8. Citroen Berlingo Multispace

If a car is practical and good value, does it matter how it looks? The Citroen Berlingo Multispace borrows styling from the Berlingo van, so its dimensions are a bit awkward, but as it’s based on the Citroen C4 and Peugeot 308 hatchbacks, it drives well.

Sadly, it hasn’t carried over those cars’ safety credentials. The Multispace only got a four-star Euro NCAP rating for adult protection, plus ESP is an option on most models.
What it does provide is space: there’s 675 litres of luggage capacity with the rear seats up. The seats tumble forward and can be removed to increase boot size to a massive 3,000 litres. Sliding rear doors make access easy, and seven seats are available as an option.

Diesel dominates the engine range, but the cleanest Airdream models come only with the jerky semi-automatic gearbox. It’s better to put up with the slightly higher road tax bills and fuel consumption of the manual cars – the 90bhp 1.6-litre HDi promises 53.3mpg economy and 135g/km emissions. Insurance group ratings will be low across the range, while the 12,500-mile service intervals are competitive.