Citroen Berlingo

Citroën Berlingo at a glance

The Berlingo created a new class of practical, affordable vehicles that combine a van's load space with car-like comfort. Its twin, the Peugeot Partner, has shared its body and mechanicals since 1996. Citroën's story is told in the history of Citroën, and the range is in the Citroën catalogue.

First generation (1996–2010s)

The Berlingo was previewed at the 1996 Paris Motor Show with three concepts, and the "Grand Large" concept became the Multispace and Combi. It used the floorpan and mechanicals of the Citroën ZX and Peugeot 306 estate, carried up to 800 kg and had a high driving position with good visibility. The interior plastics are hard and can rattle on poor roads, but build quality was solid. It was revised in September 2002 and again in 2004, and besides Spain and Portugal it was also built in France, Argentina, Morocco, Poland, Kazakhstan and Uruguay.

Second generation (B9, 2008–2018)

Unveiled in January 2008 and launched in April 2008, the second Berlingo moved to the PSA PF2 platform shared with the Citroën C4. It was larger and more refined, with a bigger glass area, a passenger version 50 mm taller than the van, and the optional Modutop roof system with overhead storage. The Multispace seats five adults, and its boot ranges from 675 litres to about 3,000 litres with the seats removed.

Petrol engines were 1.6 16V units from 66 kW (90 PS) up to about 88 kW (120 PS), with 147–160 Nm. Diesels were the 1.6 HDi with 55–81 kW (75–110 PS) and, later, the 1.6 BlueHDi with 55–88 kW (75–120 PS). A five-speed manual was standard, and diesels could also have a six-speed automated manual. Depending on the version, top speed is 165–177 km/h and 0–100 km/h takes 12–15.5 seconds. From 2013 an electric version used a motor and battery derived from the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, with 49 kW and 200 Nm. In 2011 Citroën built 164,162 Berlingos, and cumulative production reached 2,448,214.

Third generation (K9, 2018 to today)

Design and versions

The third Berlingo was presented online on 15 February 2018 and shown at the Geneva Motor Show alongside its Peugeot sister, the Rifter. For the first time it came in two lengths, M and XL, with five or seven seats, and its styling followed the C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross crossovers. The family group now includes the Peugeot Partner and Rifter, Opel and Vauxhall Combo, Toyota ProAce City and, from 2022, the Fiat Doblò, built in Vigo, Mangualde, Oran (Algeria), Ellesmere Port (UK) and Bursa (Turkey). A facelift was revealed on 23 October 2023.

Interior and practicality

The cabin has 28 storage compartments with 186 litres in total, and the Modutop roof adds up to 92 litres of overhead storage and carries up to 10 kg. The second row has three individual seats of equal width that fold flat into the floor, all with ISOFIX. The boot holds 775 litres in the M and 1,050 litres in the five-seat XL. With the front passenger seat folded the M can carry items up to 2,700 mm long and the XL up to 3,050 mm. An electric parking brake, keyless start and driver aids such as automatic emergency braking and automatic high beam were offered.

Engines

A mild-hybrid 1.2 turbo was planned for 2025. In ANCAP's 2018 test of the twin Peugeot Partner, the van received five stars, with 90% for adult occupants and 58% for pedestrians.

What owners say

Owners of the second-generation Berlingo praise the three separate rear seats, the comfortable driving position, the sliding doors that make it easy to get in even in tight spaces, the low loading height and large tailgate. Engines that start reliably in cold weather. The ground clearance is adequate for poor roads, and with the seats folded there is enough room to sleep inside. Typical complaints concern average noise insulation, a firm suspension that reminds drivers it is based on a van, a dated centre console and, on some cars, build quality and gearbox issues. The third generation addressed several of these points with better materials, a large colour screen and more driver-assistance systems.

Rivals: how the Berlingo compares

The Berlingo competes with the Volkswagen Caddy, Ford Transit Connect, Renault Kangoo, Renault Dokker and its own group siblings. Its strengths are a huge, flexible interior, many storage spaces and economical engines; its weaknesses are hard plastics in older versions and modest performance with the smallest engines.