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Richard Dredge
WHEN it comes to thinking outside the box, Citroen has a long and rich history of doing things differently. So when it thought up the van-derived people-carrier that was the original Berlingo in 1996, we shouldn’t have been surprised. Within a year, Renault had retaliated with the Kangoo, and the van-based MPV soon took off – more so in Europe than in the UK, though, because we’re less keen on utilitarian transport. But for those who wanted something cheap, comfy and practical, there was little that could touch the Berlingo. A second generation arrived in 2008, with an all-new model appearing a decade later.
History
THE third-generation Citroen Berlingo went on sale in July 2018 in Feel and Flair trims and five-seat M and seven-seat XL editions, with the latter being 35cm longer. There was one 1.2-litre PureTech threecylinder petrol engine with 109bhp or 128bhp, with six-speed manual and eightspeed automatic transmissions respectively. Diesel fans could buy a 1.5-litre BlueHDi with 74bhp, 99bhp or 128bhp. The first two were available only with a manual gearbox, but the BlueHDi 130 could be bought with a sixspeed manual or eight-speed automatic. All engines were offered with the Berlingo M, but the BlueHDi 75 wasn’t available in XL form. In June 2019 Citroen added Flair XTR trim, but only with the BlueHDi 100 and 130 engines. The Rip Curl special edition of December 2020 came with BlueHDi 100 or PureTech 130 powerplants. It didn’t feature any extra standard equipment and was available only with white paint (grey or
NEED TO KNOW SAFETY tech was highlighted by Citroen, but much of it was extra or only on top-spec models. AEB and speed-limit recognition were standard; adaptive cruise and high-beam assist were options.
CO2/tax 113-154g/km £165
Running costs 45-65mpg (BlueHDi 130) £91 fill-up
Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.3 seconds/116mph
BUYER’SGUIDE: Citro CHECK ON...
AdBlue Citroen says the diesel Berlingo’s AdBlue tank needs filling every 14,000 miles, but 8,00010,000 miles is more typical.
66 115June April2022 2020
Tyres Which treads you fit and what pressure they’re kept at have a big effect on the way the Berlingo drives. Owners rate Michelin Cross Climates.
Spare wheel Some Berlingos were supplied with a tyre mobility kit rather than a spare wheel, but full-size spares are available from Citroen dealers.
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