UK Edition
Citroën Berlingo Multispace review: a practical family car at a bargain price
The idea of carting one’s family around in a van will be distinctly unpalatable to some buyers. Many Brits these days far prefer the trappings, trinkets and rugged looks that come with an SUV, or the quality and calm endowed by a prestige hatchback.
However, cars like the Citroën Berlingo Multispace have become very popular over on the continent as cheap, useful family wagons. The premise is simple: take a small van, throw in an extra row of seats and maybe a bit of extra sound deadening, and finish off with a set of windows.
The result is an enormously useful, fantastically spacious and often very cheap family car. The downsides? Well, underneath it all, it’s still a van. So has the Berlingo Multispace defied its utilitarian roots to become the ultimate cheap family car, or is it still simply van ordinaire?
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Space – 10/10
Hard to beat
As you’d expect, the Berlingo Multispace’s van genes give it a huge advantage over similarly-priced family cars here. It’s essentially a box on wheels, which means you get a vast load area, and seats which tumble forward to make it even more cavernous.
True, the Fiat Doblo and Mercedes Citan Extra Long offer even more space, but we can’t imagine you’ll ever find the Berlingo wanting.
There’s no lack of head room or shoulder room thanks to the high roof and slab sides, while there’s ample leg room whether you’re in the front or rear. Up front, you also get so many cubbies and pockets that you’ll struggle to know what to do with them all.
The Berlingo Multispace also has a flat floor and three individual rear seats, which means you can fit three relatively sizeable people side by side without feeling cramped. And you can specify a third row of seats to make it a seven-seater should you choose.
Comfort – 6/10
Noisy, but reasonably smooth
Unusually, the Berlingo Multispace’s ride comfort actually gets better if you load it with more stuff. That’s because its van suspension is designed to cope with heavy loads – so full of the family and their assorted gubbins, it becomes really very comfortable.
That said, when it’s light, it can feel a touch bouncy, and however laden it is, you’ll feel expansion gaps and smaller divots in the road, which feed back vibration and noise through the car.
Noise is a bit of an issue, actually, as when you’re accelerating the diesel engines get pretty vocal. Once up to speed, though, they quieten down. There’s still a fair bit of road noise to contend with, mind, and models with roof bars will generate some wind noise around the top of your head.
The seats, meanwhile, have short squabs which might make drivers with longer legs feel unsupported, and the driving position is very upright and offers limited adjustment. At least the seats provide a decent amount of support, which prevents back ache on a long trip.
Book a free Citroen Berlingo Multispace home test drive
Dashboard Layout – 5/10
Clearly laid-out, but cheaply made
The Berlingo’s dashboard controls are simplicity themselves, with big, chunky buttons that are easy to understand and use, and simple vents that are very effective at directing the air flow. The dials in front of the driver are simple to understand and easy to read, too.
That said, the passenger window switch can be a bit of a stretch for the driver to reach. And the whole thing is made from very cheap-feeling plastic that’s unappealing both to look at and to touch.
You can specify an attractive-looking colour touchscreen for the Berlingo Multispace, but the software that controls this is buggy and slow to respond.
Easy to drive – 6/10
Good visibility and light controls
The Berlingo Multispace’s slab-sided body and huge windows make it nice and easy to manoeuvre in tight spots, so although it feels large, it isn’t that tricky to reverse park.
That said, the Multispace’s door mirrors are tall and narrow, too, which can be a problem as it creates a fairly large blind spot, and the nose is hard to see from the driver’s seat, making the optional parking sensors a worthwhile buy.
What’s more, the gearchange is rather long and stiff. You can pick an automatic if you prefer, but the gearbox is slow and jerky, and it’s only available with one engine variant. It’s worth noting, too, that the handbrake is located down on the floor, requiring you to stretch down and give it a firm yank whenever you want to apply it.
Fun to drive – 5/10
Competent, if not thrilling
Can a van be fun to drive? Well, the Berlingo Multispace is certainly no dog’s dinner. The steering provides a decent amount of feedback and is faithful and predictable, and it turns in tidily, if not particularly sharply.
But of course, it’s rather top-heavy, which means it leans over prodigiously in corners, and the steering gets very heavy if you try to drive in a spirited fashion. Nevertheless, the Berlingo grips well, and reacts safely and predictably if you push it too hard, which means it’ll be perfectly competent enough as a family bus.
Reliability – 6/10
Citroën gets an average score
Citroën’s score in the 2016 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Survey was average, placing 13th out of 24 manufacturers. It finished below Ford and Peugeot, but above Mercedes-Benz.
The Berlingo Multispace comes with a warranty that’s about par for the course. You get three years and unlimited mileage, which is the same as Mercedes Benz, and better than Ford, but not as much as Kia and Hyundai offer on their – admittedly more expensive – family cars.
Fuel consumption – 8/10
Better than many others
You should steer clear of the 1.6-litre “95” petrol model, as this is both gutless and thirsty. However, if you do so, you should find the Berlingo Multispace a pretty efficient thing. Official figures give it better fuel consumption than any van-based car of this type, and it even betters some more normal mini MPVs.
That said, if you spend a bit more and buy a Citroën C4 Picasso, you’ll find the same engines producing much better fuel consumption – most likely thanks to the Berlingo Multispace’s aerodynamics, which are similar to those of a house brick.
Affordability – 9/10
Fantastically cheap to buy
Lease rates on the Berlingo Multispace are catastrophically expensive. However, if you’re planning to buy one, the story improves somewhat.
Entry-level versions cost about the same as a mid-range Ford Fiesta, with top-of-the-range models coming at just a few thousand pounds more. That makes the Berlingo Multispace exceptionally good value.
What’s more, most Citroën dealers will allow you some sort of a discount if you’re willing to haggle, which you should, because otherwise its value will drop off quite sharply in the first year.
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Safety – 2/10
Atrocious crash ratings and lacks essential equipment
This is another area in which the Berlingo Multispace’s origins become clear. It simply can’t match up to more modern cars in terms of safety, and in 2014 achieved a suitably poor score of three stars in the benchmark EuroNCAP crash tests.
It scored just 54 per cent for adult occupant protection, one of the worst scores we’ve seen, which lands it far behind the Mercedes Citan, or indeed any “proper” car-based MPV.
What’s more, you have to pay extra for safety kit which is today considered the norm. For example, side and head airbags aren’t even available on the entry-level version, and you have to pay for them on all but the top model.
And if you want autonomous emergency braking, which can detect impending collisions and apply the brakes to prevent them, and which comes as standard on many new cars these days, then not only do you have to choose the top model, but you also have to pay extra.
Standard spec – 5/10
All but the top model feel basic
The entry-level Touch isn’t really worth bothering with – it’s so stingily equipped as to be a penance to drive, and only comes with a thirsty petrol engine.
A much better option is the Feel, which gives you air conditioning and cruise control, and – luxury of luxuries – a carpeted boot.
Or you can choose the Feel Edition, which adds LED running lights, alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel and Bluetooth connectivity.
As the Berlingo is so cheap, though, we’d go the whole hog and choose the XTR, which gives you side airbags, electric mirrors, a digital radio tuner, a colour touchscreen, and three individual seats in the back.
That top model saves the Berlingo – lesser versions are rather too poorly equipped, even compared with van-based rivals.
Our favourite version
1.6 BlueHDi 100 XTR, (list price: £18,525
Options to add: Metallic paint (£520), Active Safety Pack (£450), Front parking sensors (£210)
The verdict – 6/10
You get what you pay for with the Berlingo Multispace. Its combination of space, versatility and a super-cheap price makes it seriously tempting, but there are compromises – namely, the cheap interior, slightly agricultural driving experience, and most disappointingly of all, a terrible safety record. It does look like terrific value for money, mind you, so if you’re need lots of space and your budget is tight, it could be the answer.