CITROËN AUSTRALIA
Press Release

THE CITROËN BERLINGO MULTISPACE -
A NEW CLASS OF FAMILY CAR

The Citroën Berlingo Multispace, which is being shown at the Sydney International Motor Show to evaluate it for the Australian market, is part of a unique success story that has seen its class expand from 25,000 units a year to nearly 400,000 units and which has every major car maker in Europe scrambling to follow Citroën’s success story.

While one side of the success story is the highly able commercial vehicle, which is already a sales hit in Australia, an equally important part of the story has been the success of the Berlingo Multispace, a new style of small family car that has captured the hearts and minds of people across Europe.

Many have likened it and the reasons for its success to one of the most important cars of the previous Century, the Citroën 2CV. Like that earlier car, the Berlingo is aiming at offering outstanding value for money and a large versatile interior but without compromising on ride quality, handling performance and providing a strong character that endears it to its owners. The Berlingo is even now available with a full-length sunroof, like its forbear.

But the Berlingo Multispace is no retro-chic car looking to live in the shadow of a famous ancestor. The Berlingo is a thoroughly modern car that has been engineered to meet the highest standards of the 21st century and offer car buyers a new choice that fits with modern lifestyles.

If the Berlingo Multispace does reflect Citroën’s past it is because it has been designed, developed and built to the same standards that have provided Citroën with a unique position within the history of the automobile, the standards that were in place when the 2CV was on the drawing board and which still guide Citroën’s engineers today.

For example, the Berlingo has been designed exactly for this purpose. Unlike its competitors, which are adapted versions of existing cars, the Berlingo, both as a van and as Multispace, is a purpose-designed vehicle. It may look car-derived, but it is not. The most obvious sign of this is how the shape is all one smooth design – it is not a car with a box on the back. This is also revealed in the detail design, from the multiplicity of storage spaces, to the large engine bay with plenty of room for quick and easy servicing.

Again, unlike its competitors, Citroën has not scrimped on the drivetrain. The Berlingo uses fully independent suspension – not cart springs at the rear like its competitors – and no ordinary fully independent suspension. It has been honed and refined with Citroën’s legendary skill to produce the company’s ‘magic carpet’ ride quality and a level of road holding, handling and steering response that puts many cars that claim sporting pretensions to shame.

The design of the Berlingo Multispace is, quite simply, unlike anything else in its class. For a start, as well as two wide opening front doors and a huge rear hatch, that opens to 90 degrees to provide weather protection, the Berlingo has wide side sliding doors. These are 1.12 metres high and more than half a metre wide, giving quick, easy and safe access to the rear seats. The rear seats are split fold 60/40 and provide a unique level of versatility to the rear area of the Berlingo Multispace. Even with the seats raised and loaded only to the parcel shelf, the Berlingo Multispace has a 664 litre boot – larger than many large sedans – while loading to the roof takes this space to nearly 1.5 cubic metres. Fold the seats and load to the roof and the Berlingo has a cavernous 2.8 cubic metres of space.

But the Berlingo is more than just a large empty box. The interior littered with intelligent design features to make load and people carrying easy. At roof level above the boot is a shelf, on the sides above the windows are nets and then there a large door pocket, trays under the front seats, pockets in the back of the front seats and double glove boxes. And if this is not enough, there is another option: Modutop. This fits the roof area with an passenger aircraft-type roof, with fresh air vents, reading lights and roof lockers for each seat, plus a full width locker across the back of the Multispace.

The Berlingo Multispace is an ideal car to travel in, especially for children. Unlike most cars where the rear seats are lower than the front seats, making it claustrophobic for children, the Multispace’s rear seats are raised by 55 mm above the front seats, enabling them to look ward and sidewards. And all the locker and stowage space means there is plenty of space for toys.

Another part of the Multispace’s character is its bright colours inside and out and which extend to the dashboard and instruments.

If Citroën Australia decides to market the Citroën Berlingo Multispace in Australia, it will be powered by one of the company’s newest engines, a 1.6 litre 16 valve engine which, at 83 kW, offers above class average power and torque for this size of engine. With this engine, the Berlingo Multispace has a top speed of 170 kmh and it covers the dash to 100 kmh in 13.1 seconds. But, perhaps more importantly, this is a torquey engine that pulls well at all speeds and makes light work of keeping the Berlingo on the move, laden or unladen. It offers an average fuel consumption of 7.8 litres per 100 km and with its compliance with the Phase Three European clean air laws, it offers unusually low emissions.

Technical Specification

For further information please
e-Mail Miles Williams - General Manager on
100250.3324@compuserve.com

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