Citroën ë-Berlingo review: what the car critics say
One of a select few electric MPVs, the ë-Berlingo is more suited to family life than work

The ë-Berlingo is one of a select few electric MPVs, What Car? said. Although it’s effectively an electric van, the extra seats and windows make it more suited to family life than work. Powered by a 134bhp electric motor and a 50kWh battery, it has an official range of 174 miles on a single charge (more like 115 in reality). It takes roughly seven hours to charge from a wall socket, or 30 minutes from 10% to 80% on a rapid charger.

There are two body styles available, The Daily Telegraph said – the standard M with five seats, and the XL, which is 35cm longer and has an additional row of two seats, making it the cheapest seven-seat electric car on sale. The ë-Berlingo is vast inside: the driver’s seat has an SUV-like high driving position, there’s plenty of leg room in the back, and masses of head space. Storage is great with deep cubbies on the dashboard and wide door bins.

The ë-Berlingo performs well as an EV, despite a 2.44-tonne kerb weight, with a very respectable 0-62mph time of nine seconds, said Auto Express. Top speed is modest at 84mph, and you will shorten the range if you go anywhere near it. It is supple, with good, quiet bump absorption. The long wheelbase can make the XL feel cumbersome, but the steering is well weighted and accurate, and the car is still fun to drive. Price: from £30,995.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Ancient India: living traditions – 'ethereal and sensual' exhibition
The Week Recommends Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are explored in show that remains 'remarkably compact'
-
6 well-preserved homes built in the 1930s
Feature Featuring a restored 1934 colonial in Arizona and a cold-storage warehouse turned loft in New York City
-
Things in Nature Merely Grow: memoir of 'harsh beauty' after loss
The Week Recommends Chinese-American novelist Yiyun Li's 'devastating' memoir explores the deaths of her two sons
-
Sirens: entertaining satire on the lives of the ultra-wealthy stars Julianne Moore
The Week Recommends This 'blackly comic affair' unfurls at a 'breakneck speed'
-
Mrs Warren's Profession: 'tour-de-force' from Imelda Staunton and daughter Bessie Carter
The Week Recommends Mother-daughter duo bring new life to George Bernard Shaw's morality play
-
Critics' choice: Steak houses that break from tradition
Feature Eight hours of slow-roasting prime rib, a 41-ounce steak, and a former Catholic school chapel turned steakhouse
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Film reviews: Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, Lilo & Stitch, and Final Destination: Bloodlines
Feature Tom Cruise risks life and limb to entertain us, a young girl befriends a destructive alien, and death stalks a family that resets fate's toll.