Citroen Berlingo Multispace Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Citroën Berlingo Multispace range
Prices: £11,335-£15,765 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-5
Emissions: 147-195g/km
Performance: [1.6 HDi 110] 0-60 12.5s / Max Speed 105mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.6 HDi 110] (urban) 41.5mpg / (extra urban) 57.6mpg / (combined) 50.4mpg
Safety: ABS, EBD, twin front side and curtain airbags
Dimensions: length/width/height 4380/1810/1801mm

BETTER BY BERLINGO?

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

The Citroën Berlingo Multispace made its name as no-frills family transport. Now that it’s a bit plusher, has it lost its raison d’etre? Andy Enright reports

The old Citroën Berlingo Multispace was a stroke of genius, converting a van into low budget family transport. This time round, Citroën has tried a different tack, distancing the Berlingo Multispace from its commercial origins. More sophisticated and ‘lifestyle’ it may now be but has a degree of charm has been lost in the process?

It has to be said that the customer base for the Berlingo Multispace hasn’t always been particularly discerning. The vehicle has racked up a good proportion of its huge sales merely by being the most affordable new car that can house a big family and all their gear. Never mind about fancy electronics, the latest flippy spinny seats or anything like that, the Berlingo Multispace buyer wanted a lot of fresh air inside and if the vehicle resembled a pizza van, well, that was just a minor issue.

Owning a vehicle with rubber floors that could be hosed clean and which would always come back from the most fearful leathering was an experience that nevertheless endeared itself to many. There’s something uniquely French about battering a car almost to death and then passing it on as a family heirloom and the Berlingo Multispace accepted this role with good grace. Now things have changed quite dramatically.

There’s a choice of both five and seven seat versions and it drives far more like a car than a van these days, though it still isn’t a vehicle designed to please car enthusiasts – nor should it be. The running gear is based on Citroen’s avant-garde C4 Picasso mini-MPV, which means that it handles very competently indeed, with less roll than its predecessor around twisty roads. As with the old Berlingo Multispace, all-round visibility is excellent, making this a great companion in congested urban areas. The more sophisticated suspension is a particular boon on B roads, removing the experience offered up by the old car of crashing from one pothole to another. The more powerful 110bhp 1.6-litre HDi diesel makes sixty from rest in around 12 seconds on the way to a maximum in the region of 105mph. If you want to go any faster than that in a car of this kind, then there’s something wrong with you.

The car has a pseudo MacPherson type front suspension and at the rear, a torsion beam with an anti-roll bar. The rear dampers are also inclined to reduce the size of the rear wheel arches and, therefore maximise the rear load area. Stopping-wise, there are four disc brakes and ABS, with electronic brake force distribution (EBFD), emergency brake assist (EBA) and automatic illumination of the hazard warning lights during emergency braking.

It isn’t only the C4 Picasso’s chassis that this Berlingo Multispace shares to get away from its commercial roots. There are a number of C4 Picasso cues in the external styling as well and it’s a very assured piece of design for a vehicle that is, by necessity, tall and boxy. With a longer wheelbase and a bigger load bay, the Berlingo Multispace hasn’t forgotten about its need to remain practical. Overall length has gone up by a whopping 24cms and a potential load space of 3000 litres means it could swallow four washing machines. With the rear parcel shelf in place, a total of 675 litres is available.

The ability to adapt to many different uses is a key requirement of this type of vehicle. The car is fitted as standard with a three-person rear bench seat which can be folded (two thirds – one third), or removed completely. To increase the modularity even further, customers can opt for three individual, reclining, folding and removable seats, an option not previously available in this type of vehicle. The specially shaped back of the middle rear seat includes two cup holders, and when folded creates a table between the two outer seats. There are also folding "airline" style trays attached to the backs of the passenger and driver’s seats.

Go for the ‘Family Pack’ option to get seven-seat versatility from your Berlingo Multispace and it will come fitted with three individual, reclining, folding and removable seats in the second row. The third row is comprised of a pair of seats which can be folded down or removed completely when n