Overview

The Citroen Berlingo is a refreshingly no-nonsense proposition in the new car market. Its boxy exterior is designed to maximise interior space, making this an exceptionally practical five or seven-seat family car. Also available in all-electric e-Berlingo guise, we’re focusing on the petrol and diesel models.

Rivals to consider are the Dacia Jogger, Volkswagen Caddy Life and Ford Tourneo Connect. They should be cheaper options as all of those are available with conventional engines. The Berlingo can’t really hide its commercial vehicle roots even when wearing flashy alloy wheels and lots of SUV-inspired body cladding. However, this means far more interior space than similarly priced cars and SUVs

Ah yes, the SUV. Although many of you would much rather have one of those than a fuddy-duddy MPV, the Berlingo offers far more space for the money. That’s the advantage of basing your family hauler on something designed primarily for carrying cargo.

It does mean the interior feels a little more workmanlike than you might be used to, and there are certainly sharper-driving MPVs out there. If you still want to have fun when you’ve got no passengers, take a look at the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer or Ford S-Max.

But if the soft, easy going nature of the Berlingo sounds appealing, keep with us over the next few pages. We’ll tell you exactly what it’s like to drive, what it’ll cost and just how useful it is, too.