Berlingo’s first official appearance was preceeded by two concept cars, both in the same 1996: Berline Bulle was some sort of “quirky” hatchback, while Bertone’s Coupé de Plage had a removable rear glass in order for people to enjoy the sunny days. The only similarities between them were two, and both were passed on to the production car: one was the front fascia’s wedge shape, typical of 1990s cars (such as Xsara, to stay in Citroën), and the other was the cargo-van room that laid right behind it. And this was precisely what ended making this model a success. It was a very well-designed cabin wrapped in an urban style which used simple construction so as to result cheaper than a minivan. And when the rear seats were taken off, it attracted companies just as easily.
Peugeot derived the Partner twin shortly after, but the real competition came from outside: Renault, Fiat, Škoda and Volkswagen released Kangoo, Doblò, Roomster and Caddy in the following years. Despite such number of models would normally classify the multivans as a market niche, their sales numbers beg to differ. Berlingo, for instance, is about to complete three million units in nineteen years, bundling Multispace (family) and Utilitaire (cargo) siblings. In order to keep up with the standards of the category it founded itself, Citroën is now performing another small set of updates on its multivan. Some might remember that its previous facelift was just as mild, but this is what people seem to prefer when it comes to these cars.
The front bumper was refreshed, features a new front grille (although with the same corporate design), and took the LED DRLs to a new position. The cabin receives a new Touchdrive system with 7” screen and the ability to stream your smartphone’s screen through its own (Mirror Screen technology) for safer use. Speaking of safety, it will offer Active City Brake, front parking sensors and reversing camera, although these will take a little later to arrive. And if you’re about to buy your Berlingo in the Multispace variation, there will be two additional colors from which to choose: Cumulus Gray and Moka Grey. Parallel to that, the French automaker reserved other news for the 2016 line which can only be seen if you open the hood.
Citroën has equipped its multivan with diesel engines from the Euro 6-compliant BlueHDi lineup. The three options available deliver 74 hp, 99 hp, and 118 hp, the latter appearing for the first time and being combined to a six-speed manual transmission – the light-off-road XTR version follows these options, while Utilitaire is still offered with the previous engines as well. The two most powerful can come in the S&S fuel-efficient variation. As usual, there are also a gasoline range and a fully-electric trim: called Berlingo EV, its motor is good for 66 hp of power and 147 lb-ft of torque, reaches a total of 106 miles between charges, and goes to a maximum of 68 mph. The new Berlingo will go on sale in Europe in a few weeks.