Citroen Berlingo VS Ford Transit Custom
Citroen Berlingo
Likes
Dislikes
Ford Transit Custom
Likes
- Practical user-friendly design
- Real-world fuel economy
- GVM/GCM/tow ratings
Dislikes
- No ANCAP rating yet
- Purchase price
- Loose barn-door trim
Summary
Citroen Berlingo
Citroen, the famous French manufacturer founded in 1919, has achieved global acclaim for daringly bold and brilliant design and engineering that was often ahead of its time.
Despite this, the double chevron badge has suffered a tumultuous ride since the 1970s, including a lifesaving merger with Peugeot in 1976, followed by another near-death experience for Peugeot-Citroen (PSA Group) in 2012.Â
Since then, though, major restructuring has seen a remarkable turnaround. Under Inchcape Australasia, which took over PSA’s local distribution in 2017, Peugeot Citroen Australia has a fresh focus on light commercial vehicles, with the venerable Citroen Berlingo holding centre stage with its class-leading payload capacity.
Even so, with less than seven per cent of the local small van segment (under 2.5 tonne GVM), the Berlingo’s market share is dwarfed by French rival Renault’s Kangoo, with 25 per cent, and VW’s kick-butt Caddy, which now commands more than 65 per cent.
However, with an all-new Berlingo range just around the corner and super deals being done with the current model in run-out mode, we put one to work for a week to see if it would be worth a trip to your local Citroen dealer to bag a bargain.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.1L/100km |
| Seating | 2 seats |
Ford Transit Custom
Those looking to buy a mid-sized (2.5 to 3.5-tonne GVM) commercial van are spoilt for choice, as there are currently 11 models from nine manufacturers competing for your business.
Latest VFACTS industry figures show that Toyota’s HiAce continues to dominate this segment with a staggering 46 per cent share of sales, well ahead of Hyundai’s Staria Load, LDV’s G10 and Ford’s Transit Custom in a close three-way fight for second place.
Chasing a larger slice of this pie chart, Ford has launched its all-new Transit Custom range which in Australia is the first new generation of Transit Custom in a decade.
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Ford claims it’s globally popular one-tonner has been redesigned from the ground up, so we recently spent a week aboard to see from a tradie's perspective if it has what it takes to put a larger dent in HiAce sales.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.6L/100km |
| Seating | 3 seats |
Verdict
Citroen Berlingo8.3/10
Given Citroen’s proud heritage of innovation, the Berlingo has a few unique and quirky features, but is overall quite conventional in its design and performance (though in a well thought-out and practical package).
With sub-$20K run-out pricing, it should have plenty of appeal for commercial customers, as it costs much less than its major rivals yet offers a superior payload.
Is the Berlingo a small van leader or follower? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Ford Transit Custom8.1/10
Although yet to be ANCAP-rated, the latest Transit Custom LWB offers numerous design features unmatched by the dominant HiAce LWB, along with higher load volume/payload/tow ratings and less frequent servicing. However, those attributes come at a much higher price than its Toyota rival, so only a potential buyer can decide if they’re worth the extra spend.
Design
Citroen Berlingo
The smallest Berlingo rides on a front-wheel-drive, 2728mm wheelbase with an overall length of 4380mm and width of 1810mm. Compared to the Caddy, the Berlingo is 46mm longer in wheelbase, 28mm shorter and 37mm wider.
Suspension features MacPherson struts up front and a tidy trailing arm arrangement at the rear, which is well designed for carrying heavy loads. Steering is via power-assisted rack and pinion and four-wheel disc brakes provide reassuringly strong braking. The turning circle is a compact 11.0 metres.
The cabin and cargo bay are separated by a removable grey vinyl screen, with a large clear section in the upper half to allow rear vision for the driver. Citroen says this screen is primarily to reduce air-conditioning requirements, which in turn reduces the A/C load on the engine to optimise performance and fuel economy.Â
It’s also claimed to (slightly) reduce noise intrusion from the cargo bay, which is mostly caused by tyre roar through the rear wheel arches. However, Citroen has taken a commendable step in trying to muffle these noise paths by surrounding each wheel arch with large plastic mouldings which are claimed to contain sound-absorbing material.
Glazed rear barn doors with wiper/washer and 180-degree opening, plus solid sliding side doors, are standard issue. The barn doors also feature an asymmetrical design (one wide, one narrow) to off-set the centre pillars and reduce the large blind spot they create in the rear-view mirror.Â
The cabin layout is simple and functional with decent-sized door mirrors, although the kerb side would benefit from a wide-angle lens due to a big blind spot for the driver created by the solid side door. The fold-down inboard arm-rest is a nice touch and the cabin is quite spacious, although tall drivers will find the left footrest too high for a comfortable leg position.
Ford Transit Custom
Our Trend LWB test vehicle has a 3500mm wheelbase and 5450mm overall length, with both dimensions being 400mm longer than its SWB sibling. Its 1980mm height ensures access to height-restricted areas like multi-storey carparks and underground loading bays.
The new front-wheel-drive chassis platform retains simple and rugged MacPherson struts up front, but there’s a new coil-spring independent rear suspension (IRS) replacing the previous leaf-spring/beam axle for improved ride comfort and handling. Steering is rack and pinion and there’s a quartet of disc brakes.
Its new cargo bay design has a lower floor and new access step for improved ease of loading and unloading. The front wheels and strut towers have also been moved further forward, resulting in a shorter front body overhang to assist when parking and manoeuvring in confined spaces.
This front suspension relocation has also improved cabin floor space and foot rests for occupants, in a user-friendly cabin that allows a driver to easily enter and exit the vehicle from both sides. This ‘walk-through’ function is enabled by a flat floor combined with a flush-fitting electronic parking brake button and column-mounted gearshift stalk to ensure the dash is largely free from protrusions.
The steering wheel is noticeably square in shape, which offers two benefits. The squared-off bottom half optimises space for the driver’s torso, while the top half creates a ‘frame’ around the instrument panel to provide the driver with an unobstructed view.
Our only gripe was a loose plastic moulding that shrouds the wiper motor on the RHS rear barn-door. On numerous occasions, after clicking it back in place, it would become dislodged when closing the doors and tumble into the cargo bay. It could have been a manufacturing fault unique to our test vehicle, but not something we've previously experienced in Transit Customs.
Practicality
Citroen Berlingo
The Berlingo’s 1433kg kerb weight and 2150kg GVM would normally result in a 717kg payload. However, Citroen’s official payload figure is 133kg higher, at a class-leading 850kg, because PSA calculates kerb weights differently to the norm (typically French). So, 75kg of that can be carried on the roof when shared across three racks with the mounting points provided.
Its robust 3250kg GCM allows up to 1100kg of braked trailer to be towed without any reduction in payload. Citroen states that this GCM applies up to a maximum altitude of 1000 metres above sea level, with a 10 per cent reduction for each additional 1000 metres. So keep those stats in mind if you’re heading for Mount Kosciuszko.
The cargo bay, which offers 3.3 cubic metres of load volume (or 3.7 with passenger sear folded), has a floor length of 1800mm and a roomy 1229mm between the wheel arches. This means it can carry one 1160mm-square standard Aussie pallet, easily loaded with a forklift through the rear barn doors and held in place by six tie-down points. There’s also internal lighting, a 12-volt outlet and sturdy ladder-frame cargo barrier behind the driver. Nothing for the passenger, though.
Cabin storage options include two pockets and a combined cup/bottle holder in each door. There’s also a large lidded compartment and two open bins set into the dash-top, two circular storage slots in the centre display plus two smaller pockets below and beside the gearstick; the latter a slim-line 'holster' complete with USB port.
The single glovebox has two-tier storage, and there’s a full-width cabin shelf overhead. The centre console, which is a module that can be unlocked and removed if you want floor space between the seats, has a cup holder at the front, a big internal storage area with sliding lid in the centre and two cup/small bottle holders at the rear. There’s also lots of vacant space for additional storage under both seats.
Ford Transit Custom
With its 2016kg minimum kerb weight and 3225kg GVM, the Trend LWB offers a one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1209kg. It also has a big 2500kg braked tow rating and with its generous 5725kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it impressively can tow its maximum trailer weight while hauling its maximum payload.
The cargo bay is accessed via a standard kerbside sliding-door with large 1030mm opening, plus rear barn-doors that open to 180 degrees. Note our test vehicle has the extra-cost option of sliding-doors on both sides (an optional single-lift tailgate is also available).
The LWB load floor is 3002mm long with 1392mm between the rear wheel-housings. So, it can comfortably carry up to two standard Aussie pallets or up to three Euro pallets, held in place by a choice of eight load-anchorage points.
By opening the hatch at the base of the cabin bulkhead, the floor length extends to 3450mm by utilising spare room under the passenger bench seat. This feature is handy for carrying long lengths of timber, electrical conduit, copper/PVC pipe, rolls of carpet etc.
Its 6.8 cubic metres of load volume is larger than the HiAce LWB’s 6.2 and the cargo bay comes standard with Ford’s ‘Load Area Protection Kit’ comprising a moulded floor-liner plus side and rear door protection. Three internal LED lights provide brilliant illumination in low-light conditions.
Although not fitted to our test vehicle, all MY24.5 models come equipped with Ford’s clever integrated roof-rack system, comprising a trio of hinged racks which lie flat when not in use but can be easily raised and locked into vertical positions. This sturdy design can carry up to 155kg when shared across the three racks.
There’s generous cabin storage too, with each front door offering three tiers of storage with the largest central tier comprising a large-bottle holder and bin.
There’s also small-bottle/cup-holders at each end of the dash and a fold-out small-bottle/cup-holder for the driver lower down, plus a glovebox and on top of the dash two cavernous compartments which negate the need for an overhead shelf.
The centre seat’s backrest folds flat to reveal a small work desk and the bench seat’s hinged base-cushions can tilt forward into a vertical position to access a large hidden storage area beneath. This vast space also serves as the cargo bay’s load-floor extension when carrying long items.
Price and features
Citroen Berlingo
The Citroen Berlingo range comprises three models; the L1 Short Body Manual, L2 Long Body Manual and L2 Long Body Semi-Automatic.
Our test vehicle was the L1 Short Body Manual (aka M Confort VTi), which, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual gearbox, is normally $22,990. This compares favourably with the Kangoo L1 SWB (1.2-litre petrol/six-speed manual) at $23,990, and is a huge 24 per cent saving over the Caddy TSI220 SWB (1.4-litre petrol/seven-speed dual-clutch auto) at $30,390.Â
However, the Berlingo’s run-out price is now a bargain basement $19,990 drive-away, so you’ll save even more up front, plus be eligible for an immediate tax deduction if you're a business owner.
Given it’s a commercial van, our Berlingo came with all the usual visual cues of a hard worker, like the solid white body colour with contrasting black bumpers, door mirrors, handles and side rubbing strips, plus black hub caps inside 15-inch steel wheels with 195/65 R15 Michelin tyres and a matching spare. However, the cabin does at least get floor carpet.
Its standard equipment list includes useful stuff like a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors (essential in any van with solid side doors), guide-me-home headlights, height/reach adjustable steering wheel, RDS stereo sound system with a 7.0-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity options (including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth), cruise control with adjustable speed limiter, one-touch electric front windows and more.
Ford Transit Custom
The new Transit Custom range consists of four models, comprising the work-focused Trend in a choice of short wheelbase (SWB) or long wheelbase (LWB) plus the more lifestyle-oriented Sport SWB and Sport Double-Cab LWB.
Our test vehicle is the Trend LWB, which like all variants is available only with Ford’s latest 2.0-litre TDCi EcoBlue four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic for a list price of $57,590. That's considerably higher than rivals including the Toyota HiAce LWB Barn Door ($51,636), Hyundai Staria Load Barn Door ($46,740) and LDV G10+ Barn Door ($39,537).
It comes standard with Frozen White paint, 16-inch steel wheels with replaceable plastic covers and 215/65R16C tyres with a full-size steel spare.
There's fabric-trimmed seating for three comprising an eight-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, with lumbar support and fold-down inboard armrest, plus a two-passenger bench seat. The two outer seating positions are also heated.Â
The cabin is separated from the cargo bay by a metal bulkhead which doubles as a cargo barrier, equipped with a central window and load-through hatch (see Practicality). Plus there’s keyless start, USB-A/USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket, Sensico (synthetic leather) steering wheel with ample height/reach adjustment and more.
The dash offers a big 12-inch screen with 7.0-inch colour digital instrument cluster for the driver, plus a 13-inch multi-function colour touchscreen display which controls some vehicle settings and the four-speaker SYNC 4 multimedia system with digital radio, Bluetooth and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
There’s also wireless phone charging, sat-nav and, for the first time in a Ford vehicle in Australia, an embedded 5G modem to optimise connectivity.
Under the bonnet
Citroen Berlingo
The Euro 6-compliant 1.6-litre multi-point fuel-injected four-cylinder petrol engine is conspicuously rev-happy for a commercial vehicle, as evidenced by its tachometer which displays rpm increments all the way up to 7000rpm - with no redline.
The needle has to reach 6000rpm to access the engine’s relatively modest maximum power of 72kW (less than Kangoo/Caddy, which are both turbos), with peak torque of 152Nm (also less) at a relatively high 3500rpm. It also requires 95-octane fuel.
The five-speed manual gearbox has useful spread of ratios for both city/suburban delivery work and load hauling on the highway.
Ford Transit Custom
Ford’s latest TDCi EcoBlue 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with AdBlue produces the same 125kW at 3500rpm as its predecessor. It also matches the previous model’s 390Nm of torque, but it's served across a wider torque band between 1750-2500rpm which is also higher in the rpm range.
The new eight-speed torque converter automatic (previously six-speed) is smooth and refined, offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting via a rotating knob on the column-mounted gearshift stalk. There are also four selectable drive modes comprising Normal, Eco, Slippery and Tow/Haul.
Efficiency
Citroen Berlingo
Our Berlingo achieved a combined figure of 7.2L/100km over a distance of 422km on a variety of roads and with different loads, including near-maximum GVM. Impressively, that was line-ball with the official combined figure of 7.1. With its 60-litre tank, you could expect a realistic driving range of 580-600km.
Ford Transit Custom
Ford claims an official combined average of 8.0L/100km and the dash display was claiming a close 8.9 at the completion of our 273km test.
This was mostly unladen city and suburban driving, plus hauling a near-maximum payload on a mix of highways and backroads. The engine’s Auto Stop/Start feature remained on for the duration of our test.
Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at 9.2 which is still excellent single-digit economy for a van weighing more than two tonnes in real-world use. Therefore, based on our figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 760km from its 70-litre tank.
Driving
Citroen Berlingo
The first thing we noticed was the relatively low cargo-bay noise, combined with low wind and engine noise. The ride quality was firm but acceptable without a load, and the steering responsive and linear in weight, with a strong self-centering effect ensuring good directional stability.Â
The slick-shifting manual gearshift was nice to use, with well-defined gates and a light clutch action. Braking response was strong, but four discs designed to cope with a 3250kg GCM could bite hard if you pressed too firmly without a load.
With maximum torque at 3500rpm and peak power at 6000rpm, the 1.6-litre non-turbo engine responded best around town when kept revving freely between those two numbers. Although torque started to fall away sharply below 1800rpm, a useful amount remained between 1800-3500rpm, as evidenced by 2750rpm at 100km/h and 3000rpm at 110km/h in top gear on the highway.
With 600kg in the cargo bay plus a 100kg driver, our 700kg payload was 150kg below GVM. Handling and ride quality with this load was excellent, particularly over large bumps and on heavily patched bitumen roads. Braking was also reassuringly strong and it continued to track straight in cross-winds at highway speeds.
The engine’s rev-happy nature was noticeable on our 2.0km, 13 per cent gradient set climb with this load, finding its sweet spot in second gear at 3750rpm - which it happily pulled all the way to the top. Engine braking on the way down was non-existent, but the powerful brakes easily covered this shortfall.
Ford Transit Custom
The large front doors open wide for easy access. Multiple seat adjustments combined with a fold-down inboard armrest, ample choice of steering wheel height/reach and a large left footrest ensure a comfortable driving position.
The thick-rimmed steering wheel has a quality feel and there’s clear eyelines to the big door mirrors, in which the lower third of each offers a wide-angle view. This is most appreciated on the LHS given the van’s solid walls and resulting huge blind-spot, with safety enhanced by blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert.
It has brisk acceleration from standing starts, with the eight-speed automatic smoothly upshifting at 2500rpm in each gear to keep the engine operating in its peak torque zone. This ensures zippy performance in city and suburban driving, plus optimum efficiency at highway speeds.
Unladen ride quality and handling are enhanced by the new IRS, although the difference is not as noticeable as you might expect given how well Ford refined the previous leaf-spring/beam axle arrangement.
To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1155kg that was only 54kg less than its legal limit.
The coil-spring IRS compressed about 60mm under this load, which ensured long cone-shaped jounce rubbers attached to the underfloor engaged with the suspension arms to provided a second stage of load support. This also avoided any harsh bottoming-out over larger bumps on our test route.
Its competent drivetrain also made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, with the eight-speed auto self-shifting down to fifth gear and maximum torque at 2500rpm to easily haul this load to the summit.
Engine braking on the way down was also commendable, given its modest 2.0-litre displacement and the big payload it was trying to restrain, with only one solid brake application required to avoid exceeding the speed limit or reaching its 5000rpm redline on overrun.
Safety
Citroen Berlingo
No ANCAP rating here, but a LHD diesel version with dual airbags achieved four stars when tested by Euro NCAP in 2009. Evidence that our local model is aimed at cost-cutting fleet buyers is a front airbag and cargo barrier for driver only, with passenger front airbag and side airbags for both sides only available as optional extras. There’s no AEB either, but you do get an electronic stability control program with traction control and hill start assist, plus a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors.
Ford Transit Custom
No ANCAP rating as yet but it offers numerous firsts including a roof-mounted airbag for the passenger which enables the expansive top-of-dash storage. There’s also an exit warning system for the driver, which uses the vehicle’s rear sensors to play an audible alert when an object (such as a bicycle) is approaching while the door is being opened.
The safety menu also includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with auto emergency braking (AEB) and intersection assist, reverse brake assist, lane-keeping assist, speed sign recognition, parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, rear-view camera with 180-degree split-view and lots more.
Ownership
Citroen Berlingo
A three-year/100,000km warranty includes roadside assistance, plus there’s a five-year anti-corrosion warranty. Scheduled servicing is 12 months/20,000km, whichever occurs first. There is also fixed pricing for the first three scheduled services of $416 (12 months/20,000km), $777 (24 months/40,000km) and $416 (36 months/60,000km).
Ford Transit Custom
The Transit Custom is offered with a five-year/unlimited km warranty. Scheduled service intervals are 12 months/30,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing of $499 applies to each of the first four scheduled services across four years/120,000km.