Citroen Dispatch L2H2 review: big van capacity with medium van costs

Citroen Dispatch L2H2 125bhp

What is it?

When is a medium panel van not a medium panel van? When it’s the vehicle on test here, we reckon, because the Citroen Dispatch L2H2 (that means long wheelbase high roof to you and me) is so big that it nudges right on to the next size up, the Citroen Relay. So why, you ask, does Citroen bother producing this van when it is virtually the same size as the smallest Relay? Aha, we reply, there are a few good reasons in fact. For starters the Dispatch is £400 cheaper to buy than the smallest Relay, it uses a lot less fuel (62.8 mpg against 37.7 mpg on the combined cycle) and if you are of an environmental bent, it uses less metal and therefore takes up fewer of the earth’s resources. Is that reason enough?

This middle of the roader has been around since 1997 and has been treated to a series of relaunches and nips and tucks along the way – and it also makes an appearance as the Peugeot Expert, Fiat Scudo and Toyota Proace too. Our test model came with the highest-powered 2.0-litre turbosdiesel 125bhp powerplant. The Dispatch is also available with a 1.6-litre with 90bhp and 95bhp outputs. Our model weighed in at £19,470 ex-VAT but we also had the Enterprise pack featuring reversing sensors, steel bulkhead, air-con and electric heated rear view mirrors, plus cruise control and a driver operated speed limiter, bringing the total to £20,510. To be fair it isn’t quite as big as the Relay (seven cubic metres of loadspace against eight for the bigger van) but as most vans are never loaded to the gills we don’t reckon anyone will notice in real life.