CITROEN has announced a £1,000 cashback offer on its new-look Berlingo in a bid to fight off competition from the Ford Transit Connect.

Ford had been widely expected to add a hefty price premium over Berlingo to the Connect but when it announced prices largely on a par with rivals, the French manufacturer leapt into action.

Berlingo now starts at £8,044 ex-VAT for the 75bhp 1.4i petrol model, rising to £9,644 for the 800HDi LX. Ford Transit Connect short wheelbase models start at £9,450 ex-VAT for the 1.8TDdi rising to £10,750 ex-VAT for the 1.8TDCi.

Citroen commercial vehicle operations manager Brian Roskell commented: 'The new-look Berlingo enters the market with the benefits of its predecessor's excellent reputation for reliability and versatility, together with competitive pricing and even higher levels of equipment. We expect this new model to continue to sell strongly, despite the increased competition in its sector.'

See Fleet NewsNet next week for full details and a road test of the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner.