Citroen Berlingo preview details

The Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner are almost identical panel van and leisure activity vehicles produced by the PSA Peugeot Citroën alliance since 1996. They were based on the Citroën ZX/Peugeot 306 estate floorpan and mechanicals. With their rectangular, box like cargo space and aerodynamic front, conceptually they can be considered the descendants of the Citroën 2CV panel van (AK400).

Both the Berlingo and Partner have been produced in CNG and electric versions, all with four-cylinder engines.

The panel vans are the Berlingo and Partner, while the leisure activity vehicles are known as the Berlingo Multispace and Partner Combi. In Italy the first generation of the Partner was known as the Peugeot Ranch.

Berlingo concept cars

When the Berlingo was first shown at the Mondial de l'Automobile (Paris Motor Show) in 1996, a set of three concept cars was also presented:

Berlingo Coupé de Plage

Berlingo Berline Bulle

Berlingo Grand Large

The Berline Bulle concept was a roomy small car that could be considered as a precursor for the C3. Only one of these concepts was actually developed, the Grand Large version, which was developed into the Multispace and Combi people-carriers/leisure vans.

Top Gear

The Berlingo Multispace was the first ever car to be reviewed, on the revamped BBC motoring show Top Gear. Jeremy Clarkson, the then–presenter when driving it, praised the Berlingo as an affordable small car with great character, great storage space and "hand in heart" and claiming it rides like a Jaguar.