Despite restrictions on travel, the distance I covered in the Berlingo gave me plenty of insight into the van’s advantages and drawbacks; and on balance the story is a positive one.
For a kick-off I have no quarrels at all with the Berlingo’s handling, its ride or the quality of the five-speed manual box’s gear change. All are more than acceptable, and the lack of a sixth gear did not turn out to be quite the drawback that I expected it to be on intercity motorway runs.
Nor does the Citroen fall short on performance. I ran it more than half-laden for several weeks, and the impact on acceleration and its hill-climbing ability was only marginal.
By the time the van departed it was averaging a respectable 50mpg, which meant it was edging ever closer to the official combined consumption figure. A few more weeks and it probably would have surpassed it.
The build quality was fine. Nothing creaked, groaned or rattled.
Any negatives? The key one is in-cab noise levels. They are too high – road noise is a particular concern – and my Berlingo was in sore need of extra sound insulation.
It’s fitted to top-of-the-range Driver models, so why not make it standard across the range? It seems a little cheese-paring to confine it to just one of the derivatives.
Equipment levels were acceptable – the Enterprise package includes air conditioning and electric folding mirrors – but I would have welcomed the presence of satellite navigation. You can always resort to your smartphone in its absence but the screen isn’t big enough, so I went back to sticking a Garmin on the windscreen instead.
Eventually I got used to the electronic parking brake. As a traditionalist, however, I still prefer the reassuring presence of a handbrake lever.
A low cargo bed height thanks to front-wheel drive and access from the nearside and rear meant the Citroen was easy to load and unload. I made use of the load-through facility on a couple of occasions; it allows you to slide items that would otherwise be too long for the cargo bed into the cab – and it worked fine.
Height adjustable, as is the steering wheel, and featuring lumbar adjustment, the comfortable driver’s seat turned out to be a boon on long journeys. However I remain as unconvinced by Berlingo’s three-seater configuration as I was when I first encountered it.
Legroom for the middle passenger is poor to non-existent, unless you happen to be a garden gnome.
Overall, though, the Berlingo is a sturdy, unfussy middle-of-the-road workhorse likely to prove ideal for a wide cross-section of fleets and small to medium-size business users. It’s unlikely to inspire you – but it shouldn’t disappoint you either.
End-of-term report
Safety = 3/5
The basics are there and cruise control with a variable speed limiter is included in the deal, but you will need to pay extra for an all-embracing package.
Options list = 3/5
I’d rather have picked satnav than a special paint finish from what turned out to be a sensible selection of extras.
Driving = 4/5
Both the handling and ride are more than acceptable, so is fuel economy and there is no shortage of performance. In-cab noise levels are too high though.
Load bay = 4/5
Easy to access and with a low cargo bed, it ticks all the boxes. Load-through facility can be invaluable if you need to carry extra-long items.
Cabin = 3/5
Offers a comfortable driving position, a lot of equipment and plenty of storage space, but the cramped middle passenger seat seems a mite pointless.
Build quality = 4/5
Sturdily constructed, with no squeaking or rattling. Looks built to last.
Overall score = 70%
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 2,629
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP) 51.4mpg
Our average consumption 50mpg
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,550mm
Load bay height 1,236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1,499cc/76hp
CO2 142g/km (WLTP)
6th Report
When you are still some distance from your destination, on a rural road late at night with a full load on board, the last thing you want to see on the instrument panel is an orange warning light telling you that you’ve got a tyre pressure problem.
Does that mean you have got a slow puncture and the tyre will give up the unequal struggle in four or five miles? Or will you be able to keep going and reach your goal?
And which tyre is it anyway? The Berlingo’s warning light doesn’t tell you. What you are told, however, via the dashboard touchscreen is that you need to ‘reinitialise’ the system once the pressures have been addressed.
When my long-term test Berlingo’s light came on I kept going for a mile or so, pulled into a lay-by and carefully examined the van’s tyres by torchlight.
Given the disgraceful state of the country’s roads I fully expected to see a big lump out of a sidewall or tread courtesy of a deep pothole and hear a rush of escaping air.
Yet they all looked absolutely fine, and the Continental Eco Contact 6 boots the Berlingo wears on its 15in wheels are pretty robust anyway judging from past experience. Premium brand tyres cost extra, but they are a lot more dependable than cheap products made by manufacturers with unfamiliar names.
So I got back behind the wheel, secure in the knowledge that my Berlingo had a spare if the worst came to the worst, and made it home.
Next morning all the tyres still looked fine, but the pressures had to be checked anyway of course.
The label that tells you what they should be – 2.5 bar at the front, 2.7 bar at the rear – is on the B-pillar on the driver’s side of the vehicle, and can be seen when you open the door.
The pressure requirement is the same regardless of whether you are lightly or heavily laden.
As it turned out, all the pressures were slightly low, with the front nearside tyre noticeably lower than the other three.
So I got the tyre inflator out of the garage, plugged it into the 12v power point at the bottom of the dashboard, and pumped all the tyres up to the correct level.
Reinitialising involves pressing the outline of the front of a car on the left-hand side of the touchscreen. That takes you to the Driving Function menu, which allows you to switch the parking sensors and the stop/start and traction control systems off and on as well as reset the tyre pressure alert function.
Do so, and the warning light should be extinguished.
The moral of this story? Check your tyre pressures regularly – low pressures lead to higher fuel consumption as well as being a safety risk – and your oil, water and screen wash levels too while you are at it.
Too few van drivers (this one included) bother to do so these days – and don’t forget to keep some AdBlue handy if that is something your vehicle periodically requires. The Berlingo does, but it hasn’t asked for it yet.
Report card: Performance = 4/5
Well up to any task you throw at it.
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 2,476
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP) 51.4mpg
Our average consumption 49.3mpg
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,550mm
Load bay height 1,236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1,499cc/76hp
CO2 142g/km (WLTP)
5th Report
The gradual easing of lockdown restrictions and the slow but (hopefully) steady opening up of the economy at last means that our long-term test Berlingo is now working far harder than it has done in recent months.
Treks from south Herefordshire to Dorchester, Telford and Bath among other locations mean that I’ve been able to pile on the miles – and not before time. Some of the trips have been covered with around half the permitted maximum gross payload on board, and I have been impressed by several aspects of the Berlingo’s on-highway behaviour.
While I assumed the presence of a five rather than a six-speed manual gearbox would prove to be a real hindrance on motorways and dual carriageways when I initially took charge of the Citroen, that has not been borne out in practice. Even though it is short one gear, in reality I’ve not felt the lack of it and have been perfectly happy with the van’s long-haul behaviour.
Its absence is not harming fuel economy either. Indeed, fuel efficiency seems to be improving as I cover more miles, and getting a lot closer to the official WLTP figure then it was when the van first arrived.
Nor am I always driving with the aim of minimising diesel consumption – far from it. On a recent urgent run it was foot hard down all the way as far as possible without breaking the speed limit, and the Berlingo responded well.
For the most part it hammered up inclines without having to draw breath, with only the occasional need to drop down from fifth to fourth gear. Performance has improved more rapidly than I expected in line with the rising miles.
When you attempt dashes like this you learn to appreciate good handling. That is something else the Berlingo delivers, and always feels commendably stable while it is doing so.
Long journeys also make you appreciate a comfortable driver’s seat, and the Berlingo undoubtedly has one. It is height-adjustable and boasts lumbar adjustment too.
Add these features to the ability to adjust the height and reach of the steering column and it should be easy to achieve a driving position that does not land you with an aching back and shoulders at the end of the working day.
So is the Berlingo perfect? Alas, no; in-cab noise levels remain too high and extra sound insulation would be more than welcome.
I’m also feeling the lack of a built-in satnav system more keenly now that I’m piloting the Berlingo further afield. That was especially the case when it came to locating a quarry deep in the West Country as I needed to do recently.
Enterprise-specification Berlingos do not have one as standard. You have to pay extra for it or move up to Driver trim.
I could always use my smartphone as a navigating aid of course, but the screen is too small and the sound is not always that clear. So I’ve ended up blowing the dust off my trusty old Garmin and attaching that to the windscreen instead.
That arrangement still works fine even though it means trailing the power cable all the way down to a 12v socket close to the cab floor.
However, you always have to be sure to wipe away the tell-tale sucker mark on the inside of the windscreen when you remove your Garmin. It used to be a magnet for thieves and encouraged them to break into your cab in the hope of being able to find and pinch your portable satnav – and probably still does.
Report card: Equipment = 4/5
Generally good, but I’d rather have a satnav than special paint.
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 1,636
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP) 51.4mpg
Our average consumption 49.3mpg
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,550mm
Load bay height 1,236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1,499cc/76hp
CO2 142g/km (WLTP)
4th Report
Covid-19 and the restrictions it has imposed on long-distance travel mean that so far I have not been able to clock up as many miles in the Berlingo as I would like to have done.
Spending more time stationary has enabled me to examine some of its features more closely, however.
These include the ability to extend the load bed if you want to transport items that are too long to fit into the cargo area, such as planks or poles.
To do so you tug a blue strap at the top of the seat closest to the passenger door and flip the seatback forwards. Once you have dropped the back down, you will see it boasts a steel plate that should ensure whatever ends up resting on it will not do the seat any harm.
You also need to open a hatch in the full-height steel bulkhead directly behind the seat. This is done by flipping up a catch and then folding the hatch backwards into the cargo bay. The exercise extends the Berlingo’s cargo floor by up to 1,219mm. A notice on the bulkhead says that if you use this facility then the middle passenger seat should be left unoccupied on safety grounds – not that most people would want to use it anyway, given the absence of legroom.
Presumably, the fear is that whatever is loaded through could end up in the centre passenger’s lap. To make doubly sure that there are no hazards, what I can only describe as a large fabric sock is provided, which can be secured to the bulkhead. Any planks, pipes or other cargo can be pushed into it to ensure they do not end up prodding anyone.
Get real Citroen. Despite good intentions, I cannot for one moment imagine that anyone would end up bothering with it. It is too fiddly and is likely to end up being chucked into the load area or folded up and dumped in the passenger footwell. That’s where ours has ended up, in fact.
These criticisms aside, the load-through facility makes sound sense. This makes it less likely that Berlingo owners will need to have a roof rack fitted, which would wreck the van’s aerodynamics and run the risk that whatever is carried on the rack might be stolen.
Weaving my way along the rural roads of Herefordshire – an exercise that involves dodging a succession of massive potholes thanks to the thoroughly disgraceful state of the county’s highways – I have become increasingly impressed by the Berlingo’s manoeuvrability.
Swinging the Berlingo in and out of gateways to avoid oncoming tractors is a doddle, as is wriggling it into tight parking spaces in the centre of villages. The reversing sensors are of particular help in this case.
And a word of praise for the Berlingo’s wash/wipe system: spring means daffodils, lambs, Easter eggs and a steady stream of incontinent birds using the Citroen’s windscreen for target practice. The wipers and screen washers clear the evidence away very effectively rather than smearing it across the glass, giving the driver clear vision in a matter of seconds. Although it should perhaps be added that there is a section on the passenger side that the wipers manage to miss.
Of course, the birds manage to hit it bang on every time, unfortunately. Just as well pigs can’t fly.
Report card: Build quality = 4/5
No major concerns.
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 917
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP) 51.4mpg
Our average consumption 46.3mpg
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,550mm
Load bay height 1,236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1,499cc/76hp
CO2 142g/km (WLTP)
3rd Report
A recent, mercifully short journey with two passengers in the Berlingo’s three-seater cab served only to underline what I have always believed. It’s not really a three-seater van at all.
The way in which the moulding that accommodates the gear stick bows outwards from the cab means that there is next to zero legroom for the middle traveller. As a consequence, whoever is unfortunate enough to occupy the centre perch ends up feeling cramped, and is sure to complain loudly.
My middle passenger certainly did, and at some length.
Nor is the lack of legroom the sole issue. Because the cab is too narrow for three seats, you end up literally rubbing shoulders with piggy in the middle.
The argument has been advanced that the centre seat is fine for children. Somehow, I still doubt it – and if you were to put a school-age child there then I suspect the lack of comfort would result in the all-too-familiar cry of ‘are we there yet?’
being uttered even more regularly than usual.
I would much rather see the centre seat removed and replaced by a large, lidded storage box.
Van cabs can never have too much space to stow all the paraphernalia that drivers end up carting around with them. This is even more important now that face coverings and hand gel are essential items drivers and passengers need to carry.
The centre seat does have one saving grace, however, and that’s the ability to fold down the back.
If you do so, then you’ll find that it turns into a handy desk that can be swivelled either towards the driver or towards the outboard passenger. This is ideal if you need to use a tablet or laptop to get some virtual paperwork done while you’re on the move.
As you’re tapping away in a lay-by somewhere you’ll probably be sipping a cup of richly deserved tea or coffee.
Now here’s a question I’ve never been able to get a satisfactory answer to – why are so many cup holders in vans too small to accommodate a good old British mug of PG Tips or Gold Blend?
The ones in the Berlingo are no exception, unfortunately.
Although they might be fine for a dinky little espresso cup, they are not quite large enough for a steaming sugar-laden mug of char you could stand a spoon up in.
Despite these complaints, I’m nonetheless a big fan of the Berlingo’s handling and its apparent frugality, and I’m grudgingly coming to terms with the absence of a sixth gear.
I am also getting used to the electric parking brake – and remembering to put my foot on the brake pedal before I try to release it.
Nor do I have too many complaints about the Citroen’s laden performance. With around 400kg in the back made up of a large quantity of bagged gravel I still haven’t got round to unloading, along with shovels, rakes and other bits and pieces, it’s having to work that bit harder, but my progress is not impeded all that much.
In-cab noise levels remain an issue, however, and were highlighted by a recent run down the M50.
The combination of road, wind and engine noise can be a real irritation for drivers, and mars what is otherwise a perfectly acceptable package.
Report card: Fuel economy = 4/5
Won’t break the bank.
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 772
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP) 51.4mpg
Our average consumption 46.3mpg
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,550mm
Load bay height 1,236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1,499cc/76hp
CO2 142g/km (WLTP)
2nd Report
The Berlingo’s cargo area does not look as pristine as it did when the van first arrived, now that it is laden with 10 37kg bags of grey 20mm Hereford gravel. Bags of gravel are usually wet and a bit gritty and one of mine partially split, scattering some of its contents across the cargo bed.
Bitterly cold winter weather caused the bags to freeze together in a single amorphous mass, which meant I was unable to distribute them more evenly across the floor until the temperature rose. The low temperature caused the locking fuel cap to freeze to the van too.
The bags were easy enough to put onboard, however, thanks to a low loading height courtesy of front-wheel drive and a sliding nearside door, as well as twin rear doors.
The full-height steel bulkhead should ensure that the cab’s occupants don’t end up being thumped by the heavy bags should they shift forwards under heavy braking.
I haven’t lashed them down despite the presence of six load tie-down points in the 3.3m3 cargo box. Wet bags always seem to slide out from under any restraint straps that are applied to them.
Eventually destined to be spread across my drive, the gravel was put into place so I could see how the Berlingo behaves with a bit of weight onboard; in this case more than half the quoted gross payload. It has an effect, but the impact of the 370kg burden is not enormous.
It does mean that I’m marginally slower away from rest and some of the Forest of Dean’s steeper gradients have to be tackled using one gear lower than the gear I would usually attempt them in when the van is empty.
Motorway inclines have to be addressed in the same way, although the momentum I’ve generally built up before I reach them carries me up all but the most demanding examples.
Does running more than half-laden make any difference to journey times? Not really – all you have to do to maintain them is occasionally work a
bit harder with the gearbox than usual.
Fortunately the gearbox has an acceptable quality of change – smooth enough, though not as smooth as what is on offer from some of the Fords I’ve encountered over the years – so the task is not all that onerous.
Does having some weight onboard increase fuel consumption? Logic suggests that it should, but so far the impact does not appear to be enormous. Fuel consumption would doubtless improve considerably if the Berlingo had got a six-speed rather than a five-speed manual box; but that’s another story.
I’ve yet to get used to the electronic parking brake – what’s wrong with an old-fashioned handbrake lever? – but I’ve settled down nicely into the comfortable driver’s seat. It is height-adjustable and comes with lumbar adjustment; just what you need if you’ve got a long motorway journey to tackle and you know you’re going to be behind the wheel for a while.
Complete with steering wheel-mounted controls, the good-quality DAB radio makes it easy for me to indulge in my favourite morning activity – shouting at BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. I know the presenters can’t hear me. It just makes me feel better.
Report card: Cab = 4/5
Comfortable working environment.
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 584
Official combined fuel economy 51.4mpg (WLTP)
Our average consumption 46.3mpg
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1,817mm
Load width (min/max) 1,229mm/1,550mm
Load bay height 1,236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1,499cc/76hp
CO2 142g/km (WLTP)
1st Report
Citroen’s Berlingo is the latest recruit to What Van?’s long-term test fleet. The newcomer is an Enterprise BlueHDi 75 standard-length M model powered by a 76hp, 1.5-litre diesel married to a five-speed manual transmission.
The same engine is up for grabs at 102hp, again with a five-speed box, and at 131hp with an eight-speed automated box. The Berlingo can also be ordered with a 110hp 1.2-litre petrol engine with a six-speed manual box.
The three-seater Berlingo boasts a 3.3m3 load area. Opt for the longer XL model, which is also sold as a five-seater crew van, and cargo space expands to 3.9m3. Fold the front outboard passenger seat back – a capability found on most derivatives – and available carrying space expands to 3.8m3 and 4.4m3, respectively.
Enterprise specifications sit above the entry-level X trim but below the top-of-the-range Driver. It is also important to mention the Worker specification level, which sits at somewhat of a tangent from the others. Aimed at customers in the construction and utilities industries, it includes increased ground clearance and mud and snow tyres.
Enterprise trim comes with air conditioning, cruise control with a variable speed limiter, an electronic parking brake, an alarm, electric folding mirrors and a tyre pressure monitor. The comfortable driver’s seat is height adjustable and comes with lumbar adjustment, while front fog-lights make winter driving a lot safer.
Drivers also benefit from an Extenso seat package, which includes the aforementioned folding outboard passenger seat. In addition, the back of the middle seat folds downwards to reveal a desk that swivels towards the driver.
Forming part of the deal too is a load-through facility, which is incorporated in the full-height steel bulkhead. It can be invaluable for carrying something that is slightly too long for the cargo bed.
Turning to infotainment, this package includes a DAB radio with steering-mounted remote controls, a USB port, Bluetooth compatability and an 8in colour touch-screen offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Satellite navigation is included in the Driver specification level or as an extra-cost option.
Access to our well-equipped demonstrator’s load bay is by means of twin rear doors, plus a sliding nearside door. Six load tie-down points are provided. These, along with the aforementioned bulkhead, should help ensure that the occupants of the cab do not suffer if cargo starts to shift forwards under heavy braking.
It’s good to see so much storage space in the cab, but the three-seater configuration leaves a little to be desired. Legroom for an adult passenger in the middle seat is almost non-existent, thanks to a moulding that curves outward from the dashboard and accommodates the gear stick.
Our attractive-looking and well put together Berlingo is finished in special Passion Red paint, which adds £480 to the final invoice. Just as well, then, that the body is protected by side rubbing strips. All prices quoted exclude VAT.
As Citroen is part of Stellantis (formerly PSA Group), versions of the Berlingo with different badges are marketed by fellow group brands Peugeot and Vauxhall. The former sells it as the Partner and the latter as the Combo. The Berlingo is also sold by Toyota as the Proace City under a joint venture.
On the whole, the Berlingo undoubtedly handles well. Push it hard into a corner and it hangs on in there, with no body roll or unseemly lurching at all.
The ride and gear change are both acceptable, but acceleration from rest and up through the gears is a little on the tardy side. Hopefully matters will improve as we pile on the miles.
Cab noise levels are too high – road noise is a particular issue – and the extra acoustic insulation installed in the Driver derivatives wouldn’t go amiss, either.
The absence of a sixth gear was glaringly obvious when joining any motorway or dual carriageway. Why on earth is a six-speed manual box only offered with the petrol engine?
In terms of fuel consumption, it’s early days but the Berlingo is averaging 46.3mpg running lightly laden. Let’s wait and see what happens when we put some weight in the back.
Report card: Handling = 4/5
Impressively sharp.
Citroen Berlingo Enterprise BlueHDi 75
Mileage 175
Official combined fuel economy (WLTP) 51.4mpg
Our average consumption 46.3mpg
Price range tbc
Price (ex VAT) £19,035
Warranty 3yrs/100,000mls
Service intervals 2yrs/25,000mls
Load length 1817mm
Load width (min/max) 1229mm/1550mm
Load bay height 1236mm
Load volume 3.3m3
Gross payload 680kg
Engine size/power 1499cc/76hp
CO2 (WLTP) 142g/km
On sale October 2018
Options (prices ex VAT)
Special paint £480
