New Citroën ë-Berlingo review

Introduction

SUVs are all the rage, so how do you make an MPV more relevant? Well, the Citroën ë-Berlingo might have the answer: it’s powered by electricity rather than petrol or diesel.

Indeed, with electric MPVs currently very limited in numbers, the ë-Berlingo only really competes with the closely-related Peugeot e-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric. All three are effectively Stellantis electric vans fitted with extra seats.

Now, you might think the only reason you'd buy an ë-Berlingo over an e-Rifter or Combo Life Electric is that there's a Citroën dealership close to you, but there are a number of differences between the three models, as we'll explain later in this review. What’s more, thanks to a mid-life facelift, the ë-Berlingo has a new exterior and interior design as well as a new battery to improve the range.

The ë-Berlingo can be had in two body styles – a five-seater one called the M and a longer seven-seat version called the XL. As a bonus, it will cost you a lot less than a seven-seat electric SUV such as the Kia EV9 or Peugeot E-5008.

Read on to find out whether the ë-Berlingo is a worthy rival to the best MPVs and electric cars you might be considering. Or if you'd prefer to stick with petrol or diesel power, see our Citroën Berlingo review.

What’s New?

- April 2024: Facelift brings new exterior design, fresh dashboard, bigger touchscreen, up to 205-mile range. Plus or Max trims, M or XL lengths

- August 2023: Revised trim hierarchy: now You, Plus, Max

- January 2022: Seven-seat Flair XTR XL is new range topper

- November 2021: e-Berlingo introduced with 134bhp electric motor and 50kWh battery to give up to 177 miles. Feel or Flair XTR trims, two lengths: five-seat M or seven-seat XL. Latter is 35cm longer at 475cm overall

Overview

The Citroën ë-Berlingo electric MPV is a better buy than the closely related Peugeot e-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric because it offers the same level of practicality for less money. Just be aware that its van origins mean it doesn’t have a very fancy interior, while the electric range isn’t as good as some electric SUVs.

Pros

• Great practicality
• Competitive pricing
• Lots of standard safety kit

Cons

• Upper trim gets more flexible seating
• Could do with more range
• Brake pedal feel is inconsistent around town

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

The Citroën ë-Berlingo has a 134bhp electric motor driving the front wheels. While that doesn’t sound like much oomph, the 11.5 seconds 0-62mph time for the five-seater version isn’t too bad considering its size. With no gears to change and instant power, it feels swift enough for most driving.

Every new ë-Berlingo has a 52kWh (total capacity) battery, for an official electric range of up to 213 miles for the five-seater M version and 208 miles for the seven-seat XL. That's the same as the Peugeot e-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric but much less than most electric SUVs, including the Kia EV9.

The electric motor makes this quite a peaceful vehicle to drive because there's no thrummy engine to listen to when getting up to speed, and no vibrations when making low-speed manoeuvres.

There's a little bit of electric motor whine at higher speeds, as well as some wind and road noise, but it's not too bad considering this is a boxy van-based car.

As for handling, the batteries under the ë-Berlingo's floor help keep the weight low to the ground, but you'll notice a bit of body lean through quick corners. It's surprisingly surefooted for a van-shaped vehicle but there are electric cars with better handling, including the Cupra Born.

The ë-Berlingo's steering is accurate enough to give you confidence on a faster, flowing road. However, the steering is very light and not particularly accurate at low speeds, which means you have to apply quite a bit of lock before you can feel the front wheels moving when driving. That said, the light feel is very helpful when manoeuvring.

The regenerative braking system is fine at speed because the system works well and it’s easy to slow down smoothly. However, around town the brake pedal can feel a bit grabby as you slow to a stop which makes it difficult to stop smoothly, especially in stop-start traffic.

By electric car standards, the ë-Berlingo is supple over potholes around town, and sharper intrusions such as expansion joints over bridges, at higher speeds. However, if you want maximum comfort, you’ll need to look at non-electric MPV rivals – the Dacia Jogger and VW Touran for example.

“I like the simplicity of the regenerative braking system adjustment in the ë-Berlingo. You simply pull on the paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the strengths. You also have three driving modes to choose from: Eco, Normal and Sport.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

The ë-Berlingo's interior is a carbon copy of the regular Citroën Berlingo so you’ll find lots of durable-feeling plastics. If you go for the top-spec Max trim, you’ll be treated to brighter fabric seats and finishes, which lift it above the equivalent Vauxhall Combo Life Electric.

On the whole, the VW Touran feels much more car-like, with a plusher interior. You sit higher up in the ë-Berlingo compared with the driving position of the Touran. It’s similar in stature to many family SUVs, giving a clear view of the 10in digital driver’s display.

The seats in both trims have little in the way of side support to hold you in place through corners (although Max trim gets extra padding). The driver's seat is height-adjustable and comes with adjustable lumbar support. You can adjust the steering wheel for reach and rake on all versions.

The controls on the dashboard are chunky and straightforward to use. What's more (and unlike in the Citroën C5 Aircross) there are physical knobs and buttons to control the ventilation system. That means you don't have to dive into a sub-menu on the touchscreen simply to change the temperature.

Sadly, the infotainment system isn’t as easy to navigate as that of the Touran. The menu layout takes some getting used to because there are too many layers to dive through to find what you want. The touchscreen is reasonably responsive though.

On the bright side, the 10.0in infotainment touchscreen is fitted as standard on all ë-Berlingos and comes with DAB radio, sat-nav, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and two USB-C ports.

Seeing out is easy thanks to the big windows and door mirrors, and you get rear parking sensors as standard to make life easier. If you want a 180-degree reversing camera and front parking sensors, you’ll have to step up to Max trim.

“The ë-Berlingo’s interior feels well-built but I do think it’s a shame it’s filled with hard and scratchy black plastics. Some soft-touch materials or fabric inserts on the dashboard and doors really wouldn’t go amiss.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

First, you need to choose whether you want five or seven seats in your Citroën ë-Berlingo because if you want a seven-seater you'll have to select the longer XL model rather than the regular-sized M version.

Our favourite is the five-seat M, which still offers a vast amount of passenger space for those with a smaller crowd to carry. There’s so much head room in the front and back that it's hard to imagine anyone struggling, while rear leg room is very generous too. The rear bench is wide enough to accommodate three adults with ease, and the two outer rear seats have Isofix child-seat mounting points.

The rear sliding doors make it a doddle for passengers to get in or out when you’re parked up next to a wall or another car.

You get masses of storage space, especially in the front, and the cupholder on top of the dashboard is handy. It’s easy to reach and doesn’t obstruct your view of the road. The rear-most windows don’t wind down on entry-level Plus trim – they simply pop open a few centimetres. You get four electric windows with Max trim.

When it comes to clever seating tricks, the ë-Berlingo isn't as good as some of the best MPVs. The five-seater's rear seats split in a 60/40 layout (you get three equal-sized seats and a 40/20/40 split with Max trim) and can fold down flush with the floor of the boot thanks to a nifty hinged seat base. You can’t slide them back and forth or recline them as you can in a VW Touran though.

As for boot space, there’s loads of it. Even the regular five-seater has nearly 775 litres below the parcel shelf, while the XL offers a gargantuan 1,050 litres. That's massive – more than the Touran and, indeed, pricier electric seven-seaters such as the Peugeot E-5008 (916 litres) and Kia EV9 (828 litres) can offer.

In the XL, the rearmost two seats can be completely removed from the car to add boot space, and you get 4,000 litres of cargo room with all the rear seats down. To put that in context, there'll be no need to ever hire a van.

The boot is square with no obstructive lip at the entrance, and the opening matches the width of the boot floor. The only annoyance is how enormous the tailgate is: being top-hinged, it can only be opened when there’s a large gap behind the car. The Flair XTR gets around that by providing a rear window that opens independently, which is more usable.

“I’m 6ft 2in and I can sit behind a similarly tall driver with knee room to spare. What’s also great is the fact the middle seat is the same size as the outer two seats, so you should be just as comfortable as other passengers in the second row.” – George Hill, Staff Writer

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

All versions of the Citroën ë-Berlingo undercut the price of the Peugeot e-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric and its predicted resale values are the best among the Stellantis trio. The Kia EV9 and VW ID Buzz will hold on to their value against depreciation better than all three but are more expensive in the first place.

Finance costs for the ë-Berlingo should be cheaper than for most electric car rivals, but petrol or diesel powered MPVs will be far more affordable. For the best current prices see our New Car Deals pages.

Fortunately, it should be inexpensive to run an ë-Berlingo because at the time of writing there’s no annual VED road tax to pay, and if you drive in cities with congestion and emissions charging zones, it is likely to be exempt. Likewise, if you're a company car driver, you'll pay a very low BIK tax rate (as with all EVs).

Entry-level Plus trim comes with all the basics, including 16in steel wheels, air-con, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, electric front windows and electrically operated (and heated) door mirrors. It also includes a 10.0in infotainment system, a 10.0in digital driver’s display and rear parking sensors. We reckon it’s the trim to go for because it maximises its value against the e-Rifter and Combo Life Electric.

That said, we wouldn't blame you for going for the range-topping Max trim. It gives you 17in alloy wheels, electric rear windows, dual-zone climate control and picnic tables in the back. You also get a reversing camera, front parking sensors and the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats.

Unfortunately, it costs extra to have a battery heat pump, which allows for more efficient warming of the interior potentially extending range.

In terms of safety kit, all ë-Berlingos include automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and traffic-sign recognition as standard. It missed out on a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2018, scoring four stars out of five, but that was before the mid-life update.

As a brand, Citroën ranked 14th out of 32 manufacturers in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey – higher than Ford (17th), Peugeot (21st), Volkswagen (22nd) and Vauxhall (30th).

All new ë-Berlingos get a good but not exceptional three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is similar to Peugeot, Vauxhall and Volkswagen warranties but less than Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile offering. The battery pack is guaranteed to retain 70% of its capacity for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Charging up the ë-Berlingo will take seven and a half hours from a wall charger, or roughly 30 mins from 10-80% on a 100kWh rapid charger.

“The e-Rifter gives you more kit as standard than the ë-Berlingo but it is more expensive. I think the ë-Berlingo makes more sense because the entry-level Plus trim is very well equipped for the money and gives you all the kit you’ll need.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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