Citroen Berlingo van line grows

Citroen's compact Berlingo van is now available in a choice of two bodies and two engines with more equipment and sharper pricing. 

The latest Berlingo range consists of the standard body powered by the 1.6-litre, 66kW petrol engine and the long body, with interior volume lifted from 3.3 to 3.7 cubic metres, powered by the 1.6-litre, 66kW turbodiesel engine, which boasts an additional 83 Nm of torque to cope with its bigger load carrying capabilities.

The long body turbodiesel also gains a rear cargo mat and the convenience of Bluetooth hands free mobile phone operation. Revised pricing sees the petrol powered standard body Berlingo priced at $19,990 and the long body turbodiesel pitched at $22,990 plus on road costs. 

Citroen arguably invented the whole idea of box van with the Citroen TUB and the car-derived 2CV van setting a design standard for the two most common van types. 

Berlingo looks as if it is car-derived, with a bonnet and a conventional driving position. However, there is no Berlingo car to hamper Citroen's designers from making the ideal small van so although bonneted, the driver sits high with easy access, the van section blends into the overall vehicle shape to produce a shape that is as functional as it is homogeneous.

The Berlingo eliminated the 'bubble back' shape of the conventional car-derived van and all its handicaps. Citroen threw into the mix a range of functional, useful features and equipment designed for the van driver on the road all day, plenty of storage space, seats that are comfortable and easy to get into and out of all day. 

This second generation Berlingo is a fresh clean design, with its bonneted good looks and box van carrying ability. It sits on a Citroen C4 Picasso platform, which is derived from the underpinnings of the World Rally Championship dominating Citroen C4 WRC car. 

By moving to the bigger platform from the C4 Picasso, the new Berlingo offers significantly more space, up from 3.0 to 3.3 cubic metres. The original Berlingo had a optional simple folding seat that provided a table. The new Berlingo has a new seat, both a table and a load space extender, lifting the volume to 3.7 cubic metres,  4.1 cubic metres in the long body version.

To meet business demands for greater efficiency, better performance and lower running costs, Citroen has developed the new Berlingo to deliver more. It has greater carrying capacity, thanks to its larger load compartment and higher payload capability, it has even higher standards of driver/passenger safety and comfort and delivers optimum performance and economy with low running costs.