• Good rear passenger space, even in third row
• Huge boot
• Sliding rear doors improve accessibility

As a practical family car, the Citroen Berlingo takes some beating, with plenty of room for five adults in the shorter M model and seven in the XL. The high roof provides far more headroom than anyone could ever need, and because it’s also quite wide, there’s lots of space between you and your passenger. Those in the second row again have loads of headroom, with plenty of legroom for six-footers. You really appreciate the Berlingo’s girth here, with enough room for three adults to sit next to each other more comfortably than regular estate or SUV rivals.

Unsurprisingly the almost identical Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life are a match, while other van-based MPVs such as the Ford Tourneo Connect and Volkswagen Caddy Life offer similarly generous proportions. If you’re more interested in the seven-seat XL, those at the very back will find plenty of room for their heads and a surprising amount of legroom, enough for an adult to have ample space albeit with a fairly shallow footwell pushing your knees higher than those up front.

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Boot space and storage

Up to the window-line, the shorter Berlingo M will swallow a massive 775 litres, extending to 3,500 litres with the seats folded. For the XL those numbers are an even more impressive 1,050-4,000 litres. That’s more space than many far larger estates and SUVs, making it incredibly useful.

The contents of the boot are covered by an easily removed semi-rigid parcel shelf on M models, which can also be installed at a lower height. XL models get a retractable fabric one instead. Accessing the loadspace can be via a large top-hinged tailgate, or an optional separate opening glass screen where there’s less available space.

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Opt for the seven-seater Berlingos and the rear-most seats can be folded forwards or removed completely (something that requires a fair bit of muscle), while the middle-row ones have a Magic Flat function allowing them to fold forwards and effectively become an extension of the boot floor. All three can fold individually, and remotely from the boot.

Long loads can be accommodated by a forward-folding front passenger seat, while the dashboard has been reinforced to help support heavy objects that might be rested upon it. There’s plenty of oddment storage dotted around the interior, although there’s not quite enough within easy reach of the driver.

Is it easy to park?

High-spec Berlingos come with rear parking sensors as standard, with a reversing camera optional. Front sensors are only available as part of a pack on XTR models that includes a rear camera and blindspot monitoring. M models are relatively compact in terms of length, although it is quite wide. XL models are far trickier to find spaces for as they’re much longer.

Safety

• Four-star crash-test rating by Euro NCAP
• Credentials excellent on paper
• Rivals don’t have such an array of tech

While the Citroen Berlingo’s four-star Euro NCAP crash test score might not be headline-grabbing, it’s a step up from its predecessor’s three-star rating.

Not only is it less likely to injure you in an accident, it’s less likely to have one in the first place. Automatic emergency braking, lane assist and electronic stability control are all standard, although blind spot monitoring is optional and only as part of a pack on top XTR models.

Available safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Adaptive headlamps
• Advanced Grip Control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blindspot monitoring
• Coffee break alert
• Colour head-up display
• Cornering lamps
• Driver attention alert
• Electronic parking brake
• Flankguard – sensors monitor the sides of the Berlingo for obstacles
• Hill-start assist
• Keyless entry and starting
• Lane-keeping assist
• Post-collision braking
• Reversing camera with top-down view
• Self-parking function
• Traffic sign recognition
• Trailer stability control