Citroen Berlingo: Family Affairs
CITROEN BERLINGO
FAMILY AFFAIRS
Words by Carlo Brema
Photos by Daniél Rikkard
In a world where SUVs and crossovers keep dictating their trend, multispace struggle to get the preferences of new potential customers and keep the favors of the most loyal ones. Probably less fashionable, but on the other hand more practical and with a clear goal in mind, that of being useful for loading people and objects – after all, there is always the possibility of using another car for the weekend, right?! The Berlingo has reached its third generation and has been renewed in a rather important way, sharing the updated platform with the new Peugeot Rifter. Catching the eye at first glance and differentiating the new model from the previous one we have a completely new front-end, now in line with the current stylistic features of the company and therefore presenting a more massive bumper and a design that in reality is not as obvious as it seems.
In fact, the main headlights unit is joined by a large “Double Chevron” chrome profile that crosses the entire front, under a large mouth that gives character to the general design of the Berlingo and to the sides, two further pairs of lights per side, which draw a perfectly symmetrical shape that continues that sense of frivolity useful to a car that can be used in many different ways. The new incarnation of the Citroen multispace is available in different variants and specs, especially with a short wheelbase (440 cm) or a long wheelbase (475 cm) like the one of our test. The extra centimeters cost € 1,200 more, but it will be money well spent at full gain for a better habitability for the rear occupants, without for this reason making the car clumsy when on the move. The version we tested is powered by a 4-cylinder 1.5cc turbodiesel engine outputting 130 horsepower. Although it is possible to configure it with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the 6-speed manual turns out to be the better choice, the most practical and with a very long sixth gear, ideal on motorway’s cruises.
As mentioned, the Berlingo is a car for families who do not want and cannot give up anything, but this time the brand has raised the bar as far as the care for the passenger compartment concerns. In fact, if looking at it from the outside it can look like a traditional multispace with maximum load capacity – the opportunity of opening only the glass portion of the tailgate is very appreciable – once you get on board you can’t help but notice an environment that marks a clear detachment from the past. The seating position is comfortable and despite the persistent feeling of being placed too high above the steering wheel – a bit like driving a van – the behavior is that of a traditional car and even on narrow roads, despite the long wheelbase and the generous dimensions, you can drive relaxed. Different argument for the front pillar on the driver’s side, which tends to blind the visibility while entering into a corner. The dashboard plastics are almost all rigid, except for the upper part of the same, which presents some stylistic solutions and a more sophisticated design, such as the lid of the glove-box in front of the passenger. The cabin is chock-full of more or less deep compartments, in which it will be possible to store practically everything, not to mention a load area built above the same trunk and accessible from the rear seat row as well. What instead denotes how Citroen intends to move away from a purely utilitarian classification for its Berlingo can be identified in a necessary look at the needs of contemporary drivers and for this we find an 8-inch touch display featuring a system shared with the entire PSA group and through which you have satellite navigation, climate and connectivity with your smartphone. If you think about 20 years old multispace cars, this would have been unthinkable.
But it does not end here, in fact next to the gear lever there is a knob that allows you to select the preferred driving mode (including snow, off-road, sand and the possibility of deactivating traction control), another aspect that makes the Berlingo a car that does not want to be relegated only as a vehicle for bulky loads. There is also the hill descend control, to facilitate life on treacherous downhill roads, while in terms of innovative solutions I really appreciated the luminous hatbox that crosses the passenger compartment longitudinally and serves – yep, once again – as an additional storage compartment.
The new Berlingo changes skin and does so almost silently, without distorting its nature. While remaining an excellent multispace able to comfortably accommodate 5 people on board and several luggage in the huge trunk, it turns out to be a car capable of offering those technological gadgets that until a few years ago were almost considered taboo in a category that has always had to pay more attention to basic functions rather than superfluous ones. Now there is everything you could possibly need and thanks to the new shapes shared with the other models of the Citroen family, the Berlingo manages to show off that nice look that makes it stand out in a category that – together with minivans – seemed almost gone into oblivion and that instead could live a second youth. In this case, this deserves it all.
CITROEN BERLINGO 1.5 BlueHDi SHINE XTR
Layout – front-engined, front wheel drive
Engine – 4 cylinder 1.499cc – turbodiesel
Transmission – 6-speed manual gearbox
Power – 131 hp @ 3.750 rpm
300 Nm @ 1.750 rpm
Weight – 1.581 kg
Acceleration – 10,5 sec.
Top Speed – 185 kph
Price – from € 26.850