Open gallery 
The van-based MPV gets an injection of sophistication
The Berlingo wears the Citroën double chevron badge proudly
The Berlingo’s headlamps share a striking similarity with the C4 Picasso
Be careful in multi-storey car parks. The Berlingo has the high seating position of an SUV and a roofline to match
The ease of entry provided by the sliding rear side doors is a serious boon
Enormous tailgate can make boot access tricky in tight parking spots
The cylindrical cubbyholes are surprisingly capacious and clingy
Modularity pack also brings three (heavy and fiddly) removable rear seats
Front seats are comfy and supportive — useful, given the amount of body roll
Both the steering wheel and seats provide a wide range of adjustment, but the driving position remains slightly van-like
A tall body means you can fit awkward loads without having to remove the seats
A low sill and flat boot floor means its easy to load heavy luggage
For a car that puts out just 89bhp and tips Mira’s scales at 1580kg, the 1.6HDi Berlingo actually acquits itself reasonably well
It will keep up with the flow of traffic, and the healthy 159lb ft of torque means it can do so without feeling too strained
The gearchange is probably the drivetrain’s weakest link
No Berlingo can be described as quick, but that’s not the point
Body roll inevitably builds up the harder you push, but it deals with rapid changes of direction with little drama
There doesn’t seem to be anything in the Berlingo’s dynamic make-up to make it feel unstable
The utilitarian family holdall is now likeable and sophisticated
by Steve Cropley 5 February 2012 Follow @StvCr Share
How we test cars
The original Citroen Berlingo was a bit of a pioneer — at least in the UK. Although van-based MPVs have been popular with Continental families on a budget for decades, the original Berlingo was a bit of a surprise hit for Citroën when it brought the genre to the UK back in 1998.
MPVs based on commercial vehicles do not hold the highest of ranks in the pantheon of people carriers, though. They must provide simple, rugged and practical family transport, but their no-frills nature means that anything more than a token nod to luxury or refinement is unnecessary, if not undesirable.
The utilitarian family holdall is now likeable and sophisticatedSteve CropleyEditor-in-chief
This Citroën Berlingo Multispace is still based on a light commercial vehicle – the Citroën Berlingo/Peugeot Partner van – but that car uses the same basic platform architecture and drivetrains as the Citroën C4 and Peugeot 308 hatchbacks. This should mean higher levels of comfort, refinement and dynamic than we’ve seen before in a van-based people carrier.
The question is, does this bigger, more sophisticated Berlingo Multispace live up to the promise of greater comfort, refinement and dynamic ability that its more sophisticated engineering background suggests? And can it still fulfil its core role as a good-value, practical, utilitarian family holdall, especially in a ever-growing segment, with the Ford Tourneo Connect and Volkswagen Caddy Life both making headway.
Entry-level Berlingo Multispaces come with a 93bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine or the perky 108bhp turbocharged 1.2-litre PureTech unit, although most buyers will rightly plump for a diesel. There’s a choice of two diesels, all 1.6-litre in capacity, but with outputs of 99 and 118bhp. Trim levels are limited to just Feel and Flair.
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Verdict
The van-based MPV gets an injection of sophistication
Model tested: Rating:
Citroen Berlingo Multispace 2008-2018
GoodRefinementInterior quality and comfortClever storageBadExpensive optionsDisappointing rideHeavy seats