boost safety and user-friendliness for drivers, while the latest round of updates has brought increased connectivity to help with fleet management scheduling. It also closes the pricing gap between traditionally powered petrol and diesel versions, and the electric model.

The boxy body maximises the load space inside, while the Berlingo shares its basic bodyshell and running gear with the Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo and Fiat Doblo. However, the design has been refreshed, and it’s the first model in the Citroen range to wear the brand’s new badge. The grille has been changed, but the rest is as before, sporting a more utilitarian look than the van-based MPV version. That’s not a bad thing because the Berlingo Van is likely to pick up the odd scuff in the course of carrying out its work duties, plus altering its boxy shape would have hurt practicality.

A low floor helps with loading, and the increased width between the rear wheelarches means two Europallets can fit in the back of the Berlingo Van with ease. As well as a larger floor area, payloads have increased, too. The lowest payload rating for the Berlingo is 667kg, and this rises to just over a tonne in some models. If you need to figure out how much your payload weighs, you can fit the optional overload indicator in the back of the van, and it will tell you when you are nearing the van's maximum carrying capacity. 

There are two lengths of Berlingo, which are confusingly called M and XL (there's no small or large variant to slot between these two), and a single roof height is offered. These vans offer cargo space of 3.3 and 3.8 cubic metres, respectively. Higher-spec models feature a through-loading bulkhead and an extra half a cubic metre of load space where the front passenger seats are located. The Berlingo Crew Van is based on the XL bodystyle but has five seats.

Just two trim levels are offered. There’s the entry-level Enterprise (the only spec the Crew Van comes in) and the more generously equipped Driver. M vans get a single sliding side door, while XL versions get double sliding doors, and both models have asymmetric double doors at the rear that open through 180 degrees. All are steel as standard, but glazing can be added as an option. Inside, there are six lashing eyes set into the floor.

All vans come with a full steel bulkhead. The Enterprise has a single passenger seat, and Driver trim vans get the Extenso Pack as standard. This adds two passenger seats, with the middle one featuring a folding backrest, while the outer seat can flip up or fold down if you're using the through-loading function to carry longer items. However, it is a £450 option for base models. 

You can also add the Worksite Pack to Enterprise and Enterprise Crew van models, which includes underbody protection, 30mm extra ground clearance, mud and snow tyres and Citroen's Grip Control system, which includes hill descent control and switchable traction control for different surfaces.

The Berlingo offers a choice of a 1.2 PureTech three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, a 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel, and a fully electric powertrain. The PureTech 110 petrol is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox, as is the BlueHDi 100 diesel, but an eight-speed EAT8 automatic transmission comes with the more powerful BlueHDi 130. Meanwhile, the zero-emissions E-Berlingo uses a 50kWh battery and a single motor. All versions of the Berlingo are front-wheel drive. 

Prices for the Berlingo start from just over £19,000 (excluding VAT) and rise to a little over £31,000 for the fully electric E-Berlingo, which is competitive for the sector.

There are a lot of rivals for the Berlingo in the small van class. Chief among these are the directly related Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo, Fiat Doblo and Toyota Proace City. These five are so similar that your final decision on which one to pick could be swayed simply by which brand has the nearest dealer and what kind of deal they are willing to offer. Elsewhere, the Ford Transit Connect is a popular choice, as is the Volkswagen Caddy, while the Renault Kangoo, Mercedes Citan and Nissan Townstar are also available in some combination of diesel, petrol or EV form.

All Berlingo Vans feature electric front windows, electric mirrors, plus remote central locking with deadlocks and separate cab locking to boost security. Auto lights, overhead storage, and reach and rake-adjustable steering are also fitted, while electronic stability control, and Citroen Connect emergency assistance come as standard. As part of the refresh, not only does the driver get an airbag, but the passenger does, too. Plus, side and head curtain airbags are fitted, which used to be an option.

Air-conditioning and cruise control are standard on Enterprise Berlingos. Base models come with a smartphone cradle that you can run an app through, while pricier Driver models feature a 10-inch HD touchscreen with a DAB radio and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus the Dynamic Surround View camera system. A Thatcham category 1 approved alarm is standard on Driver models, and optional on Enterprise trim.

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​The Citroen Berlingo Van range starts from around £19,300 (ex VAT), rising to just over £21,500 for the Driver Edition spec. XL versions cost around £1,000 more than the equivalent M version, while the Crew Van model is priced at nearly £23,000. 

As you’d expect, the pure-electric E-Berlingo costs more to buy than the equivalent diesel or petrol van, although the introduction of a cheaper LFP battery helps to reduce the gap, with prices starting from around £28,000 (ex VAT and before the PiVG grant). Electric models are commonly more expensive in this class, although the reduced maintenance costs compared with regular vans should help offset the additional expense when purchasing.

According to Citroen, the E-Berlingo’s 50kWh (usable) battery allows it to cover up to 205 miles in mixed driving conditions. That’s plenty for those carrying out last-mile deliveries in cities like London, and around 20 miles more than its closest competitor, the Renault Kangoo E-Tech. A maximum charging speed of 100kW means you can top up from zero to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes, while a standard 7.4kW home wallbox will fully recharge the van’s battery in seven-and-a-half hours.

Admittedly, the E-Berlingo’s range won’t suit those who need to haul cargo from the Isle of Wight to the Isle of Skye. So, if you're after the ultimate miles per gallon, then the best engine is the BlueHDi 100. This 1.5 diesel has a combined best of 54.4mpg in Enterprise and Driver guises. The BlueHDI 130 lags slightly, returning 51.9mpg at best, while the PureTech 110 can only muster 44.7mpg. All three engines feature a start-stop system, plus an AdBlue tank capacity of 17 litres for the diesels.

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​The Citroen Berlingo Van uses the front section of the PSA Group's EMP2 chassis combined with a revised rear end sourced from the previous-generation Berlingo. Changes to the suspension and load floor, as well as the new van's more upright body, mean both the Berlingo and E-Berlingo M have a load volume of 3.3 cubic metres, while the XL versions have an extended wheelbase and a longer rear overhang to make 3.9 cubic metres of space as standard.

Vans fitted with the Extenso pack have additional loading capacity thanks to a removable panel in the steel bulkhead that detaches to reveal a 612x298mm access hatch. This allows lengthy items up to 3.1 metres long (3.4m in the XL) to be loaded into the van. The pack also includes a vinyl cargo bag to protect the cab from damage by longer objects.

The outer front seat folds down to allow longer items to be carried, while the outer seat base can also flip up to add a 500-litre storage area in the front of the van. In addition, the middle seat flips down to double as a tray table.

A load height of 548mm for M models and 571mm for the XL boosts access. The load length without the Extenso system in use is 1.82 metres, or 2.17 metres in the XL. The width between the wheelarches is 1.23 metres, so overall, there's enough room for two Europallets in the back of the Berlingo. Rear door openings measure 1.24 metres wide by 1.2 metres high, and the side doors measure 1.07 metres high.

Other useful features include an Overload indicator, which uses sensors to detect when your payload is nearing or exceeding the maximum permissible amount. This system is only advisory, and it doesn't consider passengers up front that will make up the gross vehicle weight.

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Because the Berlingo uses the EMP2 chassis also used on various Citroen road cars, many of the same driving and safety-assist systems have been fitted to the Berlingo Van. The once optional passenger, side and curtain airbags have been made standard to improve safety, while the standard full-height steel bulkhead between the cargo and passenger area helps to keep heavy cargo from joining you up front in a forward collision. 

The Safety pack has also been made standard, so all models come with lane departure warning and assistance, a driver attention alert and speed limit recognition (which should be helpful on unfamiliar roads where you don’t know what the speed limit is). Including this tech and autonomous emergency braking has helped the Berlingo Van achieve a Gold rating in the Euro NCAP commercial vehicle tests. However, the automatic emergency braking system wasn’t very good at recognising cyclists, and didn’t work so well at avoiding collisions at higher speeds. Its rival, the Mercedes Citan, performed much better, gaining a higher Platinum rating due to its superior assistance systems.

Tyre pressure monitors are standard on all models, while a spare wheel is a £105 stand-alone option, or a part of the Worksite Pack. 

There’s also a Surround Rear Vision set-up. It’s standard on Driver trim, but optional as part of the City Pack on entry-level Enterprise models, and includes front and rear parking sensors, and side and rear cameras; you can view the feed from these on a five-inch display that’s fitted where the rear-view mirror would normally be mounted. The side-view camera, which boosts vision in the nearside blind spot has a rather wide angle, making it a bit tricky to see coming traffic until it's nearly upon you, but it's still a handy extra to help with positioning on the road.

Considering the Berlingo shares parts, engines and EV running gear with numerous other models from Peugeot, Fiat, Vauxhall and Toyota, we have no doubt it will be a reliable van for business users. And as EVs are generally cheaper to service than petrol or diesel alternatives, you should save some money on maintenance.

Security features include remote central locking with separate locking for the cab and load area, an engine immobiliser, a visible VIN plate and hidden rear door hinges – a first for the Berlingo. All Berlingos are fitted with an immobiliser, but you’ll need to specify an alarm as an option on the entry-level Enterprise trim. The Driver model comes with a Thatcham category 1 approved alarm.

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The Berlingo is comfortable on the move, with supportive seats and a natural driving position, helped by the reach and rake-adjustable steering wheel and standard lumbar adjustment. The Berlingo Van comes with a slightly different seat design compared with its Doblo, Partner, and Combo siblings, with denser foam and thicker side bolsters for greater comfort. That might be a reason to choose the Berlingo over its rivals if you spend most of your day in the driving seat.

Big windows and mirrors give a good view out, so much so that the extra camera systems may seem a frivolous addition. However, the side camera does help to eliminate blind spots, and the rear camera is useful when reversing.

Light steering helps with low-speed driving and parking, while standard rear parking sensors take some strain out of everyday driving, too.

Decent sound deadening helps to make the Berlingo’s cabin more refined than its predecessor’s. The 1.5 BlueHDi’s six-speed manual gearbox makes the most of the power on offer, and there's no lack of urge to help haul heavy payloads.

The E-Berlingo’s electric motor is quieter still, and actually delivers around 30Nm less torque than the most powerful diesel model but, because all of it is available from zero rpm, it doesn’t really feel any slower or leave you wanting a stronger pull. Switching between the Eco, Normal and Power drive modes does affect how much power is on tap, with the latter only really required if you’re carrying a heavy payload. But unless you prefer the snappier accelerator response of Power mode all the time, you won’t have to worry about having to switch modes in everyday driving, because you’ll get full power when you floor the throttle.

The E-Berlingo has gained variable regenerative braking for the first time. It’s a welcome improvement, because you utilise paddles behind the steering wheel rather than having to pull the gear lever back into its 'B' mode, as before. Using the regenerative braking system recovers energy for the battery when you slow down for roundabouts or traffic, improving your efficiency when driving around town. But it isn’t as strong as the system used on the bigger e-Relay, and can’t bring you to a full stop. Nor does it provide a one-pedal driving experience.

Despite this, we found the E-Berlingo to be considerably more relaxing than the diesel model. Like most electric vans, there’s far less vibration and a lot less noise entering the cabin, plus having no gears to change will certainly make your delivery rounds or morning commute that little bit easier. The E-Berlingo even rides well with no cargo onboard, because the battery is located under floor between the axles, meaning the van’s mass is concentrated low down, which helps keep the chassis settled over rough tarmac.

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The Citroen Berlingo Van is meant to be a workhorse, so the presence of hard scratchy plastics in the cabin shouldn’t come as a surprise. The cabin feels tough enough to soak up the sort of abuse they’re liable to cop from a life in the trades, and generally the little Citroen feels well built. 

The dashboard layout is the big difference between the Citroen Berlingo and its Peugeot Partner sister model. Peugeot sticks with its i-Cockpit layout in the Partner – with a small steering wheel and dials above the wheel – but the Citroen has a conventional layout, with a standard wheel and dials set behind it. With the two models so similar in spec and price, this dashboard design could be what makes you choose between the Citroen or Peugeot options.

The Citroen layout is clear and easy to get on with. The climate control panel is well thought-out, too. The temperature controls are chunky up-down toggle switches and the buttons for the air conditioning and demister are big and square, meaning you can operate them while wearing gloves – handy once chilly British winter approaches.

The Berlingo Van either comes with a phone cradle to put your smartphone in and use its apps, or on Driver trim, you get a revised 10-inch high-definition touchscreen with standard sat-nav. It works well and responds swiftly to commands, and it’s pleasing that you get physical home and vehicle settings shortcut buttons next to a volume control dial. The screen comes with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, should you wish to use your own apps.

There’s also WiFi, because Citroen is pushing its Free2Move data planning service. This allows businesses to send daily delivery schedules to individual drivers, which gives them information such as an address to send to the on-board sat-nav system or a contact number should they need to call the customer. It can also give fleet managers reminders for scheduled maintenance of their van fleet or a warning if a breakdown occurs. This service could be useful if your business doesn’t already have such software.

Space is good on board, with plenty of headroom and room above for a storage shelf. Two-seat models have plenty of room, with a flip-up armrest for the driver, but there's no additional storage between the seats. The two-seaters also have a manual handbrake, but those with the Extenso pack and twin passenger seats replace this with an electric handbrake.

These seats are a little narrow compared with the single-seat layout – especially in terms of knee room for the middle passenger, because the dashboard gets in the way – but the added flexibility of the seats compensates for this. The outer seat flips up to create additional storage, while the back folds down to allow extra-long items to be loaded through from the cargo area. Even better is the addition of a vinyl bag that helps protect the cabin from damage.

The middle seat is small, but the back can be folded down to create a tray table. This is in addition to a tray on top of the middle of the dashboard, while there's a lidded bin above the dials, too. There are also twin gloveboxes, with a large upper storage area with room for a 15-inch laptop inside. The lower glovebox is slightly compromised by the fuse box taking up space, but it's not as severely impacted as some other models.

Also included are decent door bins, as well as 12-volt sockets and USB charging connections, while extra charging can also be added in the load area.

Van dimensions

Load area dimensions

(Width between wheel arches: 1,229mm)