In January 2022, Citroën, like its sister brand Stellantis, surprised the world by discontinuing the thermal engines of the Berlingo in order to offer only electric versions. This decision, ridiculous and taken within the framework of emission quotas not to be exceeded, drastically reduced sales of the MPV to the rafters, but the latter has not said its last word by once again offering a diesel engine under the hood.
An important and successful restyling
Two years after this unprecedented decision, which has had a real impact on Berlingo sales, Citroën presents the restyled version of its successful MPV. A major restyling which affects the entire front end to reflect the new brand design and logo, but also the interior with a slightly revised dashboard design, enhanced technology and, above all, the presence of Advanced Comfort seats on the high-end Max versions, giving the Berlingo an extra touch of comfort and bringing it even closer to classic cars.
This restyling was also the occasion for Citroën to make modifications to the electric version, which now benefits from an LFP battery with a useful capacity of 50 kWh, allowing it to claim a range of 320 kilometres, a 20% increase compared to the previous version. If this increased autonomy is a good thing, the Berlingo's body is not adapted to electric motors, which means less versatility, which is a shame for a vehicle whose versatility is precisely its strength.
However, Citroën is also taking advantage of this restyling to reintroduce thermal engines, mainly with the return of the famous HDi engines. In France, the new Citroën Berlingo will be available with 1.5 HDi engines of 100 and 130 hp, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox for the lowest-performance version, while the HDi 130 is automatically mated to the EAT8 automatic gearbox. This return of the diesel versions finally allows the Berlingo to regain a versatility better suited to its multiple capabilities, while at the same time being considerably cheaper than the corresponding electric version, more than 9,000 €, not including subsidies, i.e. still more than 5,000 €, including subsidies, enough to make you think twice.
This return of diesel engines to the Berlingo will allow it to bounce back after a somewhat difficult start to the year with sales down 53% compared to 2023 to 3,770 units, a far cry from the great years when the herringbone MPV flirted with 20,000 units sold annually in Europe. That time can be reconsidered as sales of Citroën's electric cars have grown and will continue to grow with the new ë-C3 and ë-C3 Aircross, which will reduce emissions from the range, thus allowing , to continue to offer the Berlingo in diesel versions that better suit it.
To sum up, Citroën has given the Berlingo a nice restyling, offering a more modern style and an improved interior with even more comfort. The return of diesel engines is a big step forward for the herringbone MPV, which will be able to compete better with its rivals and regain momentum in terms of sales. The Berlingo diesel is accompanying me on holiday, giving me the opportunity to test it for several thousand kilometres and to show you how much it lives up to the image of a family car. See you in a few days to discover the full test and, in the meantime, take a look at the Passionnément Citroën social networks, where I will share some photos with you.
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