A brief of the Citroen Berlingo

The Citroen Berlingo is a class of van that has been on sale since the mid 1990s. While vans were never really a popular choice amongst your everyday car buyer, some automakers do see enough traction with these to keep them around in one way or another. Among the select few options that do exist, one of the names that resonate with buyers who are looking for a practical, spacious and a no-nonsense mode of transportation is certainly the Citroen Berlingo. It and its Peugeot Partner doppelganger are actually produced at the same manufacturing facility since the two models were launched in 1996.

In the United Arab Emirates, the Citroen Berlingo is sold in two different versions: there’s the utilitarian Cargo Van avatar and the family-oriented Multispace. Currently in its second iteration, the Citroen Berlingo in the UAE goes up against the likes of the Fiat Fiorino, Peugeot Partner and the Renault Dokker Van. Almost none of these vehicles ever intended to be someone’s first purchase, but are usually used to haul larger items or as a picnic getaway vehicle.

Exterior

While they might not be very popular, that reason alone hasn’t stopped companies like Citroen from trying to make these vans look a bit more appealing as the years tick by. The outgoing second-gen Berlingo was given an extensive cosmetic makeover that boosted its appearance by some margin. It now gets an updated front fascia with revised bumper, grille, hood and headlights and the whole front portion has been given a more sculpted design in consensus with the marque’s more contemporary vehicles. The addition of LED daytime-running lights, split air-intake vents and an upswept headlamp design all make this Berlingo a tad bit more appealing than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the tall, van-like side profile is very much here to stay but then again, that’s part of the design commission for a van.

The Multispace looks more enticing than its cargo counterpart, with some extra design, personalization and people-friendly options. The bespoke options include several exterior color choices, large roof rails, expansive greenhouse coverage, sliding side doors, stylish wheel covers, along with other Berlingo usuals such as the flared fenders and protective door trim. The rear gets a massive tailgate with a large back window and sleek-looking vertically aligned tail lamps. The five-seater Berlingo measures 4.380 meters in length, 1.810 meters in width and 1.852 meters in overall height. Its wheelbase spans 2.728 meters, while its total boot volume (Multispace) is 675 liters.

Interior

As with most vans in this segment, the interior of the Citroen Berlingo is all about function over form. There’s tons of room in the cabin, enough to play a game of football if you like, and the front and rear seats have enough adjustability and versatility to help boost the van’s practicality. You also sit pretty high up in the Berlingo (as with other vans) so all-around visibility is pretty good, too. Comfort is fine with multiple seating adjustments and a long wheelbase extracting space for the rear occupants.

As for its equipment list, the Berlingo (Multispace) gets halogen headlights, keyless entry, fabric seats, manual AC with rear vents, built-in radio & CD player, split-folding rear seats, power steering, anti-lock brakes and dual front airbags as standard.

Engine and performance

Under the hood of the Berlingo (Multispace) is a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated in-line four with 110hp and 152Nm of torque. This mill drives the front wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission, with the Berlingo only crossing 100 km/h in an agonizing 15.5 seconds. Top speed is 162 km/h, though that might not be too safe.

Verdict

The Citroen Berlingo wears a price tag of AED 53,500 for the cargo variant and AED 55,500 for the Multispace. With a roomy cabin, acceptable levels of gismos and tech and an adequately powerful engine, the Berlingo comes as an efficient highway cruiser though it might have a lot taking on it to maneuver comfortably in the city which is attributed to the lack of an automatic transmission.