New Citroen Dispatch VTR is a boy racer’s dream van
Hold off on that Ford Transit MS-RT - the French want in on the sporty van sector
Citroen’s VTR badge was a familiar sight in the 2000s on sporty hatches such as the Saxo VTR and C4 VTR, and now it has made a return – on the Dispatch van.
Coinciding with Citroen’s return to racing with the 12th season of Formula E, the Dispatch VTR follows sister models from within the Stellantis group – the Vauxhall Vivaro GS and Peugeot Expert Sport – as a sporty-looking van available with both diesel and pure-electric power.
The diesel engine in the VTR is a 2.0-litre BlueHDi unit with 180bhp going through an eight-speed automatic transmission. For £42,745, you can get into the Dispatch Panel Van VTR, while the Crew Van option costs £45,445. The all-electric e-Dispatch VTR in Panel Van form comes in at £46,845 (after the Plug-in Van Grant), while the Crew version costs £49,545.
With VTR trim, the Dispatch gains a sporty look. There are big VTR decals down the side, a bodykit consisting of a splitter, spoiler and side skirts, integrated mudguards and a new rear bumper. There are also 18-inch alloy wheels unique to the VTR.
Three colours are offered on the VTR from its launch: a solid Icy White, a metallic Perla Nera and Blue Lagoon. Passion Red will also be available next year.
Sitting above the existing Enterprise and Driver trim levels, the new VTR is well equipped. You get eco-leather seats with embossed VTR logos and extra lateral support, dual-zone climate control, keyless go, a wireless smartphone charger, a heated leather steering wheel and VTR-branded floor mats.
Despite its engine having 36bhp more than other diesel units offered in the Dispatch, the new VTR model loses a bit of payload capacity, with the Panel Van offering 1,230kg and the Crew 1,158kg. However, the pure-electric VTR in panel or crew guise has the same capacity as other e-Dispatches: 1,220kg or 1,046kg respectively.
Another aspect of the e-Dispatch VTR that’s unchanged over other electric versions of the van is its range. Using the same 75kWh battery, the VTR has a 230-mile range.
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