Citroen SpaceTourer Review

The Citroen SpaceTourer has the luggage capacity of a small van - and can be fitted with up to nine seats

Strengths & weaknesses

  • Vast amount of interior space
  • Seats up to nine people
  • Economical engines
  • It's big on the outside, so you'll need a large parking space
  • Noisier than smaller people carriers
  • Bouncy on rough roads

When the size of your family and the quantity of their luggage has you considering a van, Citroen's SpaceTourer could be just the ticket.

The boxy minibus design might lack appeal, but the car's flexibility will woo parents and taxi drivers. It's available with five, six, seven, eight or even nine seats and the rear rows can be removed to boost capacity up to a vast 4,554 litres - enough for 113 aeroplane cabin size suitcases.

Good visibility from the high driving position and standard rear parking sensors help when manoeuvring the sizeable Citroen. All cars include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for simple dashboard control of phone apps, as well as air conditioning and cruise control. Higher-specification Flair models come with a head-up display, panoramic glass roof, electric sliding doors and leather seats.

List prices start at more than £30,000, but fall considerably for used SpaceTourers, which start at £19,995, with monthly finance payments from £331.21 per month

Like a sales rack of t-shirts, there are three sizes of SpaceTourer to choose from: XS, which is no larger than the 4.6m-long Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer, followed by medium-sized M and the lengthy XL, which is 5.3m in length - longer than a Ford Transit Custom van.

Family-focused versions come with two rows of seats as standard, carrying five people. A third row, adding another three seats is optional. Business models, aimed at taxi drivers and chauffeurs have a wide variety of seating combinations, including rear-facing armchairs and a nine-seat high-capacity layout, with a third seat next to the driver.

The larger models don't feel too much like a sardine tin, even when packed with passengers. Boot space is reasonable with three rows in place: M models have 655 litres of capacity, which is more than in a VW Golf. The XS version is more cramped when using three rows and there's not much space for luggage either.

The design of the SpaceTourer makes it obvious that it’s based on a van - the Citroen Dispatch. However, the Dispatch - and SpaceTourer - share mechanical parts with the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer, which means that the people carrier is more comfortable than you would expect from a modified van.

It's smooth over potholes and remains fairly flat through corners, without too much lean. Don’t expect limousine-like steadiness, though: the SpaceTourer can become unsettled over a series of bumps, leading it to bounce around as if its wheels were mounted on pogo sticks.

Smaller people carriers, like the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer, Vauxhall Zafira Tourer and Renault Scenic are quieter and less bouncy over bumps, but none come close to offering the same amount of interior space. Even the Ford Galaxy - a favourite of minicab drivers for its ability to accommodate seven passengers and luggage - can’t come close to the SpaceTourer XL’s ability to transport eight adults with room to stretch out and space to spare for a few mountain bikes.

Toyota’s Proace Verso and the Peugeot Traveller share mechanical parts with the SpaceTourer and offer a similar level of comfort and space. But the VW Caravelle is the more luxurious - and expensive choice. It has even more space behind its third row of seats too.

Both the second row and optional third row of seats include Isofix mounting points, so you could securely fit six child seats - assuming they were narrow enough to fit next to each other. The car secured a full five star safety rating following crash tests by the independent Euro NCAP organisation.

Key facts

Warranty 3 years / 60,000 miles
Boot size 655-2228 litres (M models)
Width 1920mm
Length 4609 to 5309mm
Height 1905mm
Tax £515 to £830 in first year, £140 thereafter

Best Citroen Space Tourer for...

Best for Economy – Citroen SpaceTourer Feel XS BlueHDI 95 S&S 6-speed Manual

The smallest model in the line-up is one of the cheapest to buy and tax, as well as being the most fuel-efficient.

Best for Families – Citroen SpaceTourer Feel M BlueHDi 115 S&S 6-speed Manual

Seven adults can sit comfortably in this mid-length model, which remains cheap to tax and run.

History

  • September 2016 The current Citroen SpaceTourer goes on sale
  • July 2018 Citroen SpaceTourer Rip Curl special edition launched. Extra equipment, over Feel trim, includes Rip Curl door graphics, head-up display, panoramic sunroof and Grip Control software for better grip on slippery surfaces.

Understanding Citroen Space Tourer names

Trim level Feel

There are two trim levels in total, with Business being aimed at the professional driver's market and Feel featuring the sort of creature comforts expected by private owners and large families.

Length M

The SpaceTourer comes in three different lengths from XS through M to XL.

Engine BlueHDi 95 S&S

All SpaceTourer engines are diesel and badged BlueHDi. The power output is given in horsepower, which can also be written as PS. The letters S&S stand for start and stop; the engine will automatically switch off when stopped - at traffic lights, for example - then restart when needed.

Gearbox ETG6

Automatic gearboxes have the name ETG6 for basic 6-speed gearboxes or EAT8 for more advanced and smoother 8-speed versions.

Citroen Space Tourer Engines

BlueHDi 95, BlueHDi 115 and BlueHDi 150

The lowest powered 95hp engine feels a little weak for such a large car and the five-speed manual bolted on to the most basic entry-level vehicles without the stop and start functionality isn't recommended.

The sweet spot in the range lies with the BlueHDi 115 S&S 6-speed manual, which boasts enough power to get the SpaceTourer up to 62mph in 13.4 seconds from a standstill but manages 54.3mpg on the combined cycle, even when specified with the longest wheelbase and space for eight adults.

In fact, it is actually cleaner (by 2g of CO2) and more fuel-efficient than the lower-powered models, despite developing more power. 

 

Fuel

Official fuel economy

Power

Acceleration (0-62mph)

Top speed

BlueHDi 95 manual

Diesel

51.4mpg

95hp

15.9sec

90mph

BlueHDi 95 S&S ETG6

Diesel

52.3mpg

95hp

15.9sec

90mph

BlueHDi 115 S&S 6-speed

Diesel

54.3mpg

115hp

13.4sec

99mph

BlueHDi 150 S&S 6-speed

Diesel

53.3mpg

150hp

11sec

106mph

BlueHDi 180 S&S EAT8

Diesel

49.6mpg

177hp

11sec

106mph

Citroen Space Tourer Trims

Feel, Flair, Business, Business Lounge

The trim levels on the SpaceTourer are aimed at two types of users. Feel and Flair models are for families and come with the option of adding three rear seats at no extra cost.

Despite being the cheapest SpaceTourer version, Feel cars have plenty of interior and exterior features to make the car family-friendly. These include rear parking sensors, refrigerated storage on the dashboard and even a handy child observation mirror, which sallows the driver to check on those in the back.

A hill start assist function is also standard - and makes setting off on an incline much easier - as are automatic headlights and windscreen wipers. There are 12-volt sockets in the front and rear for charging gadgets, while fold down aircraft style tables are fitted to the backs of all seats, which all feature Isofix for safely attaching child seats. The 7in dashboard touchscreen has digital radio, Bluetooth hands-free phone pairing, a USB socket, audio jack for basic aux-in and smartphone pairing via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Flair models come at a significant premium, costing £6,000 more than Feel models, according to official pricing. New car discounts may reduce the difference, and it reduces further on the nearly-new market where Flair cars cost around £3,000 more.

For this, you'll gain sat-nav, leather seats with heat and massage function in the front, alloy wheels, and cruise control. Safety is improved with curtain airbags that cover the side windows in a crash. A panoramic sunroof is included, along with a head-up display, front parking sensors and a reversing camera. The sliding doors on Flair models are motorised. Combined with the standard keyless entry, this allows you to open them by waggling your foot underneath the rear bumper.

A Drive Assist pack, which adds automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, to maintain a safe distance behind the car in front, is a useful optional extra, which costs £450 when new.

Business and Business Lounge trim levels are similar to Feel and Flair but generally have less equipment. Parking sensors, a reversing camera and rear air conditioning vents (standard on Business Lounge) are among the optional extras that come as standard on the family-focused cars.  

Citroen Space Tourer Reliability and warranty

Citroen passenger cars have always fared below average in a number of consumer reviews, with its C4 Cactus model climbing to around mid table in the 2016 Auto Express Driver Power survey.

That said, the warranty remains a fairly standard three years of cover but it does extend to 100,000 miles. The first two years of the warranty actually offers unlimited mileage but to cover the vehicle in its third year, the vehicle must have travelled less than 100,000 miles since it was first registered.

Used Citroen Space Tourer

A list price of more than £30,000 is high for a Citroen and it's no surprise that you'll pay considerably less on the used market.

Early SpaceTourers were available with 95 horsepower (hp) diesel engines, which lack power and are best avoided. They are no more economical than the other engine options and need revving hard to make progress - even when the car isn't loaded up.

It's worth looking out for Rip Curl special edition models, though. These gained extra useful equipment, including a head-up display, panoramic sunroof and Grip Control, a software system that adjusts power to the front wheels to boost grip in slippery conditions.