CITROËN BERLINGO
The prime mover of the kombi kickstart (along with Peugeot’s identical Partner) almost 25 years ago, the original Berlingo (called ‘First’) is already a modern classic – a viable 2CV alternative perhaps? First has a certain style to it and are still good bets for around £1500 although most are now ratty.
The facelifted 2003 range is better, or best of all the Berlingo II from 2008 which ran for a decade. This was an all-new effort sharing its basic platform with Citroën’s C4 Picasso MPV, improving the ride and refinement no end – plus the interior remains a class act in terms of its space usage, especially if the optional deal clinching aircraft style overhead lockers are fitted.
There are 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol-powered versions, but the majority come in gutsy HDi diesel form – in 1.6 and for 2018, 1.5-litre sizes ranging from 75bhp to 129bhp depending upon year and model – we’d want a ‘100’ at least to cope with laden families. Berlingo’s drive quite nicely although notable cornering roll is the trade-off for a typically French compliant ride.
An all-terrain X-TR version was made from 2006 featuring a higher ground clearance, underbody protection and a special traction control system which was dashboard selected and works quite effectively – you can buy one for under £5000. Berlingo bothers include transmissions, power steering, rear axle (on first-gen), failing trim, paint and general decay. But a good one, such as a 2015 1.6 HDi ‘Blue’ XTR which we found for comfortably under £10,000 with warranty, will
