The Citroën Berlingo MPV has been an unbroken success in Europe since the launch of the first generation in 1996. This success continues today, with the Berlingo ending 2023 as the best-selling compact van in the UK, while also achieving significant export results, as evidenced by its performance in Chile.
South America is important for the development of Citroën's international sales and is even a strategic region, but it is not limited to Brazil and Argentina, which are the largest markets. In Chile, Citroën has an interesting market position and offers its entire European range, which it does not do elsewhere in the region.
One of Citroën's best-selling vehicles in Chile is the Berlingo, which ended the year in second place in commercial vehicle sales, with 2,640 units sold, making it clear that this is a third-generation European Berlingo van and not the old first generation, which is still assembled in Argentina. As a result of these excellent commercial results, the magazine Tacómetro de Publimetro awarded the Citroën Berlingo the "Los Más 2023" prize, which rewards the brands and models that have achieved the best sales results, according to figures from the Chilean National Automobile Industry Association.
In Chile, Citroën also offers the electric version of the Berlingo van, which at the beginning of the year won another important award, the Utility Vehicle of the Year prize, awarded by the magazine Autocosmos 2024. The French brand's electric van triumphed with 46% of the votes, beating 7 other competitors, all of whom were models sold in the country between 1 January and 15 December 2023. Finally, in the Los Mejores Awards, organised by MT La Tercera and judged by a panel of specialised journalists, ë-Berlingo came second in the Best Utility Vehicle category, scoring 7.38 out of 10 points.
To sum up, Chile is a special case in Latin America because Citroën essentially offers the European range there, including hybrid and electric versions, which it does not do in other countries in the region. This allows the brand to enjoy great success, particularly with the award-winning Berlingo, which is among the best-selling commercial vehicles, but Citroën is also experiencing success with its VP range, including the C3, which has entered the top 10 of the most popular cars. sold on the Chilean market at the end of 2023.