New Citroën Berlingo: less and less van, more and more MPV

The third generation of the Citroën Berlingo, presented at the Geneva Motor Show, comes loaded with modularity, connectivity and driver-assistance solutions, with a design that recalls the brand’s latest SUVs.

I can’t deny it: I like the proposal of Citroën with the Berlingo since the first version presented back in 1996. And not only the passenger version, which is the one that interests us here: I know a lot of professionals who use a Berlingo in its “van” version as a work tool, and they are delighted by its robustness, reliability, ease of use…

Since its first generation, more than 1.7 million units of the Citroën Berlingo have been sold.

Now, the third generation of the Citroën Berlingo evolves and exploits even further that facet of a practical car suitable for everything. An “economical” alternative to the compact MPVs, which have been losing ground to the rise of the SUVs. It is presented at the Geneva Motor Show, and will go on sale after the summer. Let’s take a look at it in video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5qW1AzI8AE&feature=youtu.be

Design of the new Citroen Berlingo: with SUV look and up to 7 seats

The inspiration from the brand’s latest SUVs, such as the C3 Aircross, is clearly evident in the exterior design of the new Citroën Berlingo, which grows in size and offers two body versions to choose from.

The Berlingo “M size” adds 2 cm in length compared with the previous generation, reaching 4.40 metres, with a wheelbase of 2.78 cm. But now a second body variant is offered, the Berlingo “XL size”, which increases the length by 35 cm to 4.75 metres, with a wheelbase of 2.97 metres. Both can feature the option of seven seats.

You can imagine the consequences of the inward-facing doors: no less than up to 775 litres of boot capacity in the short version –100 more than in the previous generation–, and 1,050 litres for the new Berlingo XL. Not to mention the modularity, to which Citroën has devoted the same attention as if we were talking about a C4 Picasso.

Two body versions, Size M and Size L, both with the option of 7 seats, and an XTR variant with 17″ wheels and SUV-style protections.

Thus, the Berlingo offers three individual seats of the same size in the second row, which can be individually folded away to leave a flat floor by means of a control from the boot. The front passenger seat can also be folded to offer a loading length of 2.70 m in the Berlingo M, and more than 3 metres in the XL. And a third row with two removable seats can be fitted to both bodies, which in the case of the long Berlingo can also be adjusted longitudinally by up to 130 mm.

The result? The Citroën Berlingo is one of the best options on the market for those who need 7 seats and a good boot without resorting to a large MPV, with the outlay that this entails. Without a doubt, it has become a tough rival to the Dacia Lodgy.

And to improve functionality and make life on board more comfortable, the new Citroën Berlingo boasts up to 28 storage spaces spread throughout the cabin, which adds no less than 186 litres of space for storing objects. Here you will find practical features such as the Modutop, now with 92 litres of space. Or the upper glovebox in the Top Box, or the refrigerated compartment on the passenger side, made possible by placing this seat’s airbag in the front part of the roof.

Driver assistance and connectivity

Citroën offers up to 19 driver-assistance systems for the new Berlingo. Among them are the ones common to any new model launched on the market, such as the drowsiness detector, the active lane departure warning system –which intervenes on the steering wheel to keep the car on its path–, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function on automatic versions, keyless entry and start, or the emergency braking system.

But there is more. In a car like the Berlingo, its users will appreciate the active parking assist for parallel or bay parking, the Grip Control with 5 driving modes (standard, snow, mud/sand and ESP off) to ensure traction in low-grip conditions, the 180-degree panoramic rear-view camera or the trailer stability control. Are you missing something? Well, just in case, let it be known that the new Berlingo can be fitted with a head-up display that projects information onto the windscreen, and a traffic sign recognition system with speed recommendations.

Likewise, the new Berlingo can be equipped with the most modern connectivity solutions. These include the Mirror Screen function compatible with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink to replicate the content of your smartphone on the 8-inch touchscreen, as well as Citroën’s ConnectNav system, with 3D navigation and connection to the TomTom Traffic services.

Other features include the wireless charging zone for mobile phones, or the Citroën Connect Box assistance package with emergency call and geolocation included.

For now, Citroën announces that the engine range for the new Berlingo will include the 1.2 PureTech petrol in 110 and 130 hp versions, as well as the 1.5 BlueHDI in 75, 100 and 130 hp variants. For the 130 hp 1.2 petrol as standard, and the more powerful 1.5 BlueHDI as an option, the automatic gearbox EAT8 with 8 speeds can be fitted.