Citroen e Berlingo First Drive - New e-Berlingo van review

[@jeffjefferson7384]

If this had real-world range of 200-250 miles it would be an absolute unit.

[@wilkoone9155]

My first BEV was a 2004 Citroen Berlingo Electrique with lead acid batteries & a petrol fired heater to warm up the interior. Loved it which is why we are now on our 5th BEV.

[@megane230f1]

theres all this thing about range when infact not everybody is doing a 100 miles everyday in a car and on top of that a smaller battery is quicker to charge, i would rather be running a 50kw battery powered car than running my 2.0 litre petrol car that is costing me over a 100 a week in petrol and that is why i have just purchased a new e space tourer and seeing 2 men doing a 1000 mile round trip in a 50kw one made my mind up that they arent that bad, running an e space tourer for me will get charged once a week

[@davidp1288]

I have a diesel (I know, say it quietly) Berlingo Multispace which I bought to do a job, namely gardening and Hermes couriering. I was doubtful when I got it but ended up loving it. I “enjoy” driving for drivings sake and that doesn’t mean going round corners with the door mirrors scraping the road or burning off boy racers in hot hatches at the traffic lights. You can’t do either so you don’t bother and that is the point. I finished both jobs during Covid lockdown year and was due to change that year but didn’t, obviously. What I did discover, however, is just how comfortable and effortless the Berlingo is to drive. And it is remarkably quiet at motorway speeds and very economical, 60+ mpg in everyday driving! The room is amazing and the storage options impressive. Mine does have the big box between the seats. I have just ordered a Hyundai Kona electric, due in September! But I will miss the Berlingo. I did look at the e Berlingo and it was ultimate range and efficiency which put me off. I would only have had the M version which hopefully would have been a bit better but the real world 250 miles of the Kona is difficult to beat for the price. But for local pottering about or last mile deliveries for couriers I think the e Berlingo is a winner.

[@athollmcnicoll1028]

Now with some forward thinking, this could become an ideal campervan as shown the seats are foldable flat, so ideal for storage of bedding, cooking and if you must have it, a toilet all tucked into suitable rear areas preferably close to the rear door.

[@davidpiper3652]

My bulky hobby is radio-controlled models, it's all under 40 miles away and the Berlingo looks perfect to me.

[@alexoatrunner4619]

It felt like you weren’t approaching the review from the right angle and being more cynical and negative than is appropriate if you think about who this is for. In my mind the Berlingo as a concept is a fantastic car for anyone who’s looking for something practical and sometimes lugs a bunch of stuff around and wants that on a bit of a budget. Aside from families, it’s also super popular as a mini camper/ general adventure vehicle. You can so easily fit bikes in there it’s fantastic. Now clearly the range in this is only viable for driving kids around the neighborhood but I can’t wait for the next generation or even the one after that when we hopefully see the range go up a good bit.

[@SgHawk144]

The ceiling slot is from its life as a van. Chuck paperwork up there. The little slots are so you can reach up and push stuff to the front rather than fishing around in there for it.

[@umbe2k1]

I just bought the 5 seater e-berlingo shine version full optional with roofbars, digital cockpit (and electric windows on the rear doors): it is a beautiful and very comfy car. Only "problem" is the range on the highway which is more or less 150km with full charge. No big deal, me and my family love it!

[@alunhoskins4513]

A brilliant vehicle and very refreshing in the current offerings. Only fly in the ointment for many is the range. Other than that a really nice change. No good for those who need an ego massaging of course or who need to be ‘on trend’ but for anyone who can think for themselves this is worth considering. Just so long as the range suits your needs.

[@Rapscallion2009]

Whisper it. But these "Van derived cars" are often actually really good, practical cars. Vans are generally not "plush" but they do usually have good ergonomics, being designed to be driven all day, every day and failing to sacrifice practicality to style. They're usually better, practical, family cars than your average SUV. You also usually get a lot of car for your money. They just won't impress your friends. I used to drive a Kangoo quite a lot and it was surprising how far you could go in it without needing a break and it generally felt airy and pleasant to be in and drove in a jolly kind of way your average SUV just doesn't. BTW. You can buy a Dacia Jogger for around half the price of this thing. And you won't make up 15 grand of value out of the Citroen in the difference between petrol and electric in the time you own it. So I'd personally do that....... The Berlingo is no longer available as an ICE Vehicle in the UK. For .......reasons........

[@chrisb508]

We need more cars that are just "ok" as long as they are affordable. 🙂

[@toyotaprius79]

Second hand, refurbished or even EV retrofitted. We don't even have the Citroen C1, Peugeot 108 anymore because of diminishing profit margins. VW axed the Up! ages ago, only to postpone the axeing of the electric e-Up.

[@duncanjack2335]

You can get stronger regen by pulling the gear selector back again. The dash changes from D to B. It's not full on one pedal driving but it makes a difference.

[@toyotaprius79]

Van tastic would be a 5+1 and 7+1 seating arrangements with the front bench seen in the commercial 😊

[@jtothew4201]

Agree

[@AleksandarStefanovic]

It's disappointing, mainly because many things are not very well thought out... for example, the charging port can't be accessed while the sliding door is open? That is a massive oversight, in my opinion, because one of the nice things you can do with electric vans is that you can charge them while loading them. Seems like a ICE car with old ideas, with tacked-on EV powertrain...

[@alanharvey7445]

It is an ICE car with an EV tacked on

[@tobiasosterberg]

This and it's siblings is almost the only viable EV choice for larger families. Not particularly niche I think. At least if you value comfort for your children and have more than two of them.

[@dmcd78]

I have the 2022 M XTR version of this car and it has been fantastic. I have another EV (Hyundai) and the Berlingo is perfect as a second car, less range but massively practical. Don't agree with the 'just OK' assessment for the driving experience. It is actually quite nippy and maneuverable. The smaller battery makes it seem/feel less tank like. Rear camera with 180 view makes parking really easy. 100kw rapid charging makes longer, one off trips feasible, if you can find a charger on the way.

[@usmanfarooq6741]

Hi, we are thinking of getting one. On average how many miles range do you get on the motorway doing around 70m/h. I know it depends on temp and load etc but in your experience what do you normally expect to get from it. I am thinking of getting xl

[@dmcd78]

@@usmanfarooq6741 It is hard to tell without performing a test. Also, the GOM on this vehicle seems to vary a lot depending on conditions. I always have it topped up with a decent charge, never ran it down to below 15%. My guess would be that one would get about 120-135 miles on a full charge driving motorway speeds. I have been getting 3.5-3.8 miles/kwh with mixed driving speeds recently, which would give it about 170 miles range, but with mostly urban driving. Range definitely not a strong point of this vehicle but it is great otherwise. The seats are really comfortable.

[@scottswahayone432]

Here in the Highlands, the range is completely useless I'm sticking with my 600-mile range diesel Berlingo ta.

[@Skipperro123]

I've got the same car, but non-electric version and I love it. It's comfortable and allows 3 kids-seats to be mounted in 2nd row. The reason why I didn't chose electric version is that I have to regularly take a 150 km drive (+150 km back) and the range is too small for me to do it comfortably. If they'll ever release a 300 miles / 450 km range version, I'll swap my ICE for it.

[@wilkoone9155]

Big mistake, I drive lots of long journeys in Ireland into some fairly remote areas & I frequently leave my charging cables at home. Range anxiety is purely a state of mind. We are on our 5th BEV & have never suffered from it.

[@Skipperro123]

@@wilkoone9155 No it's not just a state of mind if I know I have to drive regularly on a 160 km trip and Citroen's own range simulator says that driving 130 km/h (German Autobahn) I'll get just 140 km of range out of this e-Berlingo. This missing 20 km means I have to take a stop to charge along the way which makes this regular trip at least 30 minutes longer than with ICE (15 minutes charging + 15 minutes extra way to reach the charger). Or I could drop speed to something like 100 km/h and drive behind a truck to reach destination without charging. I could charge on both ends of the journey, so it the car would do the distance on one charge I would be totally fine. I also sometimes go abroad to family and online journey simulator calculated, that with this e-Berlingo I would have to do 8 stops to charge while something like Hyundai Kona could do same trip with just 2 charging stops.

[@jamiep61]

I enjoyed watching the Video Review. I still think It Is a great Family Vehicle with plenty of Room and Storage

[@adofoi30]

I must admit that would be perfect for me to carry to the Caribbean as I have a family that expandS and contracts with the seasons up north(U.S.) perfect for a little island like Grenada, needs a bit more range for Jamaica but with the developing charging stations it isn’t useless… A45kwh battery though, WHY? IN SOMETHING THIS LARGE A 60/70KWH battery should be minimum.

[@frstesiste7670]

Interesting car with too small battery.

[@CosgroveNotts]

At least you started enthusiastic. Just a shopping car really

[@JJamJ]

Great vid. Thinking of purchasing this model to convert to a camper for my wife and I. Pretty good starting point.

[@patrickwang9776]

Very interesting interview. The one for « espresso »is actually a switch to select different operation mode, such as snow. But it might be removed depending on market demand. The car I’m driving now is Rifter, which I am very satisfied with.

[@judebrown4103]

Yeah, like you I do get quite excited by storage 😄but all I really need is to be able to do a hundred mile round trip without panicking. One box ticked but no good without the other, shame. Don't need seven seats though, is the range any better on that one, I wonder...?🤔

[@BillMoodyTutorLeeds]

10 points for getting the target market for this car spot on by having R4 on the radio. Minus 1 point for possibly saying ‘expresso’. What’s the break even time for this car vs ICE? I appreciate there are variables like fuel prices and other factors like ICE maintenance costs. Is it more than 3/4 years before initial premium is absorbed?

[@Euripides_]

Looks like the first affordable surf-van to me!

[@pmkeith]

So late last September, I was driving back from my holiday in Cornwall. And even at that time of year, countless thousands of vehicles were still travelling into Cornwall on the A30. If these were all electric, I cannot imagine for a second where they were all going to recharge. Cornwall is a big county. And very rural.

[@GoBala]

There is B mode for stronger regeneration ....

[@michaellarsen6844]

the battery is WAY too small ! ! ! We need twice the range ! ! !

[@EugeneVanDerMill]

I'll get mine in 3 MOnths (*fingers crossed*)

[@dcbel]

Great and honest review, thank you for sharing! ⚡🔌🚙

[@bestofalllife]

Very practical car🙌I think that little hole is for your keys 🤔 Keep up with good work 🍻

[@MrKlawUK]

is the battery size a result of its commercial roots and limiting impact to load capacity?

[@keithreynolds]

My 5 seat 69. Berlingo has the electric rear windows and we paid £16,500 for it new. Small hole like a cup holder is for accessory astray?

[@flashnc]

Nice Review One more time .. But Are Tom FORD making Citroen reviews and not FORD Cars hehe

[@charlesuk5358]

Practical thing.. decent price, really put off by that seatbelt though, and that range.. ideal family car, and the 100kw charging makes sense, if you have kids you wont want to do long runs without a break. so graze charging while pitstopping would work on a run

[@paulvandevlasakker9589]

The reviews are great; but a bit of work on the soundquality of the videos would be ever so nice ... ! 😐

[@GadgetsBoy]

This is Wookies fav car I can confirm

[@MrGMawson2438]

Great video mate 😃

[@pmkeith]

If you listen to an executive, they will tell you that “time is money”. Which is an argument they totally ignore when talking about electric vehicles.

[@johnf3326]

Had a mk1 diesel, now running a mk2 diesel. I can get 3 mountain bikes and 3 people in if take 2 of the 3 back seats out. I'd love the electric version but the range is the problem. I need a car that can more or less do 200 miles on a charge. My mate bought the MG5 for £28k that will do well over 200m in ideal conditions so 200m is more or less assured. Service stations are starting to charge rip off prices for charging and who wants to wait 30-45 mins. The Xbus seems to me like the ideal vehicle, modular batteries with range up to 400km, cheap, box on wheels, but with top speed only 60 thats not great

[@briangriffiths114]

Needs regenerative braking to improve range and driving experience.

[@devonbikefilms]

Nice try with the link at the start, but we all know Nikki will only have a BMW iX😂😂 At under 100 miles range, in cold weather, it just doesn’t make any sense at all. That means for me in Devon it could only get to Exeter and back on a full charge. Sadly yet another regulatory compliance car that could be good but really isn’t.

[@seanlander9321]

The range is hopeless, I’d buy one otherwise.

[@pigeonpoo1823]

I'm struggling to think who would buy this car in the UK.

[@charlesuk5358]

Taxis

[@davidpidge]

We ordered one. Need extra seats and loads of load space but wanted an ev. This satisfies all our requirements

[@THENINJAWARRIOR007]

I have just had to cancel my order for this vehicle the XTR one on motability as the range is shocking I choose this because I need the size due to my disability and large mobility scooter and other equipment needed I took one on a week long test drive and was truly shocked I spent more time chasing chargers than using it from a full charge I only got 70 miles and I don’t drive like Lewis Hamilton that range needs to be 300 + to stand any sort of chance which is a shame because I loved the vehicle and I have the diesel version ATM

[@Darthadios]

This guy is so familiar from somewhere, but I can´t recall from where ? =/

[@SgHawk144]

Tom’s done loads of great stuff but maybe 5th gear?

[@thelaserhive3368]

I really wanted it to be less boring OR to have more range. Can’t quite bring myself to like it, which is a shame.

[@Jackie-qk7zj]

The range is at least 180 in my 2024 5 seater range

[@toyotaprius79]

I saw the long wheelbase new van (a Peugeot) beside the old Berlingo. It's maddening how different the size is. I would be looking forward to a Citroen ë-Nemo if they have the balls for it.

[@RedBatteryHead]

I think theory are Better than SUV in their use. It's just marketing that's different now. I can remember the days they were growding campsites with their families. The rear windows pop out works better on the road than the sliding ones.

[@patrickh7368]

So why do they paint the front side windows Matt black in the corner…?

[@whocares264]

Really

[@patrickh7368]

@@whocares264 camera angle whist driving shows the corner of the window next to the shoulder , it’s blacked out, as tho some hick up after putting the design together or something 🤔

[@whocares264]

@@patrickh7368 It's the shape of the front door look at the car from the outside if it was not blacked out you would see door metal from inside..

[@patrickh7368]

@@whocares264 that’s what I mean it’s like some hick up when they put the doors together, strange…obviously considered an acceptable fix …. 🤔

[@goganization]

Disappointed. 1 person 90+ miles, what will be with 7 inside. Charging every 60 miles? Thank you no.

[@Brian-om2hh]

Not the problem you seem to think it is. The average UK motorway journey is 70 to 80 miles.

[@andrewhillman9632]

Some vehicles we don't get here in the states....that's ok :)

[@Reddylion]

Nice

[@andrewgeorge61]

Can't tell you have not delivered it. Who what I think. Hope to tell a year late, in January.

[@ErvinKortsLaur]

2022 electric with HALOGEN BULBS!!

[@davidorama6690]

Citroen should call this the Beerlingo.

[@avidian888]

This car needs at least an 80 Kilowatt Battery, that range is just freakishly small!

[@Fyrfotaanders]

It’s a bit funny that I read Königsegg on the plate… 😂

[@norwegianzound]

Battery is too small.

[@brianbridle951]

Flip open windows , Can't loose to many kids heads while fully opening will.

[@carlarrowsmith]

I looked at this to replace my 30kWh Leaf. I found realistically there would only be a little more range. Efficiency is bad and with the small battery it shows even more. The other issue to the space in the back seats of the 5 seater is poor, the seats really need to to slide. The boot is huge it just needs to be made smaller for greater passenger space. The van experience doesn't in the slightest bit bother me. If it did 200+ miles and more passenger space I'd put it to the top of my electric vehicle shopping list.

[@Brotherbear75]

Metric conversions please 😢😢😢😢😢

[@watchingfromadistance9990]

A regular diesel gets over 700 miles on a tank - it’s got space and range to get places. 100 miles on electric, maybe in London otherwise pretty useless

[@briankavanagh7191]

What diesel transport are you typing about?

[@mikadavies660]

Shame that nothing has progressed since I owned a Kangoo EV.... Except for rapid charging. The biggest issue in 2014 and now 8 years later is the range. It needs a true real world 150 miles NOT less than 100. As that is just not far enough for £30,000. An MG estate would be more practical and "slightly" better to look at.

[@Yanquetino]

Well… if you need to shuttle a van load of people only short distances… it's better than having a tailpipe. Still, I anticipate that the VW ID. Buzz will put the e-Berlingo to shame and Citroën will quickly supplant it with something better.

[@brendanoreilly4846]

stupid range...

[@youxkio]

Doing taxi or Uber service... could be fine.

[@alextaxi2593]

Not enough range

[@brianbridle951]

Nothing too techy. Fine as most drivers can't/wont/can't deal with.

[@whocares264]

BMW i3 rear windows don't open at all. This is why car maker don't make Good value cars journalists slag them off ..

[@philgalpin9284]

Its an expensive schoolrunner!

[@adofoi30]

That is so 1990s Nissan Quest

[@leesmith9299]

ex-presso

[@pmkeith]

“should give it 173 miles - but probably less in the real world”. Plus non-replaceable batteries that degrade over time. Equals large cost up front, and poor second hand resale value. Pretty much the same as ANY current electric vehicle. When are the manufacturers going to do something about these issues? Or are they so confident that the “new green rules” will continue to allow them to sell crap? I think I will stick with my diesel Citroen Berlingo campervan - which is fully paid for. Just as long as I can still purchase diesel - probably at least for the next eight years.

[@jonathanstone..]

Duck the grant got smaller

[@aleccrombie7923]

97 miles! What a joke. £30 k . This is going to be a huge hit NOT. What will be the at 3 years old???

[@Marc-fr6ls]

Honest

[@andrewgeorge61]

Not true been bumped 6 month

[@harrydymond4488]

Review: Great Car: Total crap - pathetic range, relatively slow charging, regen so light it might as well not exist, terrible interior quality for a £30k car. It might seem "cheap" relative to some other BEVs, but the value is still really poor.

[@davidpidge]

But if you want a 7 seat ev with van levels of space it's the only option.

[@GoogleuserAM]

Awkward - 100 and change in cold weather 😂. About as much use as a govt energy plan. Answer No.... Sticking with diesel ford grand tourneo connect 450 miles on a tank.

[@brianbridle951]

As always, EV do NOT have the range, even for "normal" Folk

[@davidpidge]

Majority of people average 30miles a day

[@brianbridle951]

@@davidpidge worth noting that lots of Ipswich folk work at Sizewell, so that's 50 per day and most are looking for diesel just to get to work and take care of the Nuc. If they don't it could be "interesting".

[@narrowgauge7.25]

Over priced and still not good enough range.

[@MrGMawson2438]

It's a Citroen 😆