Citroen-Peugeot introduced the Berlingo/Partner duo in 1996 as a light commercial vehicle mostly for the European market and refreshed the lineup in 2002.
Citroen built the Berlingo Multispace as a light commercial vehicle, and then it transformed it into a people carrier. In 2002, Europe switched to Euro 3 emission standards for LCV, and that allowed the French carmaker to postpone the introduction of new engines in the Berlingo. Along with the new powertrains, it made some other exterior adjustments.

Although the non-facelifted version featured slim appreciated headlights, the designers changed them with a pair of bigger ones to improve visibility. That led to a complete change o the front fascia, including the bumper, front fenders, and hood. But the design team considered that they did enough for the exterior and left the rest of the car unchanged.

Inside, the 2002 Berlingo featured a new dashboard design, with round air-vents instead of squared ones. The instrument cluster was shorter and allowed a taller center stack with an additional display on top of the dash panel. Depending on the trim level, the car featured an audio system and air-conditioning. Like its non-facelifted version, the 2002 Berlingo offered five seats, with the removable back ones to increase the cargo area.

But the most important change was under the hood, where Citroen installed new or updated engines. It was designed more as a utility vehicle, and it featured two gasoline and four diesel engines. For fleets, the French carmaker offered a 1.4-liter CNG version.