Citroen Berlingo

August 2006

	The boxy design means rear leg and headroom is the best here – the glass roof panels let in lots of light and the sliding rear doors aid access

The Berlingo’s age is obvious as soon as you get behind the wheel. Its boxy design looks dated next to the Skoda and Nissan – but don’t despair, as the benefit is a load space bigger than many vans.

A high roof means the Citroen has more than six feet of headroom under the open hatch, and the 2,800-litre boot is more than double the Note’s size and 1,200 litres larger than the Roomster’s – it will swallow two mountain bikes upright.

The rear seats are the easiest to stow, folding and tumbling in one action, but soft trim ensures they are unsupportive. Still, the boxy design means rear leg and headroom is the best here – the glass roof panels let in lots of light and the sliding rear doors aid access. The Citroen also has an unusual yet handy aircraft-style overhead storage system, although the plastics used are low-rent.

Build quality in the front is no better. The flimsy dash plastics are a letdown and the switchgear is showing its age. There’s no seat height or steering reach adjustment, so the driving position is awkward and can be uncomfortable on long trips.

The Berlingo has a supple ride, but that can’t compensate for the vague steering, excessive body roll and sloppy gearchange. Still, the 1.6-litre HDi diesel is eager and has strong in-gear acceleration. Our biggest criticism is the brakes.

The pedal has to be pressed hard to get a response, and took more than 41 metres to stop the Citroen from 60mph – at least two metres more than either opponent.

Yet the car is superb value, and current offers give buyers up to £2,100 off. That cuts the price to £10,060 – which is £3,000 less than rivals here.

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