I’m going to come out. It has to be said. I can’t hold it back. l love vans. I like vans with windows and l especially like vans with rear seats. In the time we were together the Berlingo and l had a lot of fun. We spent a lot of hours together. We got intimate one night too. Sounds all intriguing so l shall continue.
You can’t disguise the fact that the Berlingo is a van so doing a normal test on its handling and go-go appeal seemed a little pointless. When l booked it in l did think about a “lifestyle” article and as luck would have it, that weekend l was booked away camping at my friends pub and campsite called the Queens Head in Foulsham who were holding a little old VW camper meet. I knew l was going to stand out.
It’s a space thing with the Berlingo. l don’t travel light when l am camping. My old camper van is pretty much ready to rock and ruin at a moments notice so packing more than just essentials into the Berlingo was doodle. So much so that there are cubby holes and holders all over the place. So many in fact that l dared not use them all for fear of loosing my stuff. As it turns out l lost my camera in it. There is even a neat overhead rear locker accessible from the cabin via 2 sliding doors or it drops down from the boot to allow larger items to be stored.
l have a thing when loading up in that l don’t like anything being seen or resting on the seats. Sadly there just isn’t ‘enough’ space so the bedding had sit on part of the rear seat. That said all other items fitted into the impressive boot area. For 2 or 3 people on a trip there is enough room. Add a roof box to the roof rails and you can travel 4 up with all you need for a weeks worth of lifestyle or camping. There are little vans like this out there that are longer and will take more things. The downside is you pay is a higher purchase price and not having the Berlingo’s ability to park in smaller spaces. It is just 436mm longer than the Citroen DS3 we tested earlier this year.
The really neat feature the Berlingo has over the other MPV’s in the Citroen range is its versatility. Priced within the C3 Picasso but below the C4 Picasso in my mind makes it a real contender for anyone looking for a vehicle with plenty of lifestyle space. As useful as MPV’s are, what they lack over the Berlingo is an ability to adapt quickly and they scream married man with children.
The rear seats in question are what make the difference. They recline and fold but they are also removable. Removable seats however are often heavy but not so in the Berlingo. They were single handedly light. It reminded me of the good old 2CV days of picnics in the park. The seats come out and hay presto you have comfy outdoor seats. The middle seat also has the ability to become a table. It made for an ideal seating area in the awning. With the seats removed there was plenty of room in the back for a blowup bed. The whole setup became known as the “Berlungelow”. It wasn’t built for it but those roof rails made for an ideal rail to attach the awning.
There were some drawbacks to it being used as a camper. You can’t open the boot from inside and there are not enough 12v sockets. In fact there were only 2. It needs more and it also needed them to be live all the time. The Multispace model also comes with the windowed roof called a modutop. It made for great star gazing at night however with no blinds available it also made the cabin light many hours before you actually wanted to wake. What wasn’t an issue was headroom. During the rain storm l was almost able to walk through from the cab seat to the rear. This is once the centre console box is removed. Again another massive storage unit.
One other thing l did while l had the Berlingo was drive it. The 1.6cc HDi diesel engine was well subdued. With 120hp at 3500rpm and all the torque made at 1750rpm it didn’t make sense to race it beyond 4000rpm. It’s no sports car, however the engine and 6 speed gearbox gave more than enough performance. The 53 litre fuel tank and impressive thirst gave me a useful distance of over 550 miles to the tank. Many times l was surprised at how fast it was traveling with minimal effort. The quietness of the cabin and the lack of noise afforded by trim and sound deadening added to this sense of serenity. I’ve been in proper cars with more rear noise. For the amble space there was no boom period at all.
Handling is as you would expect and that is a bit floaty in the rear. Unladened it was a bit too bouncy. Loaded up just took the edge out of it. I’m not saying go traveling with a marble grave stone in the rear even though it would help. That said it wasn’t uncomfortable. Comfort standards were quite high. The centre armrests are too thin and poorly padded for use over a long period and we had a long period driving to Norfolk. Over 5 hours in one setting and it got so bad having traveled just 63 miles in 4 hours that l had to turn round and come home only to start again the next day. And this is the thing about it over cars. The cabin is so airy and light that it soothes out stresses. Everything was were you sort of wanted it except the window switches but that’s another story. l could have got to the destination and felt fine but l was hungry and there are no cooking facilities available from the drivers seat.
In this Multispace model it has all that you need and some added extras. There was a built in satnav/infotainment system, aircon, powered front windows, cruise control, parking sensors and reverse camera. Total price for all these extras took it to £21,830 which isn’t a lot for a van with this level of equipment.
So was l being clever or original in using it as a camper van? As it so happens the answer is no. A quick look on YouTube reveals many have turned their Berlingo vans into useful campers. Jesterbushcrafts is probably one of the best. l don’t have space for one at the moment. l wouldn’t hesitate in getting one for when the time comes. I love it.
Love
Price
Versatility
Your friends will loathe it until they need something moved
Loathe
Lack of 12v sockets
No inside boot handle
Lack of blinds/screens on Modutop
The Lowdown
Car – Citroen Berlingo Multispace XTR Blue HDi 120
Price – £21,830 (as tested)
MPG – 64.2mpg (combined)
Power – 120 bhp 3500 rpm
0-62mph – 11.4 seconds
Top Speed – 109 mph
Co2 – 115 (g/km)