Citroën Berlingo review: the practical answer nobody in Bahrain thinks to ask for
3.2/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The Berlingo is not fast, not stylish and not what most Bahraini families think to shop for, but the load bay and rear-seat space are genuinely class-leading for the footprint, and the naturally aspirated 1.6 is a known, low-drama engine without the small turbo-triple's reliability question marks. Buy it for the school run and the furniture runs, not for the badge.
Pros
- Class-leading interior and cargo space for the footprint
- Simple, well-understood naturally aspirated 1.6 engine
- Sliding rear doors and flat load floor genuinely useful for families
- Parts and service familiar to any PSA-experienced workshop in Bahrain
Cons
- Weak resale demand in Bahrain's small used-MPV market
- Van-based body brings more wind noise and body roll than a crossover
- Not quick, and styling does nothing for badge appeal
- Limited official dealer footprint in Bahrain
The Berlingo Multispace looks like a delivery van with windows because, underneath, it largely is one — Citroën builds the passenger version on the same platform as the commercial Berlingo van, and that heritage is exactly why the interior volume embarrasses most crossovers of the same length. Sliding rear doors on both sides, a genuinely flat load floor, and a boot that swallows a stroller and a week of grocery shopping with the third row folded are the entire case for the car.
Living with it in Bahrain
The naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol under GCC-spec Berlingos is not quick, and the five-speed manual (or optional four-speed automatic) does not disguise that, but it is the same simple, well-understood engine family PSA has fitted to Middle East-spec cars for over a decade, so independent workshops in Bahrain know it cold and parts are not exotic. Cooling and AC capacity hold up over a Bahraini summer without the drama some turbocharged small-capacity engines show.
On the causeway and Bahrain's dual carriageways, the tall, van-based body means more wind noise and body roll than a crossover on the same roads, and the ride firms up unladen. Loaded with people and cargo, which is the point of the car, it settles down and rides better than its shape suggests.
Resale is a genuine weak point — Bahrain's used-MPV market is small and dominated by cheaper, more familiar Japanese vans, so a Berlingo will sit longer and sell for less than the car's practicality deserves. Buy one because you need the space today, not as an investment.