Good in all areas: Citroën Berlingo review

What is it?

The Citroën Berlingo is a long-established and highly popular small panel van – in the first few months of 2025 it’s been the best-selling small van on the UK market with close to 3,000 sold. The current model is the third-generation version, launched in 2018 and can also be bought badged across the other light-commercial line-ups under the Stellantis umbrella, so for Citroën Berlingo read Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo, Fiat Doblo and even a non-Stellantis equivalent, the Toyota Proace City.   The Berlingo is also available as a people-carrier dubbed the Berlingo Multispace, and all the other Stellantis brands also have their own variants. And as well as the diesel version, both panel van and people-carrier can be had with electric drivetrains dubbed e-Berlingo. In 2023 the Berlingo had a facelift, with some styling changes, including a front end accommodating the latest Citroën logo but more pertinently updates to the interior, centring on adding the Advanced Comfort seats familiar on the brand’s passenger car line-up. Additional equipment, depending on model, included a new digital instrument cluster and infotainment systems accessed via a central 10-inch screen, better parking aids and additional ADAS driver aids, and the digital rear-view mirror which this reviewer is a big fan of – it works with the van’s surround rear vision system. The basics; the Berlingo panel van is available in two body lengths – the M offers 3.3 cubic metres of loadspace, the XL 3.8 metres. Payload for the M averages around 982kg, for the XL from 927 to 953kg depending on engine and which of the three trim levels is selected. And just to cover all the bases – there is a 669kg low-payload variant of the M model in the mid-range Enterprise Plus trim (the others being Enterprise and Driver). And there is an XL crew van – opening the side-loading door reveals a second set of seats, halving the cargo loadspace, but no side windows… There is plenty of width in the load bay and this is a small van that will take a pair of Euro Pallets. Go for Enterprise Plus or Driver variants and you get a through-loading bulkhead which adds extra load length and comes as part of a passenger seat package that also includes a pivoting writing table – it can be had as a cost option on the entry-level Enterprise version.   Loading is easy – as well as the twin rear doors, which open to 180 degrees, a nearside side-loading door is standard on M models. On XL and Crew Van variants these get upgraded to twin side doors, the offside one also being available as an option on Enterprise and Driver versions of the M. Delving into the options list will also allow glazed windows on the rear doors. Ignoring the e-Berlingo which we will test separately in due course, there are two 1.5-litre diesel engines available for the van, with 100 or 130hp on offer and a choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions. WLTP-certified fuel economy ranges from 46 to 54mpg. While the options list is extensive, as is typical with many a van, one aspect that should be highlighted is the standard safety specification. As well as extending to such things as curtain airbags that were formerly options, the Berlingo gets plenty of ADAS driver aids including lane keeping, driver attention and speed limit alerts – safety body Euro NCAP deemed it worthy of a gold rating. Prices range from £20,945 (basic excluding VAT), for the 100hp manual M version in Enterprise trim up to the XL 130hp auto in Driver trim at £26,335. What do we think of it? A small van that will carry close to 1000kg will already tick many boxes among typical customers for the Berlingo such as delivery services and the like. With at least one side-loading door and a low, flat floor it’s a practical van too, easy to load. We couldn’t make the most use of the loadspace on our test vehicle, however, as it came in crew van format with its windowless second row of seats. The loadspace they leave behind them, however, while substantially reduced, remains of a practical square shape. Where the Berlingo really scores for us is in generally living with it. The latest set of upgrades saw Citroën extend a lot of the technology that has become familiar to the brand’s car drivers into the LCV line-up – you still sit fairly upright like one expects in a van, but in the Advanced Comfort Seats that really are as their title suggests, and with, so long as you don’t choose the Enterprise, a car-like set of screens ahead of you.   Dominating the scene is the 10-inch central touchscreen of the My Citroën Play infotainment system, though you really need the version in the Driver trim as this comes with navigation, but more importantly full smartphone mirroring for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Entry models, by the way, get a plug-in smartphone station so you can use your Google Maps on your phone screen. The 10-inch screen is mounted nice and high and generally easy to read though we did find it a little fiddly to use – though if you are using the van on a daily basis it will likely soon become second nature. On the road in the Berlingo you will soon forget you are driving a van, even when loaded – it really is car-like in its manners. The diesel engine is very refined, accelerating eagerly and cruising comfortably at speed, and when the road is less than straight the van responds well through light but not over-light steering. The view out of the big windows is excellent and all the technology on offer, including parking sensors, a surround-view camera and especially that digital mirror make manoeuvring easy, especially in tight spaces. One can easily rack up a great many miles in the Berlingo without feeling at all fatigued. When you factor this into the van’s general practicality and the equipment it comes with, you can understand why it is such a popular offering in its sector, even against such major rivals as the Ford Transit Connect. Those in the market for a small van should certainly have the Berlingo at the top of their test drive list.