2008 CITROEN Berlingo 1.6L 16v 5MT (98 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Citroen chose an interesting way to produce a small MPV that was available as a light-utility vehicle as well: it opted for a passenger car platform.

While the MPVs were not so popular in Europe anymore, the French car-maker Citroen/Peugeot thought that offering a family car in an LCV body-shape would do great for those who are using a car in both directions. And that’s how the Citroen Berlingo Multispace and Peugeot Partner was made. The PF2 platform was used for the first time in the compact-car Peugeot 307.

The look might have not been its strongest advantage, but it was built to form a spacious vehicle. With a raked front fascia, an almost vertical A-pillar, and a high roofline, the Berlingo Multispace had the shape of a light utility vehicle. The sliding rear doors were taken from the same vehicle, that eased the loading and unloading. A flat and vertical rear end abruptly ended the vehicle.

Inside, there was a cavernous space with a lot of headroom. The flat floor allowed an unobstructed passage from one side to the other, via the sliding doors. The high driving position and the dashboard were made to fit a daily job as a delivery van. With the rear seats that could have been reclined, the comfort was good. If there was a need to transport bulky items, the rear seats could have been folded or completely removed. It was available with a 7-seat option.

Under the hood, the most obvious engine was a 1.6-liter diesel unit mated to a 6-speed manual. The in-dash, high-mounted gear-stick was easy to use and practical since it eased the move inside the cabin from left to right.