Road Test Review: Citroën ë-SpaceTourer Business Edition
Independent review by Bill McCarthy
5-minute read
Highlights
- Super practical
- Nine seats
- Well-equipped as standard
- Comfortable interior
Introduction
How do you make a van look alluring? Well, you can’t, but with Citroën’s electric 9-seater, the ë-SpaceTourer, you can smooth out the rough edges and give it a touch of refinement.
Clearly not an everyday runabout, it's ideal for big families, small businesses where the seats can be removed for transporting goods, or a taxi.
I tested the ë-SpaceTourer in Business Edition trim, which is designed to cater for business users who will benefit from taxation and Benefit in Kind (BiK) savings due to the vehicle's efficient EV powertrain.
Driving Experience
The range is OK as well, but with 136 miles available, a couple of trips to the local airport will mean charging up pretty regularly, but in terms of running costs, it will be hard to beat, with zero tailpipe emissions freeing it of congestion and clean air zone charges.
It features a 50kWh battery which can be charged to 80 percent capacity in around half an hour using the powerful 100kWh chargers. In an emergency, it can be charged with the correct lead from a normal house socket, but this will take in excess of 14 hours.
Mated with a CVT transmission, the electric motor delivers 134bhp, hits 62mph in just over 13 seconds and has a top speed of 81mph. There are three driving modes, eco, normal or power which speak for themselves with eco obviously the most energy-efficient.
Design and Practicality
But this isn't the type of vehicle being bought for performance. It's all about practicality and can accommodate nine when acting as a minibus or, fold the rear seats down it still accommodates six, but also offers a huge amount of stowage space, with 2,381 litres of luggage space available.
For even more room, fold all of the seats, including the front passenger seat, to open up a cavernous 4,554 litres to the roof. There are multiple seating combinations to accommodate people, luggage or loads to the tip.
The hands-free sliding doors add to the practicality and allow passengers to automatically unlock and open the side door you’re next to.
The ë-SpaceTourer's interior is spacious and comfortable, with excellent head and legroom.
Bill McCarthy
It also features high-end goodies such as the centrepiece colour capacitive touchscreen which controls media, phone, and navigation.
Citroën has added curves and signature Citroën chevrons grille, sleek headlights and smart wheels to give it a more striking stance, but it's still hard to disguise the fact it's based on a van.
Clues to the fact it's an electric vehicle are the discrete charging point at the left front wing, and the bespoke front grille with an “ë” monogrammed on the right side of the front grille and on the tailgate. Other neat styling touches are black door mirrors and stylish 16-inch wheels.
Equipment and Technology
An option is Citroën Connect Nav with voice control which delivers real-time traffic information, the location of fuel stops and prices, car parks and even the latest weather.
There are plenty of practical creature comfort including the 180-degree reversing camera on this model, air conditioning, electric and heated door mirrors, electric power steering with reach and rake-adjustable steering column and one-touch electric front windows with pinch protection
It's also packed with safety kit, including a full complement of airbags, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, hill start assist, cruise control, and driver attention alert.
Summary
The Citroën ë-SpaceTourer may not be the most alluring of vehicles, but it's hugely practical, well-equipped, and cheap to run, making it suited to all sorts of challenges. A decent EV range of 136 miles should also be enough for the daily duties of most, while plenty of tech and safety kit ensure each and every journey is as straightforward and convenient as possible.
Images used are for editorial purposes only, and may not represent the specification of the car in this particular review. Please visit the offers page for representative imagery and specifications.
