CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

The original 'sensible shoes' of affordable van-based MPV-style family transport, Citroen's Berlingo Multispace has had another style injection, and that can be no bad thing. David Vivian reports

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

The Citroen Berlingo Multispace started out as a wonderfully simple and straightforward idea. Essentially, it was a small van with windows and an extra row of seats. Cheap, functional and, being a Citroen, pretty comfortable, it ticked most of the boxes that mattered for a family on a budget. With the second generation, the 'lifestyle' design evolution began, distancing the Multispace from its Berlingo commercial origins. The most recent facelift takes things a stage further.

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

There's a certain charm, maybe even a thrill, to owning a car finely tuned to its purpose. A car that does exactly what it says on the tin. A worldwide sales tally of 1.4 million and counting says Citroen got it right with the Berlingo Multispace. It wasn't destined to become a style icon, it didn't have space-age instruments or seats that could be turned into picnic tables or that disappeared into the floor at the touch of a button. What it did have was lots of space given its relatively modest footprint and a rugged practicality that shrugged off the everyday scuffs and spills of family life. It simply got on with it.

The next Multispace, launched in 2008, got on with it too, but looked much more bespoke with significantly sleeker styling and a host of 'car-like' attributes designed to make the original concept more palatable to a wider audience that may have baulked at the idea of driving something so closely related to a van. Running with that theme, the most recent update refreshes the look inside and out while, at the same time, reducing aerodynamic drag to lower CO2 emissions.

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

Citroen's initiative to make the Berlingo Multispace drive more like a car than a van was realised with the second generation range, essentially by pinching the running gear from the more avant garde C4 Picasso mini-MPV. It did the trick and continues the good work here. You wouldn't buy a Berlingo Multispace for its handling prowess, but the more sophisticated suspension set up means you might just find yourself enjoying the challenges of a twisty country road all the same. It feels tauter and corners flatter than the original car and combines this with a more pliant, better controlled ride that soaks up the worst Britain's more battered B-roads can throw at it with impressive calm. A high-ish seating position and deep windows make for an easy life in town and parking is a doddle. Braking is taken care of by four discs and ABS, with electronic brake force distribution (EBFD), emergency brake assist (EBA) and automatic illumination of the hazard warning lights during emergency stops.

The powertrain line-up is comprehensive and includes Citroen's e-HDi micro-hybrid with Stop & Start and a six-speed automated manual gearbox. As well as the marginally reduced CO2 emissions of the HDi 75 and HDi 90 five-seater models, the previously most powerful diesel option (the 1.6-litre HDi 110) has been had its power hiked to 115bhp which should help keep proceedings lively with a full complement of passengers on board, especially in the seven-seater models.

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

The transition from utilitarian boxiness to a semblance of swoopy style was accomplished with the second generation Berlingo Multispace in 2008. The most recent changes amount to a mild cosmetic overhaul intended, according to Citroen, to give the Multispace a 'stronger personality'. They comprise a wider grille and redesigned headlights with the indicators moved to the side of the main units and accented with a blue segment running along the bottom. The lower part of the grille can be fitted with static cornering lights integrated with the fog lights and, predictably, there are LED daytime running lights, too. More aerodynamic door mirrors are said to help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as are what Citroen calls 'Airflow' wheel trims.

For an even more distinctive look, the optional 'Black Pack' applies Onyx Black trim to the top of the front bumper, side mirrors, side rubbing strips and rear number plate moulding. Inside the cabin, colours and materials have been revised on all levels of trim to give 'a more contemporary feel'. And two new hues have been added to the colour chart: Nocciola and Belle Ile Blue.

As before, the Berlingo Multispace can be specified with up to seven independent seats though, in basic form, you get a three-person rear bench seat which can be folded (two thirds - one third), or removed completely. The so-called Modutop option combines a glazed roof with multiple stowage compartments, a dual access boot with a rear window that can be opened from the outside for easy loading, individually controlled ventilation and additional lighting for passengers in the rear. A potential load space of 3000 litres means it could swallow four washing machines. With the rear parcel shelf in place, a total of 675 litres is available. The seven seat option is included in what Citroen calls its 'Family Pack'. Here, you get three individual, reclining, folding and removable seats in the second row. The third row seats can be folded down or removed completely when not in use.

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

Citroen has taken a bold step in changing what was clearly a winning formula. Since the Berlingo Multispace effectively created the budget MPV sector back in 1998, it has sold more than all of its rivals combined in a sector that has achieved sales of over 20,000 units per year. In the UK alone, the Berlingo Multispace sold over 50,000, whilst worldwide, sales of car versions of the Berlingo have exceeded a million. This is, in fact, even more sales than the commercial versions ever managed to rack up.

Expect to pay between £13,000 and £17,000 for your Berlingo Multispace, allowing a little more if you want to make room for the odd option pack. Even so, it's sobering to think that even the most expensive 7-seater Multispace is over £1000 less than the entry-level 5-seater Renault Scenic. Just the one petrol engine is offered - a 1.6 with 95bhp for the entry-level model. The rest of the range is diesel-powered, again by a 1.6-litre unit but, this time, with a choice of outputs: 70, 90, 92 (for the Airdream model) or 110bhp. Equipment highlights include a scented air freshener, automatic headlights, parking assistance, steering wheel mounted stereo controls, a speed limiter and even a rechargeable torch in the boot.

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

Although the Berlingo Multispace isn't the hair shirt deal it once was, Citroen, sensibly, has made sure to keep a lid on running costs. Cheap insurance, for instance, and an already efficient range of powerplants has been treated to a few eco-tweaks.

Take Citroen's e-HDi micro-hybrid powertrain with Stop & Start and a six-speed automated manual gearbox. It helps the e-HDi 90 Airdream EGS6 versions deliver CO2 emissions of just 125g/km. On five-seat versions, the HDi 75 and HDi 90 models are also cleaner with CO2 emissions down from 139 to 135 g/km - thanks, in part, to the aerodynamic upgrades.

CITROEN BERLINGO MULTISPACE ESTATE 1.6I 16V VTI 95 VT 5DR

The original Berlingo Multispace addressed the need for an affordable family holdall by making a deal with potential customers. It was one that involved not being put off by driving around in something that looked quite a lot like a van with windows. And surprisingly few were. When push came to shove, function trumped fashion.

But while some might lament that uncompromising degree of pragmatism, there's little doubt that the Multispace has evolved into a more accomplished and (vastly) more stylish proposition that, in many ways, is snapping at the heels of compact MPVs like the Renault Scenic and Ford C-Max, not to mention Citroen's own C3 Picasso with which is shares its underpinnings. Bottom line value has always been a large part of the appeal of Citroen's most humble people carrier. It doesn't look that humble anymore, but the principle still applies.