How to spec a Citroën Berlingo

Buyers may be gravitating towards SUVs in their droves these days, but for larger families, the humble MPV can still make a lot of sense. And the Citroën Berlingo is the best of the bunch, having been named as our MPV of the Year at the most recent What Car? Awards.

Underneath, it shares its mechanical parts with the Vauxhall Combo Life and Peugeot Rifter, but we prefer the Berlingo because it's better to drive and has a nicer interior. Add it's also extremely practical and represents great value for money, making the Berlingo a very tempting proposition indeed.

Our full 16-point review tells you what the Berlingo is like to drive and to live with, but here we're going to focus on which options you should choose when you're in the showroom. If you go for our recommended Feel specification, you'll already have most bases covered, with air conditioning, automatic lights and wipers and cruise control, but there's still room to add more luxury without blowing your budget.

1. Metallic paint (£545)

You get solid white paint on the Berlingo for free, but we’d recommend upgrading to one of the four metallic finishes instead. Each will cost you £545 but can add value to your car on the used car market, meaning you’ll get a larger chunk of change back when you come to sell. There's also a cheaper Aqua Green colour which only costs £275, too.

2. Rear parking sensors (£200)

Parking up with the whole family on board can be a distracting experience, so avoid any embarrassing dings or dents by opting for rear parking sensors, which give an audible signal as you approach objects behind you.

3. Family Pack (£100)

If you're travelling with kids, you'll want to keep an eye on what's going on behind you. Fortunately, this pack includes a small mirror that's designed specifically to be trained on the rear seats, as well as window blinds for the rear side windows.

4. Driver's side armrest (£164)

Long journeys will be made more comfortable with this armrest, which also includes an additional storage area for your odds and ends.

5. Luggage compartment tray (£58)

If your family enjoys outdoor activities, this handy tray will come in handy, allowing you to spare your boot floor from the mud and grime that such outings might attract.

1. Grip Control with all-season tyres (£650)

The Berlingo isn't available with four-wheel drive, so this system instead makes the most of the traction control settings to give you extra traction on slippery surfaces. Trouble is, it's expensive, and we doubt owners will be venturing off-road often enough to need it. It's not available on our recommended Feel trim, but move up to Flair and you'll see it on the options list.

• Model - Citroën Berlingo 1.2 PureTech Feel M
• List price - £20,910
• Target Price - £18,124
• Target PCP - £261 per month
• Options we'd add - Metallic paint (£545), Rear parking sensors (£200), Driver's side armrest (£164), Family Pack (£100),, Luggage compartment tray (£58)
• Cost of options - £1067

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