Citroën Berlingo 1

The first-generation Citroen Berlingo debuted at the 1996 Paris Motor Show. At the same time, a twin brother with a lion on the hood appeared on the market - Peugeot Partner.

Review

The first-generation Citroen Berlingo debuted at the 1996 Paris Motor Show. At the same time, a twin brother with a lion on the hood appeared on the market - Peugeot Partner.

The model was the first car to combine the advantages of a minivan and a commercial van, thereby giving rise to a new segment, which was later joined by Renault Kangoo, Fiat Doblo and Volkswagen Caddy. In 1999, following in the footsteps of Renault, PSA equipped its cargo passenger car with two side sliding doors. Until then, Berlingo had a sliding cargo door just to the right.

Three years later, the model survived the restyling. What's changed? The differences are visible in the front: headlights, bumpers and radiator grille. The engines and front panel were also updated. Despite the appearance in 2008 of the second generation model, the car was discontinued only in 2010. The Berlingo assembly plants were scattered all over the world: Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Morocco, Poland, Turkey and even Russia (a small batch at the Taganrog Automobile Plant under the name Doninvest-Orion-M).

Engines

Despite the relatively wide range of power units, they are not all strong enough. In the arsenal, there is a pair of engines with a recoil of 120-130 hp. But on the other hand, first of all, such a car should be practical, and its engine reliable. Everything else is secondary. The base 1.1-liter was intended only for “cargo” versions and was not offered in all markets. Admittedly, the engine is considered quite reliable, but the dynamics leaves much to be desired. The lack of power is felt even if you drive slowly. The only plus of the engine is a small fuel consumption at the level of 8 l / 100 km. The most common among gasoline units received a 1.4-liter engine. It does not guarantee the dynamics of sports cars, but it is more elastic and only slightly voracious – 8.5 l / 100 km. If you constantly press the gas pedal, the average flow rate will easily reach 10 l / 100 km. Unfortunately, the engine often suffers from a gasket burn under the head of the block. The same problem sometimes overtakes 1.6-liter units. The most rapid - gasoline engines with a working volume of 1.6 and 1.8 liters. At the same time, fuel consumption is comparable to a 1.4-liter engine. There are few such instances on the secondary market. The best choice will be a 109-horsepower unit with a capacity of 1.6 liters with belt-driven timing (replacement every 60,000 km). Both 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines are prone to increased oil consumption. In addition to gasoline in the lineup there are three diesel units. One of them is a little outdated - 1.9 D is turbocharged.

Design features

What technology is at the heart of the car from the mid-90s is not difficult to guess. In Berlingo, only front-wheel drive and a 5-speed manual transmission are used. A machine? You can forget about him.

The design of the suspension is relatively simple. The front stands are Macpherson, borrowed from the ZX model. Behind the torsion beam is an adapted design of Xantia Break.

In 2005, in the crash tests EuroNCAP car received a decent rating – 4 stars.

Typical malfunctions

The Berlingo owner must be ready for a systematic repair of the rear torsion beam. It wears out quickly in almost all PSA cars. Its revision is necessary almost every 40-60 thousand km. Fortunately, the cost of resuscitation has now fallen to a reasonable level. In the front suspension, the sleeves and stabilizer racks are rather quickly surrendered. But this problem is typical for most modern cars moving on Russian roads. In old copies there were cases of breakage of the springs of the front suspension. Relatively often it is necessary to change the bearings of the front shock absorbers.

Before buying Citroen Berlingo, you need to inspect the engine and gearbox for no oil leaks. Be sure to examine the body - on cars of the first years of production, most likely, rust has already appeared.

Not distinguished by reliability: sliding mechanism of side doors (periodically requires adjustment), central lock, drive windshield wipers and switches of direction indicator. The starter and generator have a very short resource.

Owners of restyled copies (since October 2002) complain of malfunctioning of the BSI comfort unit and the ailments of multiplex wiring. BSI can disable even an illiterate alarm or head unit of a non-standard audio system.

Review

• At the same time, a twin brother with a lion on the hood appeared on the market - Peugeot Partner.

Engines

• The same problem sometimes overtakes 1.6-liter units.
• The best choice will be a 109-horsepower unit with a capacity of 1.6 liters with belt-driven timing (replacement every 60,000 km).
• For the dynamics and efficiency of modern turbo diesel engines have to pay for failures of the injection system, EGR valve, turbine and pulley.
• Problems can occur after 100,000 km. Version 2.
• 0 HDi is the most hardy, but if a malfunction occurs, the cost of elimination will be high. In the case of 1.
• 6 HDi repair costs are only slightly less, but also quite high.

Typical malfunctions

• The Berlingo owner must be ready for a systematic repair of the rear torsion beam.
• But this problem is typical for most modern cars moving on Russian roads.
• Before buying Citroen Berlingo, you need to inspect the engine and gearbox for no oil leaks.
• Be sure to examine the body - on cars of the first years of production, most likely, rust has already appeared.
• Owners of restyled copies (since October 2002) complain of malfunctioning of the BSI comfort unit and the ailments of multiplex wiring.

Most of the items on the secondary market are of poor condition, so you need to be vigilant when searching. Car prices range from $3,500 to $7,000. The most preferred top-end configurations Multispace with useful electronic devices, ABS and slightly improved materials interior trim.

In favor of the car speak practical interior, a significant amount of space and many compartments for small items. Another advantage is the surprisingly low operating costs, provided that there is no HDi diesel unit under the hood. A well-kept copy will not require frequent visits to the service.

You can complain about insufficiently good dynamics with any of the engines, poor equipment and low quality of interior finishing materials. With age, more and more unpleasant sounds appear in the cabin. Design is not the strong point of a French car.

However, the Citroen Berlingo can be recommended with complete confidence to those who need both a passenger car and a truck.

• Simultaneously with him, a twin brother with a lion on the hood appeared on the market - Peugeot Partner.
• Engines: The same problem sometimes overtakes 1.6-liter units.
• What technologies underlie the car from the mid-90s is not difficult to guess.
• Typical faults: The Berlingo owner must be prepared for systematic repairs to the rear torsion beam.

Shows, bargaining and re-registration take time: buyers look, promise to think and disappear. Fair price after inspection closes the auction on the spot. If money is needed urgently, the purchase takes away waiting and repeat displays.

Leave a request with the car data. We will discuss the preliminary assessment and inspection. After checking the status and documents, we agree on the final price and terms of the transaction.