Citroën Berlingo Multispace
Advice on buying the best.
Introduced in 1998, the Citroën Berlingo Multispace was in many ways the continuation of a grand tradition for the French manufacturer: a modern interpretation of the utilitarian cars that had helped the company make its name. From the days of the 2CV, Citroën had always included a van with seats and windows as part of its core range, a type of vehicle popular in its home market thanks to its ability to double up as both a working and family vehicle, not to mention the tax breaks on offer in France. In the UK – traditionally a more discerning and snobbish car market – a van-based MPV wasn’t the most obvious choice. Except that the Berlingo was genuinely brilliant.
The commercial version of the van was introduced in 1996, alongside the Peugeot Partner, with which it shared most of its bodywork. The two vans were exceptional in their class, although the Multispace couldn’t displace the Visa-based C15, which stayed as part of the Citroën lineup until 2005. Nevertheless, its practical utility cleverly hid tremendous road manners, which were very much the Berlingo’s trump card.
Under the skin, the Berlingo was based on the platform of the Citroën ZX and Peugeot 306, renowned for being among the best handling cars in their class. Even with loftier bodywork, it had tenacious grip and stable handling, with the added weight of the extra body, if anything, improving the ride. Indeed, Jeremy Clarkson, in his emphatic recommendation of the Multispace, said the only car that could match its ride quality was a Jaguar XJ8. Praise, indeed.
It’s easy to dismiss such talk when looking at the Multispace’s utilitarian bodywork, but the truth is it’s a genuinely exceptional vehicle to drive. The driving position is a little upright and the performance is no better than adequate (though what more would you want from what is, in effect, a utility vehicle?), but the ride and steering put many a family saloon car to shame.
Couple that to a flat floor, high tailgate and rectangular load bay that swallows a pushchair or mountain bike without the need to collapse or dismantle anything and the Berlingo’s appeal starts to shine through. Add in car park-friendly sliding rear doors to stop your kids banging them into other vehicles, a rear seat that’s wide enough to fit three people, enough height and legroom for an adult to get in the back and secure children into their seats, as well as multiple map, bottle and storage pockets and the aforementioned flat floor with minimal compromise to interior space and suddenly the Berlingo becomes the ultimate family vehicle. Unless seven seats are essential, it’s a better bet than most MPVS.
Reliability and rust resilience are above class average, too. The Berlingo comes from an era when the French manufacturers had ironed out their reliability issues and seriously upped their build quality (which, retrospectively, appears to have been slammed into reverse). This was a real purple patch for PSA Peugeot-citroën.
A facelift came along in late 2002, giving the model larger front lights and a more distinctive grille, as well as a heavily-revised dashboard, plusher specification and much-improved interior trim materials, though the facelift did, arguably, remove some of the Berlingo’s inherent character in a bid to make it feel more modern. The 1.8-litre petrol engine was replaced at this point by the 1.6-litre unit from the C3/C4, while there was also a smaller capacity 1.6-litre HDI added to the line-up which was a derivative of the 2.0, not to be mistaken with the problematic PAS/FORD 1.6-litre unit.
Today, eight years since the last Mk1 Berlingo drove off the production line, prices are cheaper than ever. You can find a half-decent one from around £500. But what are the pitfalls?
Bodywork
While the Berlingo Multispace holds up fairly well to rigorous use, it’s fair to remember that the earliest examples are now almost 19 years old, so it’s imperative to check them carefully for corrosion. The outer panels are normally very resilient, save for the odd scabby door bottom or bonnet edge where paint damage has been allowed to fester. Galvanised panels and good rustproofing mean that structural corrosion is usually fairly limited.
The most common areas to find rot are at the very bottom inner edges of the front wings and the join where the inner wings meet the bulkhead, though access to these areas is fairly good from underneath and repairs are rarely too involved. The rear sill corners can get a bit grotty, too, although again access is relatively straightforward and repairs are unlikely to be write-off standard, even at an older age.
The main areas of concern are the mounting points for the rear subframe, as there’s a natural dirt trap around the front mounting brackets that can go crusty and weak, which is an MOT fail.
After several years – especially considering their big panels and utilitarian/family nature – most Berlingos will have the odd dink, knock or scratch. They wear them well, so most buyers will be content to view these as ‘character’ unless particularly unsightly.
It’s always worth asking an owner if a Berlingo has had a replacement windscreen and, if so, check the screen surround very carefully for signs of leaks. The issue isn’t one of water getting into the cabin, but into the electronic control module mounted on the back of the bulkhead, which, if allowed to get damp, can lead to all manner of electrical misbehaviour.
While checking the bodywork, also look closely at the camber of both rear wheels and check for uneven tyre wear, especially around the back (for more on this, see the Running gear box on page 51).
Interior
The utilitarian nature of the Berlingo Multispace means there’s not a lot to go wrong inside, although electric windows often behave in a typically French manner – faulty switch packs and comedy ‘stuttering’ regulators are commonplace, though the door panels are pretty easy to take off should you need to replace either.
Check the operation of the speedometer, as malfunctions are a known problem. The fault is usually in the speedometer drive gear, attached to the front of the gearbox, and although replacement isn’t especially difficult and parts are not expensive, it’s a job that’s much easier to sort out if you have access to a ramp.
Seat fabrics aren’t the most hardwearing. Whereas van versions of the Berlingo came with durable cloth or wipe-clean PVC seats, the passenger
variants were normally equipped with a kind of nylon-type fabric covering which, with age, is prone to splitting or rotting in the sun, with the result being unsightly holes and spilling-out foam. Replacement seats in good condition are few and far between, so seat covers are usually the simplest fix.
Other minor but irritating faults include air vents that are prone to collapsing – they use a clever mesh grid mechanism taken from the Xsara hatchback, but the joints within the mechanism wear out over time, making them difficult or impossible to adjust. Pattern parts are available for less than £20 and require little more than a flat-head screwdriver and half-an-hour of patience (and possibly pinched fingers) to fit.
Internal door handles are quite brittle and can snap off, which is an instant MOT fail as the doors will no longer open from the inside. It’s a fiddly repair once you’ve found a replacement handle, especially if you need to get into the rear sliding doors, but it’s not too taxing and well within the scope of a home mechanic.
Finally, on models equipped with rollback sunroofs, check carefully for signs of damp or mould in the interior.