Item: Citroen e-Spacetourer
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

Citroen e-Spacetourer

Citroën Berlingo

Citroën Spacetourer

Citroën e-Berlingo

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Citroën e-Spacetourer is priced lower than the rival&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e-life/mpv/review/n22307">Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life</a>, but it’s worth noting that the latter is available in a bigger size and with more equipment. Plus, next to the more luxurious but hugely expensive <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-mercedes-eqv-electric-mpv-revealed-price-specs-and-release-date/n18945">Mercedes EQV</a>, the e-Spacetourer looks like an absolute bargain. If you can do without electric power, there are far cheaper options out there, including diesel-powered versions of the Spacetourer.

You can recharge the e-Spacetourer’s batteries pretty quickly; an 0-80% top-up takes&nbsp;as little as 30 minutes if you use the kind of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/electric-car-charging-guide/n18056">100kW charging stations</a> that are slowly becoming more common at&nbsp;UK motorway services. A domestic 7kW wallbox charger will complete a full charge from empty in 7.5 hours.

There are two trim levels available. Entry-level Business models give you air conditioning, cruise control and electric windows, but we'd spend a little more to&nbsp;upgrade to Feel trim for&nbsp;rear temperature controls, rear carpets and a few other niceties that make it feel less like a taxi.

Disappointingly, automatic emergency braking <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">(AEB)</a> is reserved for the options list, but it doesn’t cost too much to add. You’ll also have to pay to get lane-keeping assistance and blindspot monitoring. The regular Spacetourer received a five-star <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/how-euro-ncap-crash-tests-save-lives/n15107">Euro NCAP</a> crash test rating, although that was under older, less strict guidelines.

The Citroën e-Spacetourer wasn’t covered in our latest What Car?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2018-what-car-reliability-survey/n17826">Reliability Survey</a>, but <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/citroen">Citroen</a> as a brand finished a mid-table joint 16th place. That’s well ahead of Vauxhall and Mercedes.

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The Citroën e-Spacetourer's power comes from a single 134bhp electric motor that's&nbsp;fed by a 50kWh battery pack hidden below the floor. With a couple of people on board&nbsp;it feels reasonably sprightly on city streets, but it takes its time getting up to motorway speeds. A full load makes it feel even more sluggish and takes a big chunk out of the range, too.

Speaking of which, it’s capable of travelling for up to 143 miles between charges according to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/new-official-fuel-consumption-and-co2-tests-explained/n1213">official WLTP</a> tests, but the true figure is likely to be a lot less in real-world driving. Although we’re yet to try it out&nbsp;in our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-car-real-range-which-electric-car-can-go-farthest-in-the-real-world/n18159">Real Range tests</a>, we struggled to get near 100 miles of range during our motorway-heavy test routes. If you’re looking for a car to use regularly for long journeys, a traditional petrol or diesel alternative might suit you better.

Putting the e-Spacetourer into Eco&nbsp;mode&nbsp;softens its acceleration and limits the air conditioning, but its impact on consumption is actually minimal. There’s also a B&nbsp;mode that maximises the effect of the regenerative braking system, which tops up the battery as you slow down. In this mode&nbsp;you can, in effect, drive the e-Spacetourer using just the accelerator&nbsp;pedal, and when you do need to use the brakes you’ll find them reasonably progressive.&nbsp;

Road noise isn’t bad considering it's based on a van, but there is a lot of suspension noise over ridges in the road and lots of wind roar at motorway speeds. You won’t get as much of either if you choose an SUV, such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a>, or an MPV that isn't based&nbsp;on a van, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/touran/mpv/review/n17348">VW Touran</a>.

Those two rivals, and many more for that matter, ride better as well. The e-Spacetourer doesn’t often feel truly settled; it&nbsp;thumps&nbsp;over smaller ruts and bumps, fidgets over road imperfections and gets really bouncy over bigger undulations in the road. Passengers with delicate tummies beware – even riding up front won’t necessarily stop you feeling queasy.

Another area in which the Citroën e-Spacetourer loses out to rivals such as the 5008 and Touran is in its handling. The steering is quite slow and&nbsp;requires&nbsp;lot of arm twirling in tight corners or around car parks, and is a touch heavier than we’d like. It is at least accurate, though. Still, this certainly isn’t a car you buy for its agility, with lots of body lean in fast corners and its sheer size making it quite a handful in the city.

If you want an electric vehicle – whether it's something small and sporty or vast and practical – you're spoilt for choice these days. Take one glance at the Citroën e-Spacetourer and it’s clear which of those size extremes we’re talking about here.

For a start, you can seat up to nine people inside, or&nbsp;you can remove all the seats (if you’ve got somewhere to store them) and turn the e-Spacetourer into a big, carpeted van. That shouldn’t come as&nbsp;a surprise&nbsp;because, behind the big windows and body-coloured bumpers, all Spacetourers are based on the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/dispatch/van/review/n18249">Citroën Dispatch</a>.&nbsp;

While&nbsp;the closely-related <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e-life/mpv/review/n22307">Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life</a> is available in two sizes (medium and large), the&nbsp;e-Spacetourer is available in only&nbsp;one length. You do get a choice of a couple of different trim levels, though, and you can also choose how many seats you want. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/citroen">Citroën</a>&nbsp;also gives you a smattering of other options to choose from if you&nbsp;require a bit more luxury.

The e-Spacetourer's rivals include not only its Vauxhall-badged cousin but also&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/eqv/mpv/review/n22795">Mercedes EQV</a>. Spend a bit more and you could have a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-x/hatchback/review/n161">Tesla Model X</a>, although that futuristically-styled MPV can only seat a piffling seven people.&nbsp;

For buyers looking for a traditional diesel engine, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/space-tourer/mpv/review/n17326">Citroën&nbsp;Spacetourer</a>&nbsp;offers even more space. If you can live with seven seats, similar van-based <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/mpv">MPVs</a> including&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/berlingo/estate/review/n17319">Citroën Berlingo</a> or traditional MPVs such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/touran/mpv/review/n17348">VW Touran</a> should be on your shopping list too. Of course, you might also choose a seven-seat SUV instead – the What Car? Award-winning <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/review/n17369">Peugeot 5008</a>&nbsp;for example.

Should the Citroën e-Spacetourer be on your shortlist, then? In this review, we’ll tell you what it’s like to drive and to live with, as well as which version we think you should choose.

Don’t forget, whatever make and model of&nbsp;car you go for,&nbsp;our free What Car?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Buying</a>&nbsp;service is on hand to take all the effort out of the process while making sure you get a great saving on the price. You&nbsp;should find some excellent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/citroen/space-tourer/mpv/deals">Citroën Spacetourer deals</a> there.

The Citroën e-Spacetourer’s interior is pleasant enough, but you don’t have to look far to reveal the car’s workhorse origins, with hard plastics covering most surfaces (they are easy to keep clean, though).

You get sat-nav and smartphone mirroring as standard with both trims, although the small 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system is a bit laggy. At least there are shortcut buttons for most functions on either side of the screen and you can also control some functions using buttons and rotary dials on the steering wheel. Sat-nav is optional regardless of trim.

The instrument cluster includes a small driver’s information panel that shows the most vital driving metrics, and&nbsp;instead of the rev counter you get with petrol and diesel Spacetourers, there’s a power meter to show how efficiently you’re driving.

Slide yourself up into the driver’s seat and you’ll tower over most <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tag/best-suvs">SUVs</a>. That high driving position, coupled with&nbsp;the thin windscreen pillars, makes checking that the road is clear at junctions a doddle. Parking is a little tricky, though, because the nose droops out of sight, making it difficult to judge&nbsp;where the front of the vehicle is.&nbsp;

The Citroën e-Spacetourer is&nbsp;also pretty long, but help is at hand in the form rear parking sensors that come as standard on all trims. Front parking sensors and a rear-view camera are both on the options list and are well worth considering.

Citroën is probably most famous for its quirky design, and the latest cars from the brand live up to this tradition, featuring paintwork-protecting ‘Airbumps’ and eschewing the sporty looks favoured by most rivals.

Indeed, Citroën tends to keep away from sportiness altogether and instead tries to put comfort first.

Value (but not cheapness) is also key to the appeal of most Citroëns. And the company’s range includes everything from small hatchbacks (such as the C1 and C3) to big, family-friendly seven-seaters (the Spacetourer and Grand C4 Spacetourer).

The C3 Aircross SUV is another of its popular models, while a larger C5 Aircross is planned.

CITROEN

e-Spacetourer

A spacious and versatile electric MPV,&nbsp;but its range is rather short.

Citroen e-SpaceTourer

Everyone gets plenty of room to stretch out in the Citroën e-Spacetourer. It's&nbsp;wide enough that the driver and front passenger are in no danger of rubbing elbows,&nbsp;and there’s plenty of adjustment for both front seats, so finding a comfortable position is a piece of cake. It helps, too, that the pedals, steering wheel and seat are well-aligned.

Three adults will fit very comfortably in each of the two rows of rear seats, and getting in and out is easy, too, thanks to&nbsp;big doors on either side&nbsp;that slide open to reveal a big aperture. These also allow easy passenger access&nbsp;in tight parking spaces.&nbsp;

Each of the seats can be moved forwards and backwards, so leg room can be&nbsp;adjusted to suit everybody on board.&nbsp;Meanwhile, if you need a mobile nursery, there are enough&nbsp;Isofix mounting points for six child car seats.

As well as numerous handy cubby holes in the dashboard, each front seat has a storage net for your odds and ends, and door bins that are almost big enough to sleep in. The boot isn't quite as generous; unlike the regular Spacetourer, the&nbsp;electric version comes only in the shorter length.

As a result, luggage&nbsp;space is a little tight unless you either slide the rear seats forward or remove them altogether. Doing the latter&nbsp;creates a truly gigantic load area, but you'll need to&nbsp;work out where to store the heavy,&nbsp;bulky chairs.

Be careful to leave a large space behind the car when you park, though – the long tailgate is hinged from the top and needs plenty of room to swing open.

There’s no doubting that the Citroën e-Spacetourer is one of the most spacious and versatile electric cars out there. Its flexible interior will easily swallow up to nine adults or a couple of people and vast amounts of cargo. It’s best suited to use in cities or on short journeys on account of its short range, though, and it's not very enjoyable to drive.

Need to load up several people and all of their luggage for a big road trip? A van-based MPV could be the answer to your prayers. Although these vehicles are heavily based on commercial vehicles, most will include higher quality materials than their working siblings, and creature comforts designed to keep everyone comfy. Most are spacious, too, with a boot large enough to accommodate multiple large suitcases – even if every seat is also filled.

Van-based MPV

<h2>What we're looking for </h2><ul><li>Long range and ultra-fast charging capability</li> <li>Luxurious and comfortable interior</li> <li>Smooth ride and capable handling</li> <li>Lots of high-tech driver aids</li> <li>Strong performance and great refinement</li></ul>

Large Electric

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all the family and their paraphernalia</li> <li>Comfortable ride for everyone inside</li> <li>Seats with plenty of adjustment and versatility of layout</li> <li>Engine that can cope with a full load of people and luggage</li> <li>Excellent efficiency to avoid big fuel bills</li></ul>

Practicality is king in the MPV market, which has taken a hit as buyers have turned towards trendier SUVs. There are still plenty of decent offerings to suit most budgets, though, with Citroën fielding a particularly strong line-up. The French manufacturer’s Berlingo offers bags of space for not much money and you can easily haggle off thousands of extra pounds in discounts, too.

Citroën also scores with the larger Grand C4 Spacetourer, which offers seven seats, lots of oddment space and appealing running costs for something so large. A similarly priced and even better option is the Volkswagen Touran. Meanwhile, if you prefer a premium badge, there's always the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourers or Mercedes B-Class and V-Class.

But for something sizeable that's still decent to drive, we’d recommend you check out the Ford Galaxy, which can offer three rows of seats and decent luggage space at the same time. It’s not that much pricier than the smaller S-Max.

Citroen e-Spacetourer review

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Buying advice for the Citroen e-Spacetourer covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

The Citroën e-Spacetourer is priced lower than the rival Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life, but it’s worth noting that the latter is available in a bigger size and with more equipment. Plus, next to the more luxurious but hugely expensive Mercedes EQV, the e-Spacetourer looks like an absolute bargain. If you can do without electric power, there are far cheaper options out there, including diesel-powered versions of the Spacetourer.,You can recharge the e-Spacetourer’s batteries pretty quickly; an 0-80% top-up takes as little as 30 minutes if you use the kind of 100kW charging stations that are slowly becoming more common at UK motorway services. A domestic 7kW wallbox charger will complete a full charge from empty in 7.5 hours.,There are two trim levels available. Entry-level Business models give you air conditioning, cruise control and electric windows, but we'd spend a little more to upgrade to Feel trim for rear temperature controls, rear carpets and a few other niceties that make it feel less like a taxi.,Disappointingly, automatic emergency braking (AEB) is reserved for the options list, but it doesn’t cost too much to add. You’ll also have to pay to get lane-keeping assistance and blindspot monitoring. The regular Spacetourer received a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, although that was under older, less strict guidelines.,The Citroën e-Spacetourer wasn’t covered in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, but Citroen as a brand finished a mid-table joint 16th place. That’s well ahead of Vauxhall and Mercedes.For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

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