In the e-Space Tourer, the double Chevron brand brings us a large BEV People Carrier. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The options for full-electric power are growing in the sector for really large MPVs. Here's Citroen's take on this concept, the e-Space Tourer. In 50kWh form, it won't go particularly far on a single charge, but it'll seat up to nine, help you move house or function as an executive minibus. All without using a drop of fuel.

Background

Very soon, no segment of the automotive market will lack full-EV model options. One of these sectors lately gaining BEV models has been that for large People Carriers. This isn't really because manufacturers think this to be much of a potential growth area. It's more because really big MPVs are always based on the kind of mid-sized vans that car makers, pressurised by governments, are starting to offer in full-electric form these days.

The Mercedes Vito, Peugeot Expert, Vauxhall Vivaro and Citroen Dispatch LCVs can all now be had in full-EV form. So their MPV counterparts (the Mercedes V-Class, the Peugeot Traveller, the Vauxhall Vivaro Life and the Citroen Space Tourer) also get the BEV treatment. The Peugeot, the Vauxhall and the Citroen are essentially the same underneath, sharing the same PSA Group powertrain; it's the Citroen model, badged the 'e-Space Tourer' that we look at here.

Driving Experience

Big People Carriers are largely used for suburban duties, which is just as well because this car's not much good for anything else. A huge heavy People Carrier relying on a battery designed to sustain an electric supermini was never going to travel very far between charges and, sure enough, this e-Space Tourer's 50kWh battery pack takes this Citroen only 143 miles between charges. So you're going to need to think hard if you're going anywhere more than 60 miles or so away, unless you've the time for a potentially lengthy recharging stop before your return journey.

This is annoying because this car's LCV counterpart, the Dispatch van, has the option of a larger 75kWh battery that would add around 60 miles of additional range. At the time of this test in Spring 2021, that wasn't being offered on the e-Space Tourer.

Using this MPV is straightforward. You turn the key in the ignition, wait for the starting beep, then flick the gear toggle into Drive. There's a drive-mode selector that allows drivers to switch between ECO, NORMAL and POWER modes. There's 136hp on tap and there's also a 'B' option that ploughs extra energy back into the battery, offering more resistance while you're slowing down. Top speed is just 84mph.

Design and Build

Apart from the badge work and the charging flap, it'll be difficult for your neighbours to spot that you've switched your big MPV to full-electric power. This big Citroen is clearly van-derived, but the looks are modern and not too LCV-like. Normally, this MPV comes with medium-length 'M' and long 'XL' body lengths, but with the e-Space Tourer, only the shorter 4.95-metre 'M' version is being offered.

This means that for family-orientated 'Feel'-spec models, you get an eight-seater 2-3-3 layout and you're going to need to slide the rear two rows about to facilitate legroom if a full complement of adults are aboard. The alternative 'Business'-spec model is a 9-seater with three available seats at the front thanks to a bench replacing the single passenger seat. The battery installation hasn't compromised passenger or cargo space in any way. All the rear seats can be removed to reveal a van-like cargo area, but they've heavy and awkward to lift and you'd need a big garage to store them in.at the wheel, there's a driver selector toggle where the gear lever would normally be and you get a power flow gauge instead of a rev counter in the instrument binnacle.

Market and Model

There's a choice of two trim levels for this 50kWh e-Space Tourer model, base 'Feel' and plusher 'Business'; both variants cost around £49,000. Initially, Citroen wasn't offering this model with the larger 75kWh battery pack we'd ideally want because that would have taken this MPV over the old £50,000 threshold for the government's Plug-in Car Grant. Now that threshold's been lowered beyond the reach of any version of this model, we'd like to a 75kWh version of this model introduced.

We mentioned two spec levels; Feel' versions come as standard with a child observation mirror, rail-mounted rear seats for optimum modularity, a load restraint net in the boot and automatic dual-zone climate control with six ceiling mounted air vents. The 'Business' trim is aimed at professional users and features seating for up to nine people, plus this model comes with a hardwearing TPO floor for improved durability.

All Citroen e-SpaceTourer models feature Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Screen for smartphone compatibility. Users also have access to DAB radio with Bluetooth and an easy to read seven-inch capacitive touchscreen. There's also a colour instrument display, climate control and the usual executive niceties.

Cost of Ownership

Because the e-Space Tourer supports up to 100kW rapid charging technology, an 80 per cent charge will take just 30 minutes. This EV People Carrier also features a 7kW on-board charger as standard. A full charge from a 7.4kW domestic Wallbox takes 7 hours 30 minutes. With the alternative 11kW wallbox, you can reduce that to four and three-quarter hours. For peace of mind, the lithium-ion battery pack in this model comes with an eight year/100,000 mile warranty, for up to 70% of the initial battery capacity. To get close to the quoted 143 mile range figure, you'll need to engage 'Eco' mode frequently - which reduces power output to 80hp.

The included 'Citroen Connect Box' package allows the driver to set up deferred charging or to pre-condition the vehicle via the MyCitroen mobile app on their smartphone. To enhance the ownership experience of this Citroen, the brand has partnered with POLAR, the UK's largest public charging station provider, to give customers a free six-month subscription to POLAR Plus. This brings with it the convenience of having access to more than 5,000 public charging stations across the UK.

Summary

Potentially, the e-Space Tourer is an excellent product. We like the way that the battery powertrain has been built into this People Carrier without any compromise to interior space. It's quiet and well built, looks contemporary and is well equipped. This big French MPV might be worth a look.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Citroen e-Space Tourer

PRICES: £48,615-£49,265 – on the road

CATEGORY: FULL ELECTRIC - LUXURY

INSURANCE GROUP: TBC

PERFORMANCE: {50kWh} 0-62mph 12.1s / Max Speed 84mph

WLTP ELECTRIC DRIVING RANGE: 143 miles

BOOT CAPACITY: [litres] 2,381

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4950/1920/1900 mm