Citroën UK has put its new Berlingo van through a gruelling test of its abilities with the help of the Citroën World Rally crew, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm.

Hot from their podium finish at Rally Finland, Citroën World Rally crew, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm, put the new Berlingo through its paces

Hot off the heels of their second-place finish in Rally Finland, the pair spent a day at Langley Park Rally School in Essex testing the van’s construction, handling and Citroën Advanced Comfort – as shown in this video.

The Finnish duo swapped their usual C3 WRC for the new Berlingo ‘Worker’ Van, which is developed for rough terrain, including use on building sites and unmade country roads, and comes with raised ground clearance (+30mm), underbody protection, Grip Control with Hill Descent Assist and Mud & Snow Tyres.

Esapekka Lappi, Citroën Total WRT driver, said: “I was surprised that new Berlingo handled the rally stage so brilliantly. The van was strong, very comfortable to drive and managed the corners exceptionally well. I might not swap my C3 WRC for a Berlingo, but it would definitely be useful as a reserve option!”

Matt Weston, Citroën UK LCV product manager, added: “WRC has always served as the perfect test bed for many of the technologies we see in our passenger cars today. This was an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our best-selling new Berlingo van in a fun and safe way, and really test it to its limits. Although it may not have been quite the performance model Lappi and Ferm are used to, it certainly didn’t disappoint for comfort, robustness and driveability.”