Citroen Berlingo MPV Review 2024

The Citroen Berlingo MPV is right for you if you want a practical car at a very reasonable price. It might not woo you with huge infotainment screens and a super stylish interior, but 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 optional 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 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 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. 

The Citroen Berlingo MPV 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 – you could say you won’t find more for less.

If you’re thinking of swapping your family hatchback for a car 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 hatchbacks.

The interior design is pleasant rather than pleasingly modern and high-tech. Sure, 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. 

You’ll notice all models get a posh-feeling leather-trimmed steering wheel and even basic Citroen Berlingo Feel models get Green Mica cloth upholstery that lightens up the cabin. Top-of-the-range models get Resada Green fabric that, despite the name, adds bright orange stripes across the seats. 

Whichever model you go for, the Citroen has front seats like comfy armchairs and Flair XTR cars get three separate seats in the middle which are almost as comfy as the ones in the front. 

It doesn’t matter which Citroen Berlingo MPV you go for, they all come with an eight-inch infotainment screen that sits proudly 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 stereo upgrade wasn’t available but Flair models get TomTom sat-nav integrated into the display so you don’t need to rely on your phone, while Flair XTR versions get a head-up display which projects the car’s speed and other info onto the windscreen like you’re flying a high-tech jet fighter. 

Space and practicality are two of the Citroen Berlingo MPV's biggest selling points. Upfront, you get a pair of soft and squidgy seats that could double as living room armchairs. The seats sit high so it feels like you’re driving an SUV rather than a hatchback, and you get driver’s seat lumbar adjustment (on Flair models and above) with a storage tray hidden underneath the seat. 

Flair trim and above also gives you armrests on both front seats and the front passenger seats fold flat so you can carry long loads that stretch the length of the car’s passenger compartment. 

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.

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

Whichever model you go for, the Citroen has 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. 

Flair and Flair XTR 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. It’s 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.

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.

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. Flair XTR 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 luggage space. 

You get three engines to choose from in the Citroen Berlingo MPV range – one petrol and two types of diesel. The diesels make the most sense and the 130PS 1.5-litre version is the best of the pair. 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. 

That said, it takes 10.3 seconds to get from 0-62mph, so it’s still not what you’d describe as quick. At least you get a six-speed manual gearbox that helps lower engine noise at a cruise. The basic 100PS diesel does without the six-speed gearbox, so it’s noisier on the motorway. 

The 110PS 1.2-litre is your only petrol option. It feels quite spritely at low speeds – the thrum of its three-cylinder engine even sounds quite sporty – but doesn’t have the urge of the diesel models at faster speeds. 

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, thanks 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 lots of standard safety equipment, even if it could only score four stars for safety from Euro NCAP next to the five-star rating awarded to 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 independently if it detects 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 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 having 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.

The Citroen Berlingo MPV scored well 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. 

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. Feel models cost the least with insurance ranging from group 10E (110PS petrol) to 13E for a larger Berlingo XL model fitted with the 130PS diesel engine. 

Flair and Flair XTR models fitted with the same engine are the most expensive to cover because they sit in insurance group 14. That said, even they’ll be cheaper to insure than a family hatchback like a Ford Focus offering similar performance. 

Tax is another cost that won’t break the bank in the Citroen Berlingo MPV. As this shape of Berlingo is no longer on sale, all models will pay the standard flat rate of £190 for a year's road tax.

The Citroen Berlingo MPV is available in three trims levels – Feel, Flair and Flair XTR.

Citroen Berlingo MPV Feel models were the most reasonably priced of the lot and, it has to be said, they look it from the outside thanks to their cheap-looking plastic wheel trims. There’s better news on the inside where you get 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. Flair models also get Citroen’s eight-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Citroen Berlingo MPV Flair models look sharper on the outside thanks to their black-painted alloy wheels. On top of the kit you get in Feel cars, Flair models add an integrated sat-nav system, electric rear windows – way better than the pop-out windows you get on basic cars – rear parking sensors, lumbar adjustment on the driver’s seat and picnic tables on the backs of the front seats. 

Citroen Berlingo MPV Flair XTR models are the plushest of the bunch. They get 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 get unique badging and orange highlights on the exterior plastics. 

They’re 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.