Citroën Berlingo review
Costs & verdict
In this review
Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Stick to the 1.2 Puretech 110 Feel M model we recommend and the Berlingo massively undercuts most of its MPV rivals (with the exception of the Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life which, cosmetics aside, are essentially the same car), whether you’re buying in cash or on a PCP finance deal.
It should also be relatively cheap to run thanks to competitive combined WLTP fuel economy: the 1.2 Puretech 110 petrol can manage up to 43.5mpg. For those who intend to run one as a company car, its CO2 emissions are as low as 109g/km for a sensible benefit-in-kind (BiK) tax rating. If you expect to run up vast annual mileages, the diesel versions will prove even more frugal.
Standard equipment is generous. Even though Feel is the entry-level trim you still get air-con, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, electric front windows and electrically operated door mirrors. Don't forget, it also includes the 8.0in infotainment system we mentioned earlier.
That said, we wouldn't stop you from going for the Flair trim. It grants you 16in alloy wheels, electric rear windows, picnic tables in the back, and the convenience of the adjustable driver's lumbar support and rear parking sensors that we mentioned earlier.
You also get lots of safety features, such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition. It missed out on an Euro NCAP five-star rating, though; it scored four stars out of five because it was deemed that the AEB system wasn't especially effective. There were no quibbles over its structural integrity, though.
As a brand, Citroën only managed to place 23rd out of 31 car manufacturers in the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, which is some way below Volkswagen, Seat, Ford and Peugeot. Vauxhall did even worse, though. All new Berlingos get a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty – this is helpful, but not exceptional by industry standards.
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