Citroen Berlingo 1999 News

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.  

However, the small van market is a far different creature today as the French company unveils the next generation of its popular carrier. VW changed the small van landscape when it launched the Caddy in 2005. Based on the Golf, the Caddy drove like a car, was comfortable to ride in, had a diesel engine option and, later, also had the option of an automated gearbox. It was the only van in the class with a diesel and auto transmission and shook its market to the core. In no time at all it raced from zero to be market leader, despite a premium price which experts had predicted would hinder sales. The experts badly misread the market because the Caddy proved small van buyers were prepared to pay for options such as the more expensive diesel engine, which now accounts for about 90 per cent of all its sales. Facing the possibility of annihilation in the segment, Citroen has hit back with a new Berlingo that attacks the Caddy head on. Citroen has based the new vehicle on the impressive C4 Picasso people-mover platform, which should ensure it comes with a passenger car level of handling and ride comfort. In the process the Berlingo's load volume climbs from three cubic metres to 3.3 — marginally more than the Caddy's once class-leading 3.2 cubic metres — while payload capacity jumps from 800kg to 850kg, well above the VW's 750kg. With the optional Extenso cabin, the Berlingo becomes the first in the class to offer seating for three in the front, while being able to increase load volume to 3.7 cubic metres with a maximum load length of three metres. The suspension and driveline also come from the C4 Picasso and for the first time Citroen's small van will have a diesel engine. Details of the engine, and the availability of an auto transmission option, haven't been released. The C4 Picasso sold here at present boasts a 2.0-litre diesel that puts out 100kW but there's also a less powerful version available in Europe. Either one would be very competitive with the Caddy's 77kW 1.9-litre diesel engine. The C4 Picasso also offers a six-speed auto transmission, which would match the Caddy's popular DSG six-speed automated manual 'box. With its load capacity, optional extra seating, a diesel engine and an automatic transmission, the new Berlingo ticks all of the boxes necessary for success in the small van market this year. Citroen plans to release it in Australia in the third quarter. Pricing details will be issued at the time of its release.  

Its $15,990 price tag makes it the cheapest little guy in the one-tonne bonneted market and it can carry 800kg, giving it the biggest payload in its class.