Citroen Dispatch Van Review

If you live outside the UK and you search for the Citroen Dispatch, you may initially have some problems. This is because this van is only called the Dispatch in English-speaking countries. Elsewhere, and in the country it was designed and produced, it's called the Jumpy.

However, as this is a British website, predominantly for English-speaking people, we'll call it the Citroen Dispatch to avoid confusion.

It's been around on our roads since 1995 and remained largely unchanged for nine years until it received a facelift in January 2004, which changed most of the front end including the bumper and bonnet. Noticeably, for the first time, the headlamps were combined with the indicators rather than being a separate set of lights.

Second Generation

After this minor alteration, the team at Citroen decided that the Dispatch needed a whole new upgrade. So, in 2006, the Dispatch 2.0 was released as a second generation vehicle of the original, offering increased cargo space and more body styles over the previous generation. It was launched in November 2006, with deliveries beginning in principal markets in January 2007.

The Geneva Motor Show strikes again

As with so many vehicle manufacturers, the Geneva Motor Show is the perfect platform to showcase their latest ideas in the form of upgrades, facelifts, and new cars or vans hot off the production line.

It's exciting, vanguardist, and some of the things you can see will blow you away. That's why Citroen decided to reveal a third generation Dispatch in 2016, the vans becoming far more contemporary, gaining a new reputation as passenger versions as well as simply vehicles to shuttle cargo around.

This versatility proved popular and so it was no surprise that the team decided to press on with making an electric version of the Dispatch, as it was thought commercially viable - after all the van was going to stay on the roads for many years to come.

The e-Dispatch

The e-Dispatch comes with a 75 kW-hr battery and a driving range of 205 miles (330km) with the larger 75 kW-hr battery. Not bad at all for a light commercial van.

Any problems with the Dispatch?

Although this is a reliable and sturdy van, it must also be mentioned that it has been subject to a number of safety recalls, including issues with the engines, but principally the suspension, the steering and the brakes.

Despite the fact that all of the recalls were rapidly and professionally corrected to the highest degree, still, if you're buying a used Dispatch, or hiring one for a job that needs doing, make sure that all the recall work has been properly carried out before your drive.