Review
"People vans" are all the rage in Europe but they've never really caught on in the UK. But if you are looking for serious space and utility, and don't mind the light commercial underpinnings, then the Citroen Berlingo's bargain pricetag makes it a worthy of consideration.
The unpretentious styling makes no attempts to hide the Berlingo's origins as a van. The cabin is tough and durable-feeling, but without any of the sort of quality feel that you'd expect from a modern MPV and basic models are very, very basic.
At least there's plenty of space for both front and rear seat occupants, while the massive boot can be expanded into one of the largest load areas of any passenger car by lowering the rear seats.
The driving experience is also very van-like, with indifferent handling and lots of wind and road noise at higher speeds. At least the compliant ride is comfortable over rougher surfaces. Petrol engines need to be worked hard to make rapid progress, but the HDI diesel option gives reasonably punchy performance.