Citroen Berlingo MPV Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

The Citroen Berlingo MPV is right for you if you want a practical car at a very reasonable price. While it might not woo you with huge infotainment screens and a super-stylish interior, what it does give you is luxurious levels of space that a posh SUV would be proud of.

Okay, so the Citroen Berlingo MPV isn't great to drive, but the 130PS diesel provides plenty of poke and the eight-speed automatic gearbox takes the pain out of long journeys and stop-go traffic. So, if you want more space than an SUV for less than the price of a regular hatchback such as the Volkswagen Golf, then the Citroen Berlingo MPV will be right up your street. 

If you’re planning on buying a used Citroen Berlingo MPV, then consider the top-of-the-range 130PS diesel in mid-range Flair trim. The 130PS diesel engine is a great choice, combining affordable fuel bills with plenty of grunt to keep the Berlingo moving when it’s fully loaded. Plus, its sixth gear makes it quieter on the motorway than a basic diesel with a five-speed gearbox.

Flair trim is worth having because it adds reversing sensors that make it easier to get the big Citroen parked and proper electric rear windows that let air in, unlike the pop-out versions fitted to basic cars. 

If you're looking for ultimate practicality, we'd avoid combustion-engined examples built after mid-2023. These were only sold with a metal bulkhead behind the rear seats (legally, the vehicle is a window van rather than a passenger car), which ruins the car's practicality - its biggest selling point - and has other ramifications, too.

The Citroen Berlingo MPV's most obvious rivals include the mechanically identical Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life, as well as other van-based family cars such as the Volkswagen Caddy.

That said, the Citroen Berlingo MPV is also worth considering against a family estate car such as the Volkswagen Golf Estate, which has far less interior space, or a large SUV that’ll cost a lot more to buy and run than the Citroen. Space is what the Berlingo does best.

If you’re thinking of swapping your family hatchback for a vehicle like the Citroen Berlingo MPV then you’ll have to get used to a slight drop off in interior quality. Most of the plastics in the Berlingo are hard and robust, and the Citroen does without the pretty trim pieces and cool mood lighting available in many hatchbacks. And, while the plastics aren’t the soft spongy types you get in a Volkswagen Golf, but they are no worse than you’ll find in the Citroen’s direct rivals such as the Peugeot Rifter, Vauxhall Combo Life XL and Ford Grand Tourneo Connect. 

Overall, the Citroen feels robustly built, with consistent gaps between its plastic trims and none of the exposed metals you might expect to see in a van-based MPV like this. 

Early examples of the Citroen Berlingo MPV all have an 8.0-inch infotainment screen that sits on top of the dashboard. It comes as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can mirror the display of your smartphone on the car’s big screen, making it easy to follow directions. 

All the functionality of your phone’s sat-nav is carried over so you can route around congestion and get an accurate arrival time. Better still, you can do all this using your phone’s easy-to-follow menus or, even better, via its voice activation system, so there’s no need to take your hands off the wheel when you’re driving. The same goes for playing music. Just plug your phone into the car’s USB port and you can hook up to music-playing apps such as iTunes and Spotify, playing music through the stereo.

Okay, so with just six speakers to fill the Citroen’s vast cabin, the sound won’t blow your socks off, but it does the job. Sadly, a sound system upgrade wasn’t available, but Flair models got TomTom sat-nav integrated into the display so you don’t need to rely on your phone, while Flair XTR versions got a head-up display that projects the car’s speed and other info onto the windscreen. 

In later post-facelift examples from 2024 onward, the 8.0-inch screen was replaced by a larger 10.0-inch screen in all versions, while a 10.0-inch digital driver display behind the steering wheel was also introduced. The system is fairly easy to find your way around, even if the screen sensitivity isn't great and some of the screen transitions are a bit slow.

Space and practicality are two of the Citroen Berlingo MPV's biggest selling points. Up front, you get a pair of soft and squidgy seats that could double as living room armchairs. The seats are set high up, so it feels like you’re driving an SUV rather than a hatchback.

On earlier cars, Flair trim and above also got armrests on both front seats, and the front passenger seats folded flat so you can carry long loads that stretched the length of the car’s passenger compartment. Later examples got these features as standard across the range

The seating in the back varies depending on which model you go for. Feel and Flair cars get a back seat that splits 60/40, while Flair XTR (top-of-the-range) models have three separate seats that can be folded flat independently of each other. On later cars, Plus trim gets the former, while Max trim gets the latter.

Overall, the standard five-seat M model is 4403mm long, 2107mm wide (including mirrors) and 1844mm tall, whilst the seven-seat XL version is 4753mm long and 1849mm tall. 

Whichever model you go for, the Citroen has plentiful room for three adults in the back. There's acres of headroom and, although the seats are quite upright, it means there’s loads of knee room and the car’s completely flat floor gives space for everyone’s feet. Higher-end models even have tables on the backs of the front seats so you can enjoy your picnic even if the weather isn’t playing ball. Got child seats to fit? Then you’ll love the Citroen. Its two sliding rear doors leave loads of room for you to lift a baby seat into place ,and you get ISOFIX points on all three back seats. Those sliding doors also make for easy access to the rear seats in tight car parks.

In terms of boot space, the 775-litre boot is massive, giving you more room than you get in a gigantic SUV like the Audi Q7. Loading the Citroen is simple because the load opening is massive and the boot floor is completely flat. The only problem is the huge tailgate, which you won’t be able to get open if you park the Citroen tight against a wall or another car. However, higher-end trims come with a rear window that opens independently, so you can drop small items in without having to open the entire tailgate.

As if the big boot wasn’t enough, you also get loads of interior storage with the Citroen having large interior door pockets, a big glovebox, hidden storage in the floor and various other nooks and crannies sprinkled throughout the cabin. Higher-end cars also get extra room in the form of ledges and locking holdalls around the car’s glass roof.

Need even more room? Then choose a Berlingo XL. Compared to the standard Berlingo M, XL models are 35cm longer, which frees up room for another two seats in the boot. They’re spacious enough for adults and, if they’re not in use, can be completely removed to free up a huge amount of luggage space. 

Now, we need to make something very clear at this point. All of the above applies to all Berlingos produced before the combustion-engined variants were withdrawn from sale as new cars in 2020. When these combustion-engined variants were reintroduced in mid-2023, though, there was a small change that had a big effect on the vehicle's practicality. And strap in, because this gets complicated.

While all-electric e-Berlingos are still offered in both M and XL forms, the combustion-engined variants we're talking about here are only offered in five-seat M form. What's more, these versions come fitted with a metal part-mesh bulkhead behind the rear seats that separates the cargo area from the passenger compartment. That's because these vehicles are legally classified as five-seat window vans, rather than conventional passenger cars, and so have to be supplied with a bulkhead by law.

Now obviously, that bulkhead has a fairly major effect on the practicality and versatility of the car. For example, you can still fold down your rear seats, but you can't load through from the boot into the passenger compartment. For some buyers after ultimate practicality from their vehicle, this may render the Berlingo's entire appeal obsolete.

The bulkhead can be removed fairly easily by undoing a few bolts, but it's not clear whether doing so will have an effect on how much you pay for your insurance, as it could be seen by your insurance provider as a 'modification'. Always best to check, in our book.

Over its long lifetime, the Berlingo has been offered with a wide variety of powertrain options. Early on, you chose between two 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines with either 110PS or 130PS, or 1.5-litre diesels with either 75PS, 100PS or 130PS. The two least powerful diesels made do with a five-speed manual gearbox, whereas the least powerful petrol got a six-speed manual transmission. 

The most powerful diesel could be had with either the six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic, where the more powerful petrol came exclusively with the auto. It wasn't long, however, until the range was slimmed down: the most powerful petrol and the least powerful diesel were removed from the range fairly quickly.

The diesels make the most sense in a car like the Berlingo due to their plentiful torque, and the 130PS 1.5-litre version is the best of the bunch. It has plenty of power in reserve, so even if the car’s fully loaded, you’ll have no problems overtaking slower-moving vehicles on A and B roads or getting up to speed on the motorway. Granted, it's not quick, but that's no issue in a car like the Berlingo, and it has a good bit more urge than the 100PS version. Its extra gear means it is quieter and more relaxed on the motorway, too.

The 110PS 1.2-litre petrol feels quite sprightly at low speeds – the thrum of its three-cylinder engine even sounds a little bit sporty – but it doesn’t have the urge of the diesel models at higher speeds, so you have to work it harder to get there.

As we've said, the combustion-engined versions of the Berlingo were withdrawn from sale in 2020, leaving only the all-electric versions that had been introduced shortly before. However, strong public demand saw a U-turn from Citroen, and they made a return in 2023. These took the form of the 110PS 1.2 petrol and 100PS 1.5 diesel, both with the six-speed manual gearbox, and the 130PS diesel offered exclusively with the eight-speed automatic. Since the car's extensive facelift in 2024, the engine range has been pared pack once again, leaving just the petrol and the more powerful diesel.

There is something about these revived Berlingos that potential customers should be aware of, though. That's that these examples are legally classed as a 'five-seat window van', rather than as a conventional passenger car. One of the various ramifications of this is that these versions are subject to the same reduced speed limits as other commercial vehicles. For clarity, you can still do 30mph in built-up urban areas, and 70mph on the motorway. However, on single-carriageway roads with the national speed limit, you can only do 50mph while regular cars can do 60mph, and on dual carriageways, you can only do 60mph where car drivers can do 70mph.

In fairness, for the type of driver that the Berlingo attracts, this may not be a problem whatsoever. You should, nevertheless, be aware of this situation before you buy so that you don't inadvertently break the law.

Choose the Citroen Berlingo MPV’s 110PS petrol engine and you’ll have to put up with more engine noise under acceleration than you do with either of the diesel models, which you don’t have to work so hard to get up to speed. 

That said, wind noise is noticeable when you’re cruising on the motorway no matter which Berlingo model you’re in, due to the car’s boxy shape and large, square wing mirrors. That square shape also makes the Citroen prone to catching crosswinds on exposed roads.

The Citroen Berlingo MPV comes with a decent amount of standard safety equipment, even if it could only score four stars for safety from Euro NCAP, next to the five-star ratings awarded to other family cars such as the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.

Standard equipment on the Citroen includes numerous airbags and automatic emergency brakes that can detect other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, and brake the car automatically if the system detects that you’re going to be involved in an imminent collision. 

On top of that, you get a tyre pressure warning system that alerts you when you get a flat, active lane assist that can make tiny steering corrections to keep the car straight in your lane, and a road sign recognition system that can display the current speed limit on the car’s infotainment screen.  

Want to boost safety? Then, it’s worth hunting out an example fitted with the Driver Assistance Pack, which was an optional extra on Citroen Berlingo MPV Flair and Flair XTR cars. It adds headlights that can dip themselves automatically and active cruise control, which can accelerate and brake the car automatically on the motorway to keep you a safe distance from the car in front. On newer post-facelift examples, this pack is called the Drive Pack and also includes Blind Spot Detection. The auto-dipping headlights are also now standard across the range.

The Citroen Berlingo MPV achieved a decent score in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index with an average rating of 8.78 out of 10 for reliability. Overall though, Citroen came a poor 26th out of 29 manufacturers. 

The Berlingo's warranty is nothing to write home about, either. There's unlimited-mileage coverage for the first two years, but the third year of cover is limited to just 60,000 miles.

Because the Citroen Berlingo MPV is based on a simple van, you can expect it to have cheap repair costs, which could explain why it’s relatively affordable to insure. The cheapest version of all to insure will be the short-lived 75PS diesel in Feel trim, with a grouping of 8, but pretty much all other versions of the combustion-engined Berlingo sit between groups 10 and 15. That'll make this car more affordable to insure than most conventional family hatchback rivals.

Do bear in mind, though, that if you buy a facelifted Berlingo built after mid-2023, then your vehicle is legally classed as a five-seat window van rather than as a conventional passenger car. And as such, it comes with a metal part-mesh bulkhead behind the rear seats. 

Now, some drivers may want to remove this bulkhead to improve practicality, which is pretty easy to do by removing a few bolts (Citroen won't do this for you because the vehicle legally needs to be supplied with this bulkhead in place at the point of sale). However, it's not entirely clear whether or not doing so will be seen by your insurer as a 'modification' to your car, which could increase the premium you pay. Check with your insurance provider to make sure.

This is an interesting one. Buy yourself a pre-2020 Berlingo on the used car market, and you'll pay the standard flat rate of road tax as every other petrol and diesel car, a rate that currently stands at £190 per year.

However, buy yourself a combustion-engined Berlingo from mid-2023 or after, and you'll find by looking at the V5 logbook that it's actually classified by law as a five-seat window van rather than a regular car (the EV version is classified as a regular car, strangely). As a result, you pay an LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) rate of VED tax rather than a car rate, and the rate currently stands at £335 per year.

Initially, the Citroen Berlingo MPV was available in two trim levels: Feel and Flair. Citroen Berlingo MPV Feel models were the most reasonably priced of the lot and, it has to be said, they looked it from the outside due to their cheap-looking plastic wheel trims. Inside, you got kit such as air conditioning and cruise control that can hold the car at a set speed on the motorway without you having to keep your foot on the accelerator pedal. 

Citroen Berlingo MPV Flair models looked sharper on the outside, thanks to their black-painted alloy wheels. On top of the kit you got in Feel cars, Flair models added Citroen’s 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an integrated sat-nav system, electric rear windows – way better than the pop-out windows you got on basic cars – rear parking sensors, lumbar adjustment on the driver’s seat and picnic tables on the backs of the front seats. 

A little later, a new Flair XTR trim level was added. Citroen Berlingo MPV Flair XTR models were the plushest of the bunch. They got sporty 17-inch wheels and glossy black roof bars that’ll make it easy to fit a bike rack or a storage box. XTR models also got unique badging and orange highlights on the exterior plastics. They were also loaded with extra kit, including keyless entry – so you can open the car’s doors without having to take your keys out your pocket – wing mirrors that fold away when you park, a head-up display that projects your current speed onto the windscreen and a handy opening rear window. It means you can drop smaller luggage into the boot without having to swing open the car’s massive tailgate. Perhaps the nicest addition of all, though, is the panoramic glass roof that makes the interior feel light and airy.

Later on, in mid-2023, when the combustion-engined Berlingo was brought back for sale as a new car after a brief hiatus, the trim levels available were just the Feel and the Flair XTR. Then, in late 2024, the Berlingo received a facelift that brought two new trim levels, Plus and Max. 

Plus cars have steel wheels with wheel trims, powered and heated door mirrors, automatic high-beam headlights, manual air-conditioning, reversing sensors, tray tables in the rear seats, the 10-inch driver display and the 10-inch infotainment screen.



Max cars took that roster and added alloy wheels, a 180-degree colour reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, the opening rear window, power folding door mirrors, electric rear windows,  three individual rear seats, a heated leather steering wheel and the XTR styling touches we discussed a moment ago.