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By
EWAN KENNEDY
14 October 2006
Sitting quietly away in a market segment that many barely realise
exists, the Citroen Berlingo van continues to provide a valuable service
for many Australian buyers. Some 400 to 500 are being retailed each year
and interest in these small vans is rising as commercial operators look
for ways to cut fuel bills in these days of uncertainty.
It’s not just commercial operators who are
buying Berlingo, we’ve spoken to a couple of retired couples who
only need a two-seat vehicle and appreciate the huge carrying
capacity of a van compared to the tiny load area in a typical
hatchback in the same price range.
Berlingo sells for just $17,990, plus on-road
costs so many buyers are getting into a brand new European vehicle
for under $20,000. Note that air conditioning is now standard in
the Citroen van, at one time it was an extra-cost option. There's
no option of automatic transmission.
A sliding side door, which many buyers would
consider to be essential, is priced at an additional $750. The
only other option is metallic paint and it adds a hefty $799 to
the overall price.
Delivery vehicles of this size are extremely
common in Europe but, while other European makers typically make a
small van by cutting the back of a hatchback and adding a box to
the rear, Citroen Berlingo is a design in its own right. It was
designed as a small van. Curiously, there's also a passenger
variant, but it’s based on the van, not the other way around.
Citroen in Australia is keeping plans importation of the passenger
variant on the back burner, as different import regulations for
vans versus cars in this country would probably blow out the
price.
Citroen Berlingo is spacious and has the ability
to carry an impressive 780kg. Interior length is reasonable at
1700mm, but the passenger seat can be folded down to let objects
up to 2100mm in length. Cleverly, when the passenger seat-back is
folded flat it converts to a handy desk, complete with drink
holders and a strap to hold down pens, paperwork and so on.
Dual vertical ‘barn’ doors are used at the
back and these can be opened through almost 180 degrees to
maximise the width of a load that can be inserted.
Big, unpainted bumpers and rubbing strips will
help protect this little van in the rough and tumble world of
delivery docks and the like.
Passenger comfort is excellent in a very French
manner, with decent sized, well shaped seats. The cab is fully
lined and well insulated and there's a good amount of sound
deadening in the load area. While the Berlingo is not as quiet and
smooth to ride in as a modern small hatch, it’s a more than
pleasant place than you might anticipate.
The steering wheel is adjustable for height and
while it sits further away from horizontal than that in a car it
doesn’t take long to get accustomed to the feel. Power assisted
steering is standard. The turning circle of 10.7 metres could be a
little tighter to our way of thinking.
Suspension design is generally to passenger car
standards, though a little firmer to enable Berlingo to cope with
a wide variety of load conditions. Steering feel and balance are
both very good and Aussie delivery drivers who spend a full day on
the job are likely to come away most impressed with the ability of
the French designers to create a working vehicle that’s
enjoyable to drive.
Power is provided by a four-cylinder, 1.4-litre,
fuel injected engine mounted across the front of the Berlingo and
driving the front wheels. Power is a modest 57kW but the there's a
good spread of torque so on-road performance is reasonably good.
Berlingo isn’t as quick as a typical small car, but enough to
keep it up with normal traffic without any hassles.
We haven’t driven a Berlingo with a full load,
but should imagine you would have to spend a lot of time working
at the five-speed manual gearbox to keep things happening,
particularly in hilly conditions. However, these sorts of vans are
very seldom asked to carry anything like their potential cargo
mass.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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