In 1996 PSA’s Peugeot Partner and Citroën Berlingo were the first compact monospace panel vans on the market. Prior to their introduction, vans in this segment were hatchback models with a tall cargobox. The first competitor that followed PSA was Renault with their 1997 Kangoo.
This 2004 Peugeot Partner is a fine representative of the first generation’s 2002-2008 Phase 2. It’s powered by a turbocharged 1,997 cc 4-cylinder diesel engine with common rail injection; maximum power output 90 hp, maximum torque 205 Nm (151 ft-lb) @ 1,900 rpm. With an intercooler the same engine was good for 109 hp.
Here’s the driver’s compartment of an identical Peugeot Partner panel van, which is fully separated from the cargo compartment by a partition.
You want to transport your expensive tools or other cargo and protect them against all elements? Then this Peugeot is your partner. This van segment is highly popular in both urban and rural areas throughout Europe, its drivers represent a wide range of professions; from repairmen, contractors, plumbers and house painters to flower- and meal delivery services.
The registered payload capacity is 604 kg (1,332 lbs) at a GVM of 1,790 kg (3,946 lbs). Inevitably it has a trailer hitch too, good for another 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs) to be hauled around.
Right from the start in 1996 both the FWD Peugeot Partner and Citroën Berlingo were also offered as LAVs. Or Mini MPVs, if you wish. All fine with me.
And who else but Dangel was -and still is- entitled to build a 4×4 version…
The completely new second generation was introduced in 2008, bigger and heavier than before. The current Phase 3 model, as pictured above, was introduced in 2015. I wonder when the PSA camionnettes hit the road wearing the Opel Blitz.
I’d forgotten that these came out before the Kangoo; I thought it was the other way around.
Yes, these really did pioneer a new concept, because unlike the passenger-car based vanes with their boxy bodies on back, these were of course so much more suitable for family use. And that has spawned a whole category, although I forgot it was called LAV.
I guess these are the spiritual successors to the legendary Peugeot wagons of yore, with even a Dangel 4×4 version. But those offered three-row seating; I don’t think these did. Maybe the current ones that are even larger?
The second generation was available as a 7-seater, both the Peugeot Partner Tepee and the Citroën Berlingo Multispace. Not anymore. That is, I only see them as 5-seaters on the Peugeot and Citroën website.
The current generation is still quite compact, see Citroën below. Just 4.38 m long.
Citroën offers a whole range of MPVs: C3 Picasso, C4 Picasso, C4 Grand Picasso, Berlingo Multispace, Space Tourer and Space Tourer Business Lounge (the Space Tourer is the new PSA + Toyota van).
You just reminded me of the Citroen I rented in Germany in 2010. I want to say it was a Picasso and all the side doors opened normally. It was like a Mazda 5. Other than a Kia, there was little choice at the rental counter at Munich Airport that was affordable.
The Citroen did just fine and I enjoyed my time in it while touring southern Germany into Austria and Switzerland. It was gas powered not diesel.
Perhaps not the first ever with this concept, maybe more a return to such a form. For example the 1950s Commer Cob, based on the Hillman Husky (in turn a Minx variant) had neatly integrated van bodies:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Commer+Cob&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjRmtasjIbTAhWKAsAKHWk0BtkQsAQIGw&biw=1024&bih=639
The Bedford HA van (1964 to circa ’82) was a case where the rather too square saloon made a better looking van.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3613/3432581400_c375aabb65_b.jpg
Ironically by the time the latter was discontinued most small vans were like the Fiat Fiorino
https://www.fiatprofessional.co.uk/uk/CMSEN/PublishingImages/imagesUpload/Azienda/Storia/Zoom/1971-1980/Fiat127Fiorino-1975.jpg
Those are neat, but I’d say they are compact wagons (with or without side windows), not a monospace / MPV.
The Partner + Berlingo are taller inside, measured from floor to roof. That’s exactly why they didn’t need the typical tall cargo compartment behind the B-pillar anymore, like the Fiat Fiorino in your link. After the Partner, Berlingo and Kangoo all other Euro-automakers developed a compact cargo van like PSA and Renault.
Well, the Bedford HA, despite first impressions actually has a different door to the related Viva HA saloon, 2.68 inches taller, and a roof 4.1 inches higher than the saloon. Double doors at the back also make it more van than estate/wagon. There’s a load of dimensions on spec sheets here: http://www.annteak.com/ngg_tag/ha-specs-1965/ The differences may be more on the Peugeot (compared to the hatches on the same floorpan) but it’s a matter of degree.
The ‘Audax’ body Commer Cob with it’s single side opening rear door was, I agree, more a windowless estate which is why the passenger version looks much better than the Bedford Beagle which just looks like the converted van it is.
There was a conventional wagon version of the Minx, with upper & lower tailgates, so the Cob with its side-hinged door was definitely designed as a van. It had a lower load floor than the wagon’s which was level with the folded rear seat.
Perhaps the Commer Express is a better expression of the monospace van?
That’s a nice find – very late version with the s.I ‘Audax’ grille in place of the ‘Mark’ one. This Commer Express outlived the Hillman Estate version that was replaced by a proper 4-door estate/wagon version in the ‘Audax’ range.
The Commer Imp van had a full length high roof but like the Commer Express the door is standard and therefor inset slightly. Using standard saloon doors was quite common; the Ford Escort, Marina and Maestro vans all did the same.
I didn’t actually think of the Hillman Estate, just the later Audax or Series wagon. Just out of interest there was a 2-door version built in Japan by Isuzu.
I didn’t take the photo posted above, it is from Malta apparently. Like the Express, the Cob (and Husky) also ran past the introduction of the next-gen Minx.
Good point about the other vans that had a full length roof but shared the sedan doors – 90% of the way to the Kangoo van format? It is interesting that the Escort reverted to a normal passenger front with a box added on the rear with the change to fwd models. Given the roof panel had to be unique no matter what they did, I wonder why they moved away from the smooth integration that had been achieved with the RWD van? Perhaps because there was a lot more tumblehome with the new model (inwards curvature leading up to the roof, when looking from the front).
Thanks for the post.
Because of favorable tax exemption (that was canceled about 10 years ago) on small commercial vehicles, those were very popular in Israel in their day- right from the beginning, even before the HDI engine. The first ones were even petrol powered cars, but they soon succumbed to diesel, as they should have.
Even the local police used them, mostly as CSI vehicles:
Seems like they’ve been around a long time.
Interesting sight. Any idea who built it ? I only remember the factory model, with the wide and tall compartment behind the cab.
No idea, I just know they are not hard to locate – at least picture wise on the web. 2CVs are so strange they are cool.
Yes, but one with a smooth transition to the van section (compare it to the one Johannes posted) is very unusual.
Fantastic little vans: light, spacious, easily manoeuverable, cheap, and quite fun to drive thanks to their Peugeot 306 bones. I spent quite a bit of time scurrying around town and countryside in these working my student side job at a small wine store. Perfect for the task: they’ll haul a lot of stuff and transport it even to narrow streets, and all in good comfort with the easy French suspension. Makes sense of course: it was designed to carry wine, or bread, or cheese, or post, on both the wobbly French countryside roads and the busy streets of Paris, Lyon and Marseilles.
What really makes these things work is their no-compromise utilitarian logic, but in a very Gallic way. Much like the 2CV and Renault 4 really. Jeremy Clarkson expressed a fondness of the passenger version in the first episode of the “new” Top Gear: its logical simplicity and practicality gave it character. And all the space was perfect for Calais booze runs.
Of course, it couldn’t last; the second and current generation Berlingo is bigger, heavier and, for the passenger variation, considerably more expensive. Whereas the first generation offered all you practically need in a car for much less than the Citroën MPVs, all of which appeared after the Berlingo/Partner, the current version costs little less than a comparable C4 Picasso. You’d have to really need that extra space to still choose the van.
Sadly, this mirrors all of PSA’s development since 1996: the late ’80s and ’90s were the modern golden age for Peugeot, after which it seriously dropped the ball in the ’00s with bloated designs. I hope they’ll come to return to French sensibility again.
I rather like these as well. Function in place of form. Carry baguettes, you say? From Car magazine, December 1999:
I think the Phase III 2nd gen only came out to cut costs. If you look, they stopped having unique headlights on the Peugeot, which now uses the same as the Berlingo
I like them, just the same kind of like I have for the Ram ProMaster City. They’re HOT!!! My wish is for PSA to come back to Canada and thrill us with their quirky, yet rip roarin’ hot rods… I still remember an SM beating a Camaro at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ during the 80’s. The Citroen vs Chevy vs Ford battles were good box office. So PSA, come on back. The Hot Rod community would be all the richer for it!
The second-gen Partner was sold in Australia but only just, averaging just over 100 sales per year! It was dropped 2 years ago. The VW Caddy and Renault Kangoo are the only remaining vans in the class, unless you count the Suzuki APV.
Small vans haven’t done that well here, quite a few companies just use a normal hatchback instead otherwise pickups are cheaper.
Only cheap, messy, dirty, wet and smelly stuff goes on an open bed truck here. The rest goes in a van, behind closed doors. Safe & sound.
They sell those here new though I dont see many outside of my local dealers lot, I see its chipped to the same power out puts as my older 1905 PSA engine but at lower rpm, I saw a Vauxhall diesel Combo van recently nearly all of those here wear Holden badging but this one had a Vauxhall griffen on the grille instead of the Holden lion making it a bit unusual though NZ has many cars that prove Holdens were only badge engineered from Opels, now PSA owns the European brands will the local stuff improve I guess only time will tell.
Since 2011 the Opel & Vauxhall Combo is a rebadged Fiat Doblò, aka Ram ProMaster City.
That would explain the end of the Combo here in Australia – apart from anything else, it would have been hard for Holden to deal with all the non-GM parts for such a low-volume vehicle.
Not interested in the van but curious about the roof of the house. Is that sod, grass?
That’s a thatched (reed) roof with a bit of moss growing (no harm done). In the background is another house with a thatched roof, and red roof tiles on the lower part.
Some extra info, old farm houses often have a thatched roof, like the two houses in the first picture. It’s also very common on villas, example below.
I love this form factor, and would really like to own one. but in the USA, the Ford is an ergonomic nightmare that gave me a sore back in 10 minutes, I don’t trust FCA vehicles for a hot second, and the Nissan/Chevy are the worst new vehicles being sold in America today.
I just bought a Mercedes Metris a couple weeks ago for our business. It’s similar, possibly a little bigger than the subjects of this article, but not much. We have about 3000 miles in it, it cranks out in the high 20’s mpg and drives well. It replaced a 4 door short bed Dodge pickup which got less than half the mileage. Out the door price was about $5000 less than the Dodge. I’m seeing why these type vehicles are so popular.
Actually, Mercedes-Benz does offer a van in the Peugeot Partner / Citroën Berlingo segment. It’s called the Citan, see below.
But please note that this is a rebadged Renault Kangoo, with some minor modifications.
I said it before and I say it again: you really can’t beat the French when it comes to building hyper-efficient, compact and midsize FWD vans. Not even the Japanese. Ask Toyota and Nissan.
A friend of mine had a second-gen Berlingo. It was, of course, an eminently practical car for a growing family in the suburbs of Paris. Still, I was sad that it displaced a Citroen BX 19 TZS.
I have no stock in the debate but in case anyone is interested in a snapshot from Denmark, these mini-MPVs are the ultimate symbol of a castrated family man and being called a Berlingo driver is very emasculating for many men.
I don’t personally have anything against these very, very common cars, but Berlingo hate is a real thing over here.
Similar to minivans in other places then. Do larger MPVs have the same stigma?
I don’t think so. I wouldn’t say the Citroën C4 Picasso & Grand Picasso, for example, have a “castrated family man” image.
I think Mads refers to the typical Top Hat mini-MPV.
You could say that the Ford Transit Connect was a validation of the concept, since it followed several generations of Escort Van. I would say this is doubly so in the US where the French vans are not available and the LWB Transit Connect is filling the market vacuum left by the Mazda5, in addition to dominating the small work truck market.
Ford Europe had two small classic FWD panel van models before the transition to the monospace vans. Right now they offer the Transit Courier and the Transit Connect.
Below the old, Fiesta based Courier panel van:
It is interesting that the earlier RWD Escort van was more of a ‘monospace’.
Yes – I wonder if the slightly bump up on the last Escort van was a stylistic nod to the ‘box-on-the-back’ that had become so prevalent. The Bedford Astramax was similar and may have influenced the style of the Ford.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4111/5605411767_5ee2b04779_b.jpg
Still the standard Escort door though; the HA was more thorough in that all the bodywork from the scuttle backwards different from the saloon. What I hadn’t realised until I found those tables though was that there was a half a degree difference in the windscreen angle; I knew the screen was deeper, but that’s very subtle!
And the Ford Escort panel van:
We have a lot of those Escorts in NZ, my BIL had them as company cars new they dont last very well for some reason, engines went bang at very low mileages especially the diesels and while on a Ford fleet so servicing wasnt the problem earlier Escorts like pictured above were great little vans something got lost in the transition to front wheel drive.
Dad drove one as a service car and kept it when he retired. It was 13 years old when he sold it to a cousin.
60 hp naturally aspirated 1.8 liter Ford diesel. Yes, it was slow, but also very tough. It even towed tandem axle trailers quite regularly. A trouble-free and practical little van, with a low floor and cargo doors with windows. A wheelbarrow loaded with wet cement went right in. Just for a short and careful ride of course…
Next gen psa CDV (type k9) Will beaucoup displayed at 2018 Geneva motor show…