CITROEN BERLINGO Van Lease

It's now smarter looking than before and gets some extra hi-tech, but the main news lies beneath the bonnet with a fresh range of clean and frugal Euro6 BlueHDi diesel engines. The idea is to rejuvenate the model’s buying proposition, the prospects are promising.

As ever, motive power for this van comes primarily from a 1. 6-litre diesel engine, but there’s quite a choice when it comes to the way you get it. From the launch of this revised model in mid-2015, this French brand continued to offer the older Euro5 75bhp and 90bhp HDi versions of this powerplant, but the company’s future emphasis clearly lies with the more advanced BlueHDi versions of this unit. There are two, the 100bhp variant most will want, offered with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or the brand’s ETG6 auto. Or a pokier 120bhp model that uses 6-speed manual transmission.

We’d say it’s well worth stretching to the BlueHDi engine – and not only for its greater efficiency. Torque – pulling power through the gears – gets quite a boost with the new technology. So while the older Euro5 75bhp and 90bhp HDi variants can only manage 185Nm and 215Nm of torque respectively, the BlueHDi 100 model boosts that figure to a far more usable 254Nm, something you’ll really notice when pulling out to pass that swaying artic up-front. For what it’s worth, acceleration from rest is usefully rapid too, the BlueHDi 100 model needing 11. 8s for the 0-62mph sprint, making it a second faster than the 90bhp HDi variant. The top speed with the more modern engine is 101mph.

We should point out that you don’t have to have diesel power in your Berlingo. From launch, this French brand chose to update its aging 1. 6 VTi 95bhp petrol unit to Euro6 status, so that engine was initially offered in this improved model for the few operators likely to want it. An even rarer sight on our roads is the clever all-electric version.

The look of the Berlingo van has been smartly updated in the post-2015 guise, with the bumper, radiator grille and daytime running lights all now being more carefully integrated to give the front a smarter appearance. The neater bumper and radiator design has been created to sit lower and wider as part of a look that Citroen hopes will underline the robust strength of the vehicle.

As ever, there are two Berlingo bodystyles to consider – the standard ‘L1’ version and the longer ‘L2’ derivative. Avoid entry-level trim and your Berlingo will come with what the brand calls its ‘Extenso’ modular cabin, a configuration which allows the outer passenger seat to be folded flat so that longer items can be poked through from the cargo area.

The other benefit of the Extenso package is that it includes the useful middle seat so that a third passenger can be accommodated if necessary.

It’s features like these that’ll make this van an easier proposition if you’re needing the kind of mobile office functionality that many drivers now seem to want.

These people will probably like the idea of stretching to a top-spec model which features what is probably the main change in the improved model’s cabin, the 7-inch touchscreen and upgraded DAB audio system.

Time to focus on practicality, as expected, the rear doors open through 180-degrees and once you’ve lumped your items over the relatively low 584mm-high loading lip, you’ll find a cargo area that’s very comparable to the one you’d get in an equivalent Ford Transit Connect, Renault Kangoo or Volkswagen Caddy. Even in the standard ‘L1’ Berlingo model, it’s big enough to swallow a couple of Euro pallets, thanks to a useful 1,230mm of width between the wheel arches - payload-permitting of course. On that subject, payload capacity ranges between 641kg and 846kgs, depending on the variant you choose, that’s competitive with most rivals, though there are some that can take up to 1,000kgs.

The result is that as a starting point, an L1-spec Berlingo can swallow 3. 3m3. With its extra 248mm of body length, the ‘L2’ version can increase that figure to 3. 7m3.

I say ‘as a starting point’ because, provided you’ve avoided entry-level trim, your Berlingo will come with the clever Extenso modular seating system which will enable you to flatten this outer passenger seat into the floor and push through longer items into the cab, increasing your loading length to 3,000mm in the ‘L1’ model and 3,250mm in the ‘L2’ version. As a result, total carriage capacity can be upped to 3. 7m3 in the ‘L1’ model, or as much as 4. 1m3 in the lengthened ‘L2’ bodystyle.

On to running costs. The advantage of choosing the more modern BlueHDi diesel engines becomes readily apparent. Though the efficiency returns of the older Euro5 75bhp and 90bhp HDi units aren’t too bad (expect 56. 5mpg on the combined cycle), in a BlueHDi 100 variant, you can expect 67. 3mpg on the combined cycle, thanks in part to a ‘S&S’ stop/start system that cuts the engine when you don’t need it, stuck in traffic or waiting at the lights. BlueHDi technology has an even bigger effect when it comes to CO2 efficiency, the figure falling from just over 130g/km with the older HDi engines to 111g/km if you go for a manual BlueHDi 100 model.

Van designs have long shelf lives but are intensively developed throughout their lifetimes, a process perfectly showcased by this much improved second generation Berlingo.

You get very class-competitive payload and carriage capacity figures, plus there’s the flexibility of the Extenso modular seating system and an unbeaten set of running costs if you opt for a BlueHDi engine. Add in a comfortable ride and the widest choice of factory-built models in the class and you’ve a strong business proposition.

Quite simply, it delivers more of what really matters.