Citroen is looking to boost its share in the LCV market with its largest van, the Relay. Jonathan Crouch looks at the latest version.

Ten Second Review

Sharing a platform with the Peugeot Boxer, the Vauxhall Movano, the Fiat Ducato and the Toyota Proace Max, Citroen's Relay scores with keen pricing and strong equipment levels. If you thought this sector of the commercial vehicle market began and ended with the Ford Transit, you'll find the Relay offers a wholly convincing alternative, especially in this smarter updated form.

Background

If you're looking for a large panel van, the choices are dizzying. Many manufacturers all clamour for your money, each offering a vast range of model permutations that, when broken down, all do much the same thing. How on earth do you make a selection and have any confidence that it's the right one? Or, come to that, even a good one? The good news first. The van market has become so competitive in recent years that the dross has been shaken out. The other factor that's going to make choosing a big van so much easier is that there are basically just four fundamental vehicle families to choose from. You can go for the trusty Transit from Ford, the high-end Volkswagen Crafter/Mercedes Sprinter package, the increasingly popular Renault Master/Nissan Interstar tie-up or the van we take a look at here, the Citroen Relay, also sold as Peugeot Boxer, the Vauxhall Movano, the Fiat Ducato and the Toyota Proace Max. The Relay's been with us since 2007 but here we look at the updated version of the third generation design. Citroen launched this improved model here in Spring 2024.

Driving Experience

The Relay goes to battle in diesel form armed with new 2.2-litre powerplants - there's a choice of 140hp or 180hp outputs. Both can be had either with a redesigned 6-speed manual gearbox or (for the first time) with 8-speed automatic transmission. Citroen has listened to feedback from existing Relay users who expressed a concern that road noise in the cabin was higher than the class benchmark and this Relay features shock absorber mountings designed specifically to reduce the amount of suspension bump and thump entering the cabin. The full-electric e-Relay model now gets a much larger 110kWh battery (to replace the previous 37kWh and 70kWh battery options); and that new battery pack energises a much more powerful 270PS motor (up from 122PS before). As a result, pulling power rises from 260 to 410Nm. The performance and range of the e-Relay can be optimised depending on conditions thanks to three driving modes, and features paddles located just behind the steering wheel that activate four levels of regenerative deceleration, thus enhancing range - now rated at 261 miles (up from 154 miles in 75kWh form). Whatever Relay variant you select, around town, this van can make light work of tricky urban situations, even with the big 'L3H2' variant, which offers a relatively tight 14.14m turning circle between kerbs.

Design and Build

The front end of this updated Relay has been redesigned to add a bit of personality while improving this van's aerodynamic characteristics. The bumper, radiator grille (now the same colour as the bodywork) and rear-view mirrors have also been redesigned with this in mind. The black lower section has been reinforced to further enhance the vehicle's impact protection. The smarter LED headlamps are also 30% more efficient than their halogen predecessors and the rear lights have been given a fresh design. As before, there's a multi-piece front bumper to minimise accident damage and reduce repair costs. There are changes in the passenger compartment too, where the dashboard has been redesigned to offer improved ergonomics and a bit more style, with a digital instrument cluster and larger 10-inch central screen with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. The steering wheel, gearbox controls and door trim have also been upgraded. As before, there's a dual passenger seat incorporating a drop-down desk unit. Up to ten in-cab storage areas are available, including the glovebox, a dash-mounted document clip and various open or lidded compartments on the dashboard. In addition, there are large door pockets, storage space beneath the passenger seat and a sizeable 22-litre overhead storage compartment. There's been a clear effort not just to improve the perception of quality in the cab but also to beef up high use, high stress items such as the rear doors. These have been reinforced and high strength door hinges are used. Similarly, the sliding side load doors benefit from reinforced rails, runners and door locks - all of which raise durability and security standards.

Market and Model

Catering for the requirements of numerous trades, the Citroën Relay range comprises a wide range of body styles, with three lengths (L2, L3 and L4), two Gross Vehicle Weights (3,500kg and 4,000kg) and with three roof heights (H1, H2, H3). This Relay is available in Panel van and Window Van body styles, with load volume ranging from 8m3 to 17m3 for the panel vans. There's also the option of a full-electric e-Relay version. Across the range, there's a single trim level - 'Enterprise'. Prices open at around £30,000 excluding VAT for a 35 L2H1 BlueHDi 180 6-speed manual. The full-electric e-Relay '35' and '40' L3H2 110kWh models sit in the £45,000 bracket after subtraction of the available £5,000 government grant. Cruise control with programmable speed limiter is standard, while for added practicality, a 12V socket is fitted to the load area. There's also a USB charging socket on the dashboard. The e-Relay now features 'My Citroën Play Plus' package featuring a 10-inch colour touchscreen with Citroen Connect DAB radio, 'Apple CarPlay' and 'AndroidAuto' with TomTom 3D connected navigation. The interior is enhanced with a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control and upgraded fabric upholstery.

Practicalities and Costs

This Relay offers a payload of up to 2 tonnes (or 1,385kg for the e-Relay). Two wheelbases are available (3.45m and 4.04m) and the panel vans come in three lengths (L2, L3 and L4) with a total of five different body styles featuring volumes of 10 to 17m3. To serve as a basis for special conversions, the Relay is also available in L2 or L3 single cab chassis and double cab chassis forms. The Relay L2 panel van we tried has a load deck length of 3120mm and either an interior load height of 1662mm (H1) or 1932mm (H2). Should you really need some capacity, the long wheelbase L3 format will be the ticket. In this configuration, the Relay van has a load deck length of 3705mm and an internal load height of 1932mm, which gives a 13m3 capacity. The largest Relay panel vans are the 3.5 and 4.005 tonne L4H2 and L4H3 models, which have a load deck length of 4070mm. These are produced in 'Heavy Specification' with 16-inch wheels and tyres, and uprated heavy duty rear suspension. In L4H2 format, the Relay has a load volume of 15m3, which is increased to an impressive 17m3 for the L4H3 model. The latest 2.2 litre turbocharged BlueHDi diesel engines offer better fuel economy than before, but if you really want to get your running costs down, you'll want to talk to your dealer about the full electric e-Relay version, which can offer a driving range of up to 261 miles from its 110kWh battery and can be recharged to 80% in 55 minutes from a 150kW DC rapid charger. The e-Relay is fitted as standard with an 11kW onboard charger. A full charge from an 11kW AC charger will take 12 hours.

Summary

Citroen, it seems, is serious about replicating its compact van sales success in the large LCV sector. They've colaborated on what is one of the best designs in this marketplace, then equipped it to stand out from its Fiat, Vauxhall, Toyota and Peugeot rival stablemates. And in summary? Well it's true that build quality still isn't quite a match for more expensive competitors, but it is much improved. Ultimately, there may be more desirable large panel vans out there, but few make more sense than this Relay. If you thought all big LCVs were the same, perhaps it's time you concentrated on how manufacturers really differentiate their products. On that score, Citroën's done a great job with this model. It deserves your attention.