Small LCV 2014 Comparison: Citroen Berlingo

It doesn't offer the same flexibility as the Kangoo Maxi Crew, but its front passenger seat and optional centre seat do fold forward to provide additional load space, and it has a ladder-style cargo barrier protecting the driver.

With 3.7 cubic metres of load space, it's in the middle ground here, but offers the most space between its wheel arches and the lowest load space height (see table on introduction page).

Load area access is easy via the two all-steel sliding side doors and the 60/40 barn-style rear doors, the latter giving it the widest aperture width of 1230mm.

With a cargo bay measuring 1210mm between its wheel arches, the Berlingo is the only vehicle here able to accept a standard Australian pallet.

A total of six tie-down hooks are provided. Kike the Kangoo, they could be stronger, but at least they're there (there's none in the Suzuki APV).

The load bay is covered by a sturdy synthetic mat.

Driver comfort is right up there with the Kangoo, with supportive seating (with a range of adjustment) and a tilt-adjustable steering column.

The Berlingo's speedo is partially obscured by the driver's right hand at the three o'clock position.

It will be interesting to see how the material tabs used to fold the passenger seats forward fare, in terms of durability.

Cabin storage is more practical than the Kangoo, with a dash-top shelf for A4 folders and dash-top storage compartment with lid, allowing valuables to be stowed out of sight. The optional centre seat folds forward to reveal a flat workspace measuring 320mm x 420mm. There's also a massive storage bin under the centre seat and a better glovebox than that in the Kangoo.

Whether it's inherent road noise or the growl of the turbo-diesel, Berlingo's sound suppression falls just short of the Kangoo's but is still far superior to that of the APV's.

Fit, finish and finesse
For a commercial vehicle, the Citroen Berlingo is well finished with a level of build quality on par with most similarly priced passenger vehicles.

Under the bonnet, which is propped manually, the lay-out was presentable with easy access to those items requiring daily/regular inspection.

The front fascia was tightly fitted to the body with no evidence of rattles. Panel gaps were larger than those of a passenger vehicle, but were consistent across the entire body, as was the Gris Aluminium (silver) metallic paint.

Inside, the Berlingo appeared well assembled with no raw edges to the acres of hard dark-coloured plastics. The dash is neat enough, though not as modern as that of the Kangoo. It is let down by cheaper switchgear and some questionably positioned secondary switchgear.

The combination carpet and rubber flooring was of a high standard and felt secure underfoot. Similarly, the upholstery was durable yet reasonably soft with no exposed hems to speak of.

In the load area exposed stamping and cut-outs were obvious throughout, though pleasingly there were no sharp edges to be found.

On the road
The Berlingo's zesty (and lag-free) bottom-end and accessible midrange torque can initially make it appear to be the dominant player in performance terms. But its urge drops away towards the end of its midrange, whereas the Renault keeps churning.

Funnily enough, the Berlingo is actually outperformed from 0-60km/h by the APV.

The Berlingo's bottom-end surge is welcome in heavy traffic, where overall it offers a responsive and engaging drive. But with a 400kg payload, it require more throttle and downchanges to get it up and over inclines. With the extra weight, the Citroen trails the Kangoo in the performance stakes while still outshining the APV.

Over the course of the day's testing, where all three vehicles followed the same route and spent the same periods both laden and unladen, the Berlingo assumed the middle ground for fuel economy (see specs).

The springy clutch has a narrower take-up band than that of the Kangoo, but a longer amount of pedal travel.  In contrast, the Berlingo's gearshift has the most freeplay – it feels a little more notchy than the Kangoo or the APV, and there's no lock-out to stop an errant shift from fifth to reverse (fleet operators take note).

Steering response is light and rapid – it's lively but stops short of flighty. The Berlingo's turning circle falls neatly between the nimble the APV and rangier Kangoo.

The Berlingo displays just a little more body roll than its French stablemate, while there's little to differentiate the two Euros when it comes to braking. In the 60-0km/h braking test the Berlingo took just an extra 20cm to pull up over the Kangoo, while the non-ABS-equipped APV sailed on for a further three or so metres.

Slightly less refined than the Kangoo, the Berlingo is still a practicality-packed mobile office with which owners can tackle the working week.

Value for money
The Berlingo on test is the L2 HDi variant priced at $24,990 (plus ORCs). This long-wheelbase variant is available solely with turbo-diesel power and a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Berlingo has an industry standard 36-month/100,000km warranty. Roadside assistance comes standard for the same period.

On the downside there is no capped-price servicing programme, though service intervals are set at 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first).

Passenger and side airbags are available for an additional $500, metallic paint costs $800 and a centre seat will set you back $500. Stability control is also an optional extra at $500.

According to www.redbook.com.au a used 2011 Berlingo L2 Diesel (new cost: $26,490) with between 60,000-90,000km on the clock has a median private resale price of $14,150. That’s a retained value of 53 per cent.

Suitable integration of technology
Presenting a rather car-like interior, and modern dash layout, the Berlingo nears the technology offerings of the Renault Kangoo in this part of the test.

All the primary systems (HVAC, lighting, wipers, audio system and trip computer) are located logically and are quite user-friendly. That said, the centrally-mounted one-touch power window switches and oddly placed remote side-mirror control do strike us as something of an afterthought.

Similarly, the audio system’s buttons are small and consequently fiddly, and the FM radio reception is weak.

The cruise control, operated via a hidden stalk on the left side of the steering column, takes a little getting used to.

Conversely, both the trip computer and Bluetooth functionality are straightforward, activated simply by a multifunction controller that sits among the sound system controls and relays information to a small screen high on the centre dash.

The steering column is adjustable for tilt and reach, and the doors auto-lock once the Berlingo is under way. Just mind your eyes when you hit the key fob, as the strobe effect of the indicators is rapid, and quite dazzling.

2014 Citroen Berlingo L2 HDi pricing and specifications:
Price: $24,990 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 66kW/215Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 5.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 150g/km (ADR Combined)
Max. rated payload: 750kg