Honda HR-V vs Citroen Berlingo

What's the difference?

The Honda HR-V e:HEV L offers a respectable driving experience in the city but compared to its rivals, it’s features list and safety don’t always stack up. It sort of straddles the fence between basic and lux at times, which is an odd place for a top-model to be but its sharper styling will win hearts and the cabin is still practical.

Given Citroen’s proud heritage of innovation, the Berlingo has a few unique and quirky features, but is overall quite conventional in its design and performance (though in a well thought-out and practical package).

With sub-$20K run-out pricing, it should have plenty of appeal for commercial customers, as it costs much less than its major rivals yet offers a superior payload.

The small SUV segment can often be littered with odd-looking cars that highlight pillowy or severely angular body-shapes (lookin' at you C-HR) but the HR-V offers something stylish and modern instead.

The 2025 HR-V has a sharper design that accentuates the coupe styling, slim LED headlights and crisp-looking grille. A feature highlight is the eye-catching full-length tail-light treatment which makes the design pop at the back. 

The interior is gorgeous with a streamlined dashboard that features just the right number of buttons and dials for those who want more tactility in a world where screens rule.

While the technology screens are on the smaller end, they look great against the synthetic leather trims and soft touchpoints that are liberally splashed throughout the cabin.

The cockpit is driver-orientated with everything within reach and easy to use while on the go. The steering wheel looks sporty and feels wonderful.

Everything looks well-built and feels solid; it's a cabin you’ll be pleased to spend time in.

The smallest Berlingo rides on a front-wheel-drive, 2728mm wheelbase with an overall length of 4380mm and width of 1810mm. Compared to the Caddy, the Berlingo is 46mm longer in wheelbase, 28mm shorter and 37mm wider.

Suspension features MacPherson struts up front and a tidy trailing arm arrangement at the rear, which is well designed for carrying heavy loads. Steering is via power-assisted rack and pinion and four-wheel disc brakes provide reassuringly strong braking. The turning circle is a compact 11.0 metres.

The cabin and cargo bay are separated by a removable grey vinyl screen, with a large clear section in the upper half to allow rear vision for the driver. Citroen says this screen is primarily to reduce air-conditioning requirements, which in turn reduces the A/C load on the engine to optimise performance and fuel economy. 

It’s also claimed to (slightly) reduce noise intrusion from the cargo bay, which is mostly caused by tyre roar through the rear wheel arches. However, Citroen has taken a commendable step in trying to muffle these noise paths by surrounding each wheel arch with large plastic mouldings which are claimed to contain sound-absorbing material.

Glazed rear barn doors with wiper/washer and 180-degree opening, plus solid sliding side doors, are standard issue. The barn doors also feature an asymmetrical design (one wide, one narrow) to off-set the centre pillars and reduce the large blind spot they create in the rear-view mirror. 

The cabin layout is simple and functional with decent-sized door mirrors, although the kerb side would benefit from a wide-angle lens due to a big blind spot for the driver created by the solid side door. The fold-down inboard arm-rest is a nice touch and the cabin is quite spacious, although tall drivers will find the left footrest too high for a comfortable leg position.

For a small SUV, the cabin is large. Both seating rows feature excellent access with the 195mm ground clearance not eliciting one grunt from my occupants (even the oldies).

Head- and legroom is decent in both rows but taller passengers might brush the ceiling on bumps when seated in the back.

The only area that lacks this feeling of space is the boot, as it only has 304L of capacity available when all seats are in use and that's on the tiny side compared to its rivals. The Kia Niro has 425L which rivals some sedans!

Seat comfort is best in the front where thick padding and a longer cushion offer more comfort on a longer journey, despite lacking lumbar support.

The rear seats are harder and shorter and you should expect some big stretches from adults after a road trip. However, the directional air vents and other amenities keep it from feeling too basic on comfort.

There are lots of storage options with a glove box that's large enough to fit a manual with room to spare, a small middle console, two large 'stacked' shelves in front of the gearshift, four cupholders, four drink-bottle holders and two map pockets that also feature a device holder large enough to fit my iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The HR-V has 'Magic' seats in the rear which means the base can fold up or the backs can be folded flat. It’s a cool feature that opens up extra storage options.

The technology is simple to use and responsive. The touchscreen multimedia system has built-in satellite navigation, the Honda Connect app, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. The CarPlay is easy to set up and maintains a steady connection.

Charging options are good with a single USB-A and three USB-C ports, as well as, a 12-volt socket but you miss out on a wireless charging pad despite the L being the top grade.

The Berlingo’s 1433kg kerb weight and 2150kg GVM would normally result in a 717kg payload. However, Citroen’s official payload figure is 133kg higher, at a class-leading 850kg, because PSA calculates kerb weights differently to the norm (typically French). So, 75kg of that can be carried on the roof when shared across three racks with the mounting points provided.

Its robust 3250kg GCM allows up to 1100kg of braked trailer to be towed without any reduction in payload. Citroen states that this GCM applies up to a maximum altitude of 1000 metres above sea level, with a 10 per cent reduction for each additional 1000 metres. So keep those stats in mind if you’re heading for Mount Kosciuszko.

The cargo bay, which offers 3.3 cubic metres of load volume (or 3.7 with passenger sear folded), has a floor length of 1800mm and a roomy 1229mm between the wheel arches. This means it can carry one 1160mm-square standard Aussie pallet, easily loaded with a forklift through the rear barn doors and held in place by six tie-down points. There’s also internal lighting, a 12-volt outlet and sturdy ladder-frame cargo barrier behind the driver. Nothing for the passenger, though.

Cabin storage options include two pockets and a combined cup/bottle holder in each door. There’s also a large lidded compartment and two open bins set into the dash-top, two circular storage slots in the centre display plus two smaller pockets below and beside the gearstick; the latter a slim-line 'holster' complete with USB port.

The single glovebox has two-tier storage, and there’s a full-width cabin shelf overhead. The centre console, which is a module that can be unlocked and removed if you want floor space between the seats, has a cup holder at the front, a big internal storage area with sliding lid in the centre and two cup/small bottle holders at the rear. There’s also lots of vacant space for additional storage under both seats.

The Citroen Berlingo range comprises three models; the L1 Short Body Manual, L2 Long Body Manual and L2 Long Body Semi-Automatic.

Our test vehicle was the L1 Short Body Manual (aka M Confort VTi), which, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox, is normally $22,990. This compares favourably with the Kangoo L1 SWB (1.2-litre petrol/six-speed manual) at $23,990, and is a huge 24 per cent saving over the Caddy TSI220 SWB (1.4-litre petrol/seven-speed dual-clutch auto) at $30,390. 

However, the Berlingo’s run-out price is now a bargain basement $19,990 drive-away, so you’ll save even more up front, plus be eligible for an immediate tax deduction if you're a business owner.

Given it’s a commercial van, our Berlingo came with all the usual visual cues of a hard worker, like the solid white body colour with contrasting black bumpers, door mirrors, handles and side rubbing strips, plus black hub caps inside 15-inch steel wheels with 195/65 R15 Michelin tyres and a matching spare. However, the cabin does at least get floor carpet.

Its standard equipment list includes useful stuff like a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors (essential in any van with solid side doors), guide-me-home headlights, height/reach adjustable steering wheel, RDS stereo sound system with a 7.0-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity options (including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth), cruise control with adjustable speed limiter, one-touch electric front windows and more.

The L is a hybrid which combines a 1.5L four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and together they produce up to 96kW of power and 253Nm of torque.

Which is plenty to make the L feel like a zippy city car but on the open road, the engine has a tendency to over-rev and can get whiny going up a hill, which may be a by-product of the continuously variable auto transmission.

The Euro 6-compliant 1.6-litre multi-point fuel-injected four-cylinder petrol engine is conspicuously rev-happy for a commercial vehicle, as evidenced by its tachometer which displays rpm increments all the way up to 7000rpm - with no redline.

The needle has to reach 6000rpm to access the engine’s relatively modest maximum power of 72kW (less than Kangoo/Caddy, which are both turbos), with peak torque of 152Nm (also less) at a relatively high 3500rpm. It also requires 95-octane fuel.

The five-speed manual gearbox has useful spread of ratios for both city/suburban delivery work and load hauling on the highway.

The HR-V L has a low combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure of just 4.3L/100km which is not far off the 4.0L/100km claims of its rivals. Combined with the 40L fuel tank, you have a theoretical driving range of up to 930km, which is pretty darn good!

After doing a lot of urban driving, with a couple of longer trips thrown in, my real-world usage came out at 5.1L, which is isn't too far off the claimed figure, is still a good result overall and computes to a range in excess of 780km.

Our Berlingo achieved a combined figure of 7.2L/100km over a distance of 422km on a variety of roads and with different loads, including near-maximum GVM. Impressively, that was line-ball with the official combined figure of 7.1. With its 60-litre tank, you could expect a realistic driving range of 580-600km.

The HR-V L is an SUV perfectly suited to city life. Its power delivery is responsive around town, allowing for quick bursts when needed and the well of power feels deep until you get onto the open road. And as mentioned, that’s when it’s let down a bit.

The HR-V has a tendency towards mild understeer in quicker sweeping bends but is otherwise surefooted on the road. The suspension is firm, and you’ll notice the bumps here and there, but ride comfort still manages to be okay most of the time. Also road noise isn’t too high around town.

The visibility is great until you’re trying to look out of the back window and have a passenger to your left or a car seat installed. A digital rearview mirror would have been quite welcome in these scenarios. 

Like most small SUVs the HR-V is easy to park and it’s small enough to be your best friend in a tiny car park. However, the reversing camera doesn’t reflect the grade level as the quality of the feed isn’t the best.

The first thing we noticed was the relatively low cargo-bay noise, combined with low wind and engine noise. The ride quality was firm but acceptable without a load, and the steering responsive and linear in weight, with a strong self-centering effect ensuring good directional stability. 

The slick-shifting manual gearshift was nice to use, with well-defined gates and a light clutch action. Braking response was strong, but four discs designed to cope with a 3250kg GCM could bite hard if you pressed too firmly without a load.

With maximum torque at 3500rpm and peak power at 6000rpm, the 1.6-litre non-turbo engine responded best around town when kept revving freely between those two numbers. Although torque started to fall away sharply below 1800rpm, a useful amount remained between 1800-3500rpm, as evidenced by 2750rpm at 100km/h and 3000rpm at 110km/h in top gear on the highway.

With 600kg in the cargo bay plus a 100kg driver, our 700kg payload was 150kg below GVM. Handling and ride quality with this load was excellent, particularly over large bumps and on heavily patched bitumen roads. Braking was also reassuringly strong and it continued to track straight in cross-winds at highway speeds.

The engine’s rev-happy nature was noticeable on our 2.0km, 13 per cent gradient set climb with this load, finding its sweet spot in second gear at 3750rpm - which it happily pulled all the way to the top. Engine braking on the way down was non-existent, but the powerful brakes easily covered this shortfall.

No ANCAP rating here, but a LHD diesel version with dual airbags achieved four stars when tested by Euro NCAP in 2009. Evidence that our local model is aimed at cost-cutting fleet buyers is a front airbag and cargo barrier for driver only, with passenger front airbag and side airbags for both sides only available as optional extras. There’s no AEB either, but you do get an electronic stability control program with traction control and hill start assist, plus a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors.

Honda offers the HR-V with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and an eight-year battery warranty which is on the lower end considering it's rivals can get up to seven-years unlimited km warranty now.

The five years capped-priced servicing program offers excellent value, however, as services are a flat $199, which is great for the class.

Servicing intervals are at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first and that should be fine for the average city dweller. But it could get annoying if you put higher than average kays on your car every year.

A three-year/100,000km warranty includes roadside assistance, plus there’s a five-year anti-corrosion warranty. Scheduled servicing is 12 months/20,000km, whichever occurs first. There is also fixed pricing for the first three scheduled services of $416 (12 months/20,000km), $777 (24 months/40,000km) and $416 (36 months/60,000km).