PSA Peugeot Citroen and Fiat- The Van Trio

[Skid Mark 33]

PSA Peugeot Citroen and Fiat have teamed up to create three near indentical vans. The Peugeot Blipper, Citroen Nemo and the Fiat Fironio. They each have their own unique face , but apart from that they are virtually identical. To increase the load capacity, they have used clever ideas, such as a stowable passenger seat that creates a load length of 2.5 metres and a maximum storage volume of 2.4 cubic metres. Large barn-style rear doors and sliding side loading doors make easy access to the cargo area. Each model comes comes with the lastest safety kit as standard, as does the power steering and ABS. Other features such as parking sensors and separate cabin locking are on the options list. Both diesel and petrol powerplants will be available, and the 1.4-litre oil-burner emits only 119g/km of co2. This means it qualifies for tax band B, so it is exempt from the London Congestion Charge under proposed changes which are due to be introduced next year. It is expected that the vans will be launched during 2008, and it seems that businesses will be waiting in huge numbers for these commercial numbers. It is also possible that people carrier versions of these vans could be on the way, but his is not certain.

Skid Mark 33


Pictures of these vans can be found on this link:

http://www.carspyshots.net/zerothread?id=24233&page=2

 

[Jondot]

Oh right, this all makes sense now. You see, I phoned Citroen the other day complaining that their vans were far to cavernous for my needs. When will the French acknowledge that I want to transport 5 ring-binders and nothing more!?

...


But really, what's the use in these? Surely a better use of money would have been to redevelop the ageing Berlingo/Partner range, which is currently using a platform developed 16 years ago. But I'm sure they're right. What we really need is an obscurely named trio of commercial vehicles incapable of carrying much more than a 14 inch TV. That'll come in reaaaal useful.

 

[Metar]

Peugeot Blipper, Citroen Nemo

Yeah, right.

 

[Jondot]

That's honestly what they've called them. I expected this from Citroen and Fiat, but Peugeot? I thought they were atleast marginally normal.

 

[Metar]

I expected 1107

 

[Danny]

Well I think they're lovely.

 

[Quattro20v]

I am very broad-minded person, but this is "sooo gay".

 

[Philly]

Oh right, this all makes sense now. You see, I phoned Citroen the other day complaining that their vans were far to cavernous for my needs. When will the French acknowledge that I want to transport 5 ring-binders and nothing more!?

Doesn't Renault make the Kangoo as pretty much the same vehicle?

I think I'll pass. They just don't really seem like anything all that great or useful outside of any small deliveries.

 

[YSSMAN]

Kangoo FTW!

...But, if they offer the Nemo in orange with white and black stripes, I'm sold...

 

[Skid Mark 33]

But really, what's the use in these? Surely a better use of money would have been to redevelop the ageing Berlingo/Partner range, which is currently using a platform developed 16 years ago.

I am almost certain that these vans are the replacements your talking about!

Edit: This news was in the Auto Express, I just typed it up in my own words!

 

[Turbo Lag]

Lol these things look like that Citroën Berlingo thingy.

 

[Skid Mark 33]

I am very broad-minded person, but this is "sooo gay".

I fthis thread is ''sooo gay'', then why the hell did you bother posting a reply!

 

[ExigeEvan]

But really, what's the use in these? Surely a better use of money would have been to redevelop the ageing Berlingo/Partner range, which is currently using a platform developed 16 years ago. But I'm sure they're right. What we really need is an obscurely named trio of commercial vehicles incapable of carrying much more than a 14 inch TV. That'll come in reaaaal useful.

You don't realise quite how much "Wattage" you can fit in the back fo those van do you Yes that's right, I want to fill the back with tons of amplifiers and speakers Come on, it'll be a laugh.

Or we could just fill them with loads of flowers, florist shops are always the first to buy the latest car-van hybrids.

 

[forza2.0]

The french make the crappiest vans on the market.

The berlingo and kango are sooooooooooooooooo crap.

And the van that this new one replaces was a utter joke. I cannot express my feelings through words as to how crap they were.

If you want a van go buy a ford or a vauxhall or VW. Just keep away from this french/italian partnership. They are not worthy.

 

[Metar]

I don't know, I sat in a Doblo, I sat in a Berlingo, and they weren't that crappy. A VW Caddy, however, was pretty bad...

 

[forza2.0]

I don't know, I sat in a Doblo, I sat in a Berlingo, and they weren't that crappy. A VW Caddy, however, was pretty bad...

The VW vans I have been are were very nice. My main complaint about the french italian jobs is that they are badly designed, things fall off and the drive....OMG the drive is so utterly nausous.

The best van is easily the Ford transit series. Tough, sturdy, competant drive and cheap to service/repair.

 

[Jondot]

You don't realise quite how much "Wattage" you can fit in the back fo those van do you Yes that's right, I want to fill the back with tons of amplifiers and speakers Come on, it'll be a laugh.

Or we could just fill them with loads of flowers, florist shops are always the first to buy the latest car-van hybrids.

Only if the speakers are more powerful than the engine Which, come to think of it, probably isn't that hard. I've got a pair of JVC bookshelf ones that'd outdo the 1.4.

But seriously, why exactly would anyone want a van that's smaller than the Berlingo? I just can't see many companies screaming out for vans that can carry less of their stuff. And only slightly less at that - the Berlingo holds 2.8 cubic meters of stuff, while the Nemo manages 2.5. 30cm cubed more? What is that, like... 2 bookshelf speakers.

I am almost certain that these vans are the replacements your talking about!

Edit: This news was in the Auto Express, I just typed it up in my own words!

Nope, apparently these will sit below the Berlingo/Partner and Doblo ranges. Atleast Fiat can say they have at least one inoffensive looking small van, I suppose.

 

[Danny]

The french make the crappiest vans on the market.

The berlingo and kango are sooooooooooooooooo crap.

And the van that this new one replaces was a utter joke. I cannot express my feelings through words as to how crap they were.

If you want a van go buy a ford or a vauxhall or VW. Just keep away from this french/italian partnership. They are not worthy.

The VW vans I have been are were very nice. My main complaint about the french italian jobs is that they are badly designed, things fall off and the drive....OMG the drive is so utterly nausous.

The best van is easily the Ford transit series. Tough, sturdy, competant drive and cheap to service/repair.

I disagree on all counts. 👎

 

[ExigeEvan]

The best van is easily the Ford transit series. Tough, sturdy, competant drive and cheap to service/repair.

The Ford Transit, the backbone of Britain 👍

Only if the speakers are more powerful than the engine Which, come to think of it, probably isn't that hard. I've got a pair of JVC bookshelf ones that'd outdo the 1.4.

But seriously, why exactly would anyone want a van that's smaller than the Berlingo? I just can't see many companies screaming out for vans that can carry less of their stuff. And only slightly less at that - the Berlingo holds 2.8 cubic meters of stuff, while the Nemo manages 2.5. 30cm cubed more? What is that, like... 2 bookshelf speakers.

I heard nano-technology businesses are expending quickly....

 

[Jondot]

The french make the crappiest vans on the market.

The berlingo and kango are sooooooooooooooooo crap.

And the van that this new one replaces was a utter joke. I cannot express my feelings through words as to how crap they were.

If you want a van go buy a ford or a vauxhall or VW. Just keep away from this french/italian partnership. They are not worthy.

Nooo they don't. Both the Berlingner and Parto are excellent vans, and the Kangoo... just isn't appreciated anymore.

What van(s) are these replacing, exactly?

 

[forza2.0]

I disagree on all counts. 👎

Why is that?

I can honestly say french/italian vans are a joke. They are not sturdy enough to do the job and everything is designed so poorly in comparison to the ford transit series.

 

[superberkut]

Oh right, this all makes sense now. You see, I phoned Citroen the other day complaining that their vans were far to cavernous for my needs. When will the French acknowledge that I want to transport 5 ring-binders and nothing more!?

...


But really, what's the use in these? Surely a better use of money would have been to redevelop the ageing Berlingo/Partner range, which is currently using a platform developed 16 years ago. But I'm sure they're right. What we really need is an obscurely named trio of commercial vehicles incapable of carrying much more than a 14 inch TV. That'll come in reaaaal useful.

Buy a sedan! Preferably, the trio of Vauxhall Omega/stock Lotus Carlton/Lotus Carlton hot-rod. Or a Brabus.

P.S: Plenty of American vehicles cannot transport a 14 inch TV, supercars aside. *cough* Hummer *cough*

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot you are in the U.K!

 

[Danny]

Conclusion
With impressive engines, sharp handling, a roomy cargo box and useful carrying capacity, Fiat's Doblò Cargo is without doubt an appealing package. It's fuel frugal, and in SX guise offers a high standard of equipment. OK, it's cab interior remains an acquired taste — some bits make sense, some don't — and not everyone will like its exterior, even with the styling revisions. But don't let these considerations put you off completely. Go and try it. We suspect you might just like it.

Citroën's Berlingo high-cube van (and its identical twin, the Peugeot Partner) received a major makeover for the 2003 model year. The most obvious changes are to the front end; bigger headlights, now with polycarbonate lenses, larger bumpers and a redesigned grille.

Many of the most significant changes, however, have taken place under the skin to improve front impact crash protection. The suspension has been altered too, to increase the roll stiffness in cornering.

The engine line-up remains the same as before with a 1.9-litre indirect-injection diesel (71 bhp), 2-litre HDi common rail TD (90 bhp) and a 1.4-litre petrol unit (75 bhp).

Both the ride and handling have improved considerably and combined with the refinement and performance of the HDi engine make Berlingo a pleasure to drive. The 1.9D is not a bad choice either.

The cab has been completely revamped with a new steering wheel, dashboard, instrument cluster, switchgear layout and more storage space. Power steering is standard across the range (as is a full-width overhead shelf) and all models bar the 600DX boast remote central locking, electric front windows heated mirrors. Both the radio volume and windscreen wipers are indexed to the van's speed.

The load area remains unchanged at 2.8m3 and there is still the choice of 600kg and 800kg payload versions of most models. Sliding side doors are available as optional extras.

Berlingo comes with a choice of warranties; two years/unlimited mileage or three years/100,000 miles.

Renault introduced the first major revision to Kangoo at the beginning of 2003. The front-end was restyled to fall in line with other Renault products, more sound-deadening material was added, wide side-rubbing strips were fitted and the range now features a complete common rail engine line-up.

There are two petrol units on offer — a 1.2-litre (60 bhp) and a 1.6-litre (95 bhp and with an automatic gearbox) — but the big news is the 1.5dCi turbodiesel which is available at three power outputs — 57 bhp, 65 bhp and 80 bhp. A 1.9dCi (80 bhp) powers the 4x4 which remains as the old shape for now.

Suspension is independent at the front while the rear has torsion beams and dampers. Payload is 625kg across the range, although there is an uprated 800kg version available with the 65 bhp and 82 bhp 1.5dCi. The 4x4's payload drops to 600kg.

Power steering is standard across the range. Kangoo handles well and the additional sound-deadening has paid dividends. The two-seater cab is user-friendly with high-mounted seats for easy access and there's plenty of oddment storage space.

The 2.7m3 load area is accessed via two asymmetrically split rear doors which are unglazed as standard. The cubic capacity can be increased to 3m3 by specifying the optional folding passenger seat and swivelling bulkhead. Sliding side doors can now be specified; nearside only costs £235 while one on each side is £400.

Fuel consumption for the 65 bhp 1.5dCi was an impressive 52mpg when we tested the old model.

So in conclusion, it happens that French and Italian vans are extremely impressive.

 

[forza2.0]

What you have copied and pasted doesnt really prove anything. Having used a series of different vans whilst working for my firm I can honestly say that they are crap mate. My transit connect is much much better. Everyone on my old firm wanted transits or VW's, and it was common knowledge that the fiats and peugeots were the crappiest vans in the fleet. And the managers all had VW's so I think its safe to say that they must be pretty decent.

P.S

Whatvan.co.uk is not related to whatcar.com and is not exactly a well known reliable source.

 

[Jondot]

What you have copied and pasted doesnt really prove anything.

Neither does what you've said. Calling something 'crappy' isn't really an argument. It's barely an opinion.

What exactly is wrong with them? Again, 'sturdy enough to do the job' - what job? There's a big difference between transporting flowers and hauling around concrete slabs. My brother (plumber) had 2 Partners in a row, both of which he found to be excellent. He only changed to a Nissan Primastar because they weren't really big enough anymore.

 

[forza2.0]

Neither does what you've said. Calling something 'crappy' isn't really an argument. It's barely an opinion.

What exactly is wrong with them? Again, 'sturdy enough to do the job' - what job? There's a big difference between transporting flowers and hauling around concrete slabs. My brother (plumber) had 2 Partners in a row, both of which he found to be excellent. He only changed to a Nissan Primastar because they weren't really big enough anymore.

Ok those french things would be ok to transport around flowers and boxes, but for construction and maintenaince purposes they are only good enough for electricians.

I dont see what is excellent about a partner. Have you driven one? There is nothing good about them when compared to the competition. They are cheap and thats about it.

I am a ex plumber (now gas engineer) and was gonna say what kind of plumber is your brother when he's using a tiny partner. You can barely get anything in them!

And I have already told you what is wrong with them.

The drive is crap, the interior is crap, the design of the bloody thing is crap, its flimsy, trim among other things fall off, its noisy and unrefined and rather ugly. Reliabilty isnt one of its traits either.

My transit connect is better in every possible way and im sure my brand new combo even it being a vauxhall will also be better in every department.

 

[Skid Mark 33]

Neither does what you've said. Calling something 'crappy' isn't really an argument. It's barely an opinion.

What exactly is wrong with them? Again, 'sturdy enough to do the job' - what job? There's a big difference between transporting flowers and hauling around concrete slabs. My brother (plumber) had 2 Partners in a row, both of which he found to be excellent. He only changed to a Nissan Primastar because they weren't really big enough anymore.

I know hat other people mean when they say French vans are crap. All the French and Italalian seem to care about is making their vans look good. However, the VW vans are rock ****ing solid, and so are their cars. They are very capable, and can be driving on miles on end without breaking down. French and Italian, sorry, but they're a joke!

PS: Hay Jondot, we both live in Kent in the UK. What area of kent do you live in...

 

[Quattro20v]

I fthis thread is ''sooo gay'', then why the hell did you bother posting a reply!

Because I can and I was drunk. And I meant those "vans", not this thread.

 

[Jondot]

I'm not saying I dislike every other van on the market and think French ones are the best, but they're certainly not 'utterly crap'. VWs, I'm sure, are great vans. Similarly with Ford. Anything bearing the Transit name is fine by me (although the Tourneo connect is painfully priced for a van with windows). All I'm saying is that just because it doesn't do your job well doesn't make it crap. I'm sure there are plenty of happy Berlingo/Partner drivers out there.

Ok those french things would be ok to transport around flowers and boxes, but for construction and maintenaince purposes they are only good enough for electricians.

Point proven.

I dont see what is excellent about a partner. Have you driven one? There is nothing good about them when compared to the competition. They are cheap and thats about it.

No. Seeing that I'm 16, driving a french panel van isn't on my to-do list right now. However, do you realise that you're talking about a van? Vans aren't built for an exciting drive (although the ride comfort isn't bad). And yes, they are cheap. They're a hell of a lot cheaper than the equivilent Fords. Transit connects start at £11,000 on the road. Berlingos start from just over £9k, and under £6k if you include the cashback deals. I don't blame you for paying more for a better drive, but for most companies I shouldn't think ride and handling are their top concerns. Running cost and price, however, most probably are.

I am a ex plumber (now gas engineer) and was gonna say what kind of plumber is your brother when he's using a tiny partner. You can barely get anything in them!

Haven't a clue. Googled it and apparently he's a gas service engineer. Like I said, he's since got a larger van.

And I have already told you what is wrong with them.

The drive is crap, the interior is crap, the design of the bloody thing is crap, its flimsy, trim among other things fall off, its noisy and unrefined and rather ugly. Reliabilty isnt one of its traits either.

*Clears throat*

It's a van, it's a van, it's a van, it's almost £5,000 less than a Ford, same reason, it's a van and it's a van.

When was the last time you bought a fridge and thought "Hmm, not terribly exciting is it"? Same principle. You don't buy a van for the excitement - you buy it like a fridge: the most reasonably priced that's the right size for you.

My transit connect is better in every possible way and im sure my brand new combo even it being a vauxhall will also be better in every department.

Except that it costs £5,000 more to buy. And the Combo has a horribly bland interior, much like every other Vauxhall produced at that time.

All the French and Italalian seem to care about is making their vans look good.

Doblo disagrees with you

However, the VW vans are rock ****ing solid, and so are their cars. They are very capable, and can be driving on miles on end without breaking down. French and Italian, sorry, but they're a joke!

I do like the VW vans, I can't deny that. But, they have the same problems as the Fords, in that they're priced much higher than the French equivilent. There might be better vans, but it still doesn't make all French ones laughable.

PS: Hay Jondot, we both live in Kent in the UK. What area of kent do you live in...

Whitstable. Near Canterbury, but sort of... higher and with more sea.

 

[superberkut]

Vans are unrefined, ugly, flimsy, cheap in quality, and ghastly? Well I...

Seriously, good job on proving a point, Jondot.