2.0 BludHDI 120ps LWB Enterprise

Ten Second Review

Want to know just how far mid-sized vans have come in the last few years? You’ll get a real feel for that at the wheel of this one. Citroen’s third generation Dispatch is comfortable to drive, practical to use and supremely efficient to run, plus it offers some clever equipment options. Your right hand van? Quite possibly.

Driving Experience

So what’s it like on the move? Well, from behind the wheel, the commandingly high driving position gives you a good view out across the bonnet which makes this Citroen Dispatch easy to place in tight urban situations. Light steering and a relatively tight turning circle contribute here too. Under the skin, this Dispatch’s ‘EMP2’ family car platform has considerably improved its driving dynamics, this mid-sized LCV now able to ride over poor road surfaces with a calm composure that most rivals can’t match. Helping in this regard is a suspension design using adaptive shock absorbers that provide excellent control, no matter how much weight is on-board.

Under the bonnet, there’s a choice of five BlueHDi diesel engines, with customers choosing from a range of efficient 1.5, 1.6 or 2.0-litre BlueHDi units. Go for the 1.5 and there’s a choice of 95 or 120bhp outputs. We’ve found though, that Vanarama customers have often been tempted by the extra torque of the 2.0-litre engines, all able to tow up to 2.5-tonnes. The 1.5-litre 120bhp unit is also pretty frugal, able to return up to 53.3mpg on the combined cycle and up to 139g/km of CO2. In the 2.0-litre range, there’s a 150bhp variant and a flagship 180bhp model that must be ordered with ‘EAT6’ auto transmission.

Design & Build

As for practicalities, well even the smallest ‘XS’ bodystyle offers 4.6m3 of capacity and 2,162mm of floor length – enough to carry two fully loaded Europallets, which is pretty impressive given that in this form, your Dispatch would be only 4.6m long. Most Vanarama customers choose the mid-range ‘M’ bodyshape which has 5.3m3 and 2,512mm of floor length. Go for the top ‘XL’ bodystyle and you’re looking at 6.1m3 and 2,862mm of floor length.

Don’t make your decision between these three body shapes until you’ve taken into account the potential extra capacity that can be freed up by a very clever extra feature that’s been incorporated into this third generation Dispatch design – the ‘Moduwork’ load-through bulkhead. It’s a standard inclusion provided you avoid entry-level trim and whichever body style you choose, it can add a useful 1,162mm to the overall loading length and 0.5m3 to the overall carriage capacity.

Practicalities & Costs

Leasing is easily the most cost-effective way of running this Dispatch and at Vanarama, our 8 Point Price Protection guarantees you the best deal. For example, if your vehicle price or interest rates go up after you've placed your order, you won't pay a penny more. Plus if anything happens that enables us to offer you an even better deal, we'll make sure you get it, even if it's the day before your van is delivered.

Summary

As for this Dispatch, well this is easily the most credible mid-sized van Citroen has ever brought us and it’s a package that should get the job done. Which of course, is what owning a van should be all about.

Last updated (05/04/19)