Test Car Specifications
Model: 2025 Citroen e-Berlingo M Max
Price: e-Berlingo from £31,240; Max from £33,755
Engine: 100kW electric motor
Battery: 52kWh lithium-ion
Transmission: single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power: 136hp
Torque: 260Nm
Emissions: 0g/km
Range: 213 miles
0-62mph: 9.9 seconds
Top speed: 82mph
Boot space: 597-1,884 litres
Styling
The Berlingo's basic shape has not changed a bit, but the company has made tweaks to the front end in a bid to bring it into line with the C3, C3 Aircross and C4 models. That means the fragmented headlights and glossy black 'grille' panel now embellish the nose, giving the car a more contemporary and slightly classier look. Admittedly, the lights do look slightly broken in the dark, and the new retro-inspired Citroen logo isn't necessarily to our taste, but it hasn't damaged the Berlingo's looks, and it has definitely modernised it, so we won't complain too much.
Interior
Inside, the Berlingo has changed a little more, with a new dashboard featuring a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a new, configurable digital instrument display. The installation is much more modern, and though the touchscreen's software is imperfect, most customers will simply plumb their phones into the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto software, which works really well.
Build quality is reasonable, too, considering this is a Citroen family car, and though some of the plastics are a little on the cheap side, the seats are nicely upholstered and everything feels pretty solidly stitched together. There are some neat touches, too, such as the blue flecks in the plastic of our test car's dashboard, and the stripe of leather across the top glove box in the dash.
We will, however, spoil Citroen's party slightly by saying the seats aren't quite as comfortable as Citroen might have you believe. They're massive, and they look very squishy and sofa-like, and while they're very comfortable for half an hour, they lack a bit of support on longer drives, which leaves you feeling a bit disappointed if you spend more than an hour at a time in them.
Practicality
Space is, of course, the key to the Berlingo's appeal, regardless of whether you choose the fossil-fuelled or electric versions. However, only the electric e-Berlingo is available in the larger XL form, which frankly makes the boot absolutely enormous. So big, in fact, that it comes with seven seats as standard. Fold those back seats down, however, adn you get 806 litres of luggage space, and that grows to 1,849 litres if you fold the middle row as well. Even in our 'M' test car, the boot measures up to 641 litres with the rear seats in their foremost position, and 1,884 litres with the back row folded flat.
Yet for all that, the boot space is not what impresses most. Cabin space is equally good, with loads of headroom in the front and rear, and a nice feeling of airiness. And storage. Lots of storage. There's a storage box above the windscreen, another behind the touchscreen and one behind the instrument cluster. There are two glove boxes, cupholders everywhere and massive door bins, as well as cubbies in the dash and centre console. According to Citroen, there's a massive 186 litres of space just in the cubbies, and that's the equivalent of the entire boot in a Fiat 500.
Performance
Citroen claims the e-Berlingo will manage up to 213 miles on a single charge, but we're afraid that is utter rubbish. The 52kWh battery may manage that on the official economy test, but with the aerodynamic properties of the Palace of Versailles, the e-Berlingo only managed about 160 miles to a charge on the motorway. And as we know, that's the only place where range really matters.
Around town, though, it was quite efficient, and the ability to charge at speeds of up to 100kW meant it could be topped up pretty quickly. Although when the battery is fairly small for such a large car, it's easy to see big jumps in percentage over a short timeframe. Nevertheless, filling from empty to 80 per cent in half an hour is very useful indeed.
It's quite perky, too, with a 136hp electric motor providing more than enough grunt to keep pace with traffic. Yes, the official figures make it sound like a snail with number plates, and you're always a little concerned about hoofing it when the range is a bit of a limiting factor, but the power is more than adequate and it feels more lively than most combustion-powered van-based MPVs ever do.
The motor is also reasonably quiet, but there is a bit of road noise from the tyres and there's quite a lot of wind noise, thanks to the bluff nose and aerodynamically unclean door mirrors and roof rails. Again, though, it's better than any of its combustion-engined rivals.
Ride & Handling
Nobody comes to the e-Berlingo expecting sportiness, and there isn't very much to be found. What there is, however, is comfort. The ride is pretty supple given it's tasked with suspending a fully laden family car that's carrying a massive battery, and it makes a pretty cossetting motorway cruiser. A few bumps will be felt at lower speeds, but it's as good as any of its rivals in that regard.
Obviously, it doesn't handle spectacularly. There's quite a lot of body roll and the steering doesn't have much feel, but with the battery placed low down, it doesn't lean quite as much as you might expect. It's never fun, but it's stable and precise enough, which is all you can really ask of it.
Value
The Berlingo range starts at the very appealing price of £23,355, but that only pays for the petrol version in basic Plus M form. If you want a Max, such as the one tested here, you need to upgrade to the BlueHDi diesel and that'll set you back £29,570. And the e-Berlingo is even more expensive, at £31,240 for a Plus M and £32,140 for a Plus XL. The Max M tested here starts at almost £34,000.
That isn't really a cheap car anymore, but at least the Max comes with plenty of standard kit. You get 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and a 180-degree reversing camera, as well as rear parking sensors, a heated leather steering wheel and climate control. In contrast, the Plus misses out on the alloys, climate control and heated steering wheel, leaving it feeling a little mean in comparison.
Verdict
The electric version of the Berlingo won't necessarily be the most appealing version for many customers, but it still has its niche. If you need the space, but you won't do long journeys, it's ideal for ferrying kids here and there, or taking things to the tip, packing up mountain bikes or anything else you suggest. In fact, if it's never going to leave the local environment, it's going to be perfect. That's a big 'if,' though.
