Citroen's Relay L1H1

Date: 03 September 2007   |   Author:

Category: Large panel van Prices: £15,150-£24,850 Key rival: Peugeot Boxer

Citroen's Relay, along with platform-sharing siblings the Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer, forms part of the new breed of vans that take the experience of driving and owning LCVs significantly forward compared with their predecessors.

We tried the Relay in £15,150 L1H1 bodystyle, which means the shortest wheelbase and lowest roof, powered by the 2.2-litre HDi diesel that offers 100PS.

The first things that grab the attention is the ease of driving, thanks to a turning circle that could almost rival a black cab, light steering, and an engine that's good around town, but can run a little out of puff at higher speed, especially with a load on board.

The cabin itself offers plenty of larger storage cubbyholes, although the lack of cupholders is a bit of a pain. It's also trickier than you might expect to let off the handbrake, as it's mounted to the right of the driver and is a reach down to fully disengage. It also seems a bit worrying from a repair point of view to have the side repeater indicators mounted on the wing mirrors, given the chances of an urban clip.

Verdict: 21.7ppm is good, and beats either of the Relay's siblings.

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