Published:
24 June 2024The flexibility and practicality of its interior should be an MPV’s star turn, and the Citroen Berlingo Mutispace – mostly – delivers. The boxy proportions bring plenty of luggage space without compromising room for passengers, while if the car you're looking at has removable seats (an option back in the day) the Berlingo will swallow more or less anything.
The high roofline also means there’s space for all sorts of clever storage solutions. For example, one option available was interior roof bars. Alternatively, the Modutop option brought overhead air vents and shelves, a 50-litre locker hanging above the boot and glass panels that run the length of the roof.
The problem is that although the boxy shape offers plenty of space, the basic Berlingo car offers nothing like the versatility of conventional MPVs. Cars have to have the Modutop system and the removable rear seats to achieve anything like the flexibility of more conventional MPVs. Otherwise it just got a 60/40 split/fold rear bench, although thanks to the high roofline there’s still plenty of space for bulky loads.
But conventional MPVs tend to do most things better. Step up half a class and you’ll find the second-generation Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, whose seats fold flat into the floor. By comparison, the heavy, fiddly rear seats in the Berlingo can be awkward. At least the seats themselves – both front and rear – are well padded and supportive. While Ford and Volkswagen both gave us elongated versions of their commercial-vehicle-cum-MPV in the shape of the Ford Grand Tourneo Connect and Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life, both offer a conventional seven seater set-up and removeable seating.
