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0800 027 3923 Here to chat: Mon-Friday 9am - 8pm In our recent article, we explored how the Citroën Relay’s powertrains have evolved since its major 2024 upgrade, bringing more efficient diesel options and a refined electric range under the ë-Relay badge. But performance and efficiency weren’t the only areas Citroën set out to improve.
For 2024, the Relay has undergone a comprehensive safety and driver-assistance overhaul, transforming what was once a utilitarian workhorse into one of the most technologically advanced vans in its class. This update doesn’t just add a few new warning systems, it represents a fundamental rethink of how the modern van protects its driver, passengers, and everyone else on the road.
Where older versions relied primarily on passive protection, the latest Relay introduces a suite of active safety technologies designed to anticipate and prevent accidents before they happen – a move that has already earned it a Gold rating from Euro NCAP’s commercial van programme.
* Note: When referring to the pre-2024 Citroën Relay, this comparison specifically references the 2023 model, which served as the direct predecessor to the major overhaul introduced in 2024.
For commercial operators, a van’s worth isn’t just measured in payload or fuel economy, it’s in how safely and efficiently it carries people and goods. With tighter insurance standards and growing attention to driver welfare, advanced safety and assistance systems have become essential. They minimise accidents, cut downtime, and build confidence for the thousands of drivers who cover urban and long-haul routes every day.
Fleet managers now face increasing pressure to meet tougher safety compliance benchmarks while keeping operating costs under control. Insurers and regulators alike are rewarding businesses that invest in safer vehicles, recognising the link between proactive safety technology and lower risk exposure.
At the same time, driver retention and wellbeing have become major priorities across the logistics and delivery sectors. Long hours, dense traffic, and strict schedules make modern van driving more demanding than ever — and support systems that reduce fatigue or stress can make a measurable difference in both safety and morale.
“With its 2024 overhaul, the Citroën Relay now stands shoulder to shoulder with the safest large vans on the market, thanks to a major upgrade in driver-assistance and active safety technology.”
Together, these factors mark a shift in how we define a “safe van.” No longer is safety limited to airbags and crash structures; it now extends to intelligent systems that assist the driver in real time, enhancing confidence, protecting lives, and safeguarding every journey.
Citroën’s 2024 Relay upgrade is not an isolated refresh, it’s a response to a clear shift in European commercial-vehicle safety standards and platform technology integration within the Stellantis Group.
In late 2023, Euro NCAP revised its Commercial Van Safety Protocol¹, expanding test categories to include pedestrian and cyclist detection, intelligent speed assistance, and driver-state monitoring. These updates effectively raised the benchmark for what qualifies as a “safe van.” Earlier generations of the Relay, such as the 2023 model, lacked these integrated systems, limiting their ability to achieve higher NCAP ratings. For manufacturers, strong safety performance has become both a regulatory expectation and a key differentiator in fleet procurement.
At the engineering level, the 2024-onwards Relay benefits from Stellantis’s next-generation large-van platform², shared with the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, and Opel Movano. This architecture enables shared use of radar, camera, and control-unit technology across brands, lowering development cost while raising system sophistication.
In essence, Citroën’s safety overhaul reflects a strategic alignment of compliance, technology, and cost efficiency. The 2024-onwards Relay isn’t just safer by feature count; it’s built on a platform designed to meet evolving European safety legislation, deliver measurable benefits to fleet operators, and position the brand competitively in a rapidly modernising van segment.
The 2024 model-year overhaul for the Citroën Relay represents the brand’s most significant leap in safety and driver assistance since the model’s launch. Here’s how it stacks up against its predecessors.
Active Safety
| Feature | Pre-2024 Relay | Post-2024 Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | ⚪ Optional in “Safety Pack”; limited to vehicle detection | 🟢 Standard across range; detects pedestrians & cyclists via AEBS |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | ⚪ Basic ESC without sub-functions | 🟢 Enhanced ESC with Cross-Wind Assist, Trailer Stability Control & Post-Collision Braking |
| Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) | ❌ Not available; only Speed Limit Recognition via optional pack | 🟢 Standard ISA automatically adjusts to detected limits |
| Lane Support / Keeping Assist | ⚪ Lane Departure Warning (alert only) | 🟢 Active Lane Support – steering correction to prevent drift |
| Driver Drowsiness / Fatigue Monitor | ❌ Not available | 🟢 Standard fatigue monitor tracks driver behaviour |
Passive Safety
| Feature | Pre-2024 Relay | Post-2024 Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | ⚪ Driver’s airbag standard; passenger airbag optional. No side or curtain airbags. | 🟢 Driver and double passenger airbags now standard on all models. Optional front side and curtain airbags available. |
| Tyre Pressure Monitoring (TPMS) | ❌ Not included. | 🟢 Standard TPMS on all versions. |
| Alarm / Immobiliser | ⚪ Basic immobiliser and central locking only. | 🟢 Perimetric alarm and deadlocks standard, providing better theft and post-incident protection. |
Driver Assistance & Convenience
| Feature | Pre-2024 Relay | Post-2024 Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Sensors | ⚪ Rear sensors optional on selected trims | 🟢 Front and rear sensors standard, with optional 360° Parking Assist for full perimeter coverage |
| Rear Visibility | ⚪ Basic reversing camera | 🟢 Dynamic Surround Vision – digital rear-view mirror that eliminates blind spots |
| Driver Attention Alert | ❌ Not available | 🟢 Standard fatigue monitor that alerts the driver to signs of inattention or drowsiness |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | ❌ Not available | 🟢 Standard on panel van versions; maintains a safe distance automatically in traffic |
The 2024 Relay’s safety overhaul isn’t just a list of new acronyms, it’s a tangible shift in how safer vans perform on real roads, under real pressure.
Example Scenarios:
The 2024 Citroën Relay marks a genuine turning point in van safety and the proof is measurable.
In Euro NCAP’s Commercial Van Safety programme, the Relay’s rating jumped reflects Citroën’s decision to make features like AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Lane Support, and Intelligent Speed Assist standard across the range.
For fleet operators, that improvement isn’t about safety scores, it’s about economics and driver welfare. A van that helps prevent collisions reduces downtime, cuts insurance claims, and protects the wellbeing of drivers who spend long hours on the road.
And that driver-focused thinking doesn’t stop at safety, Citroën has also reimagined the Relay’s cab to make it more comfortable and better suited to long hours behind the wheel, with upgrades in seating, layout, and usability. These changes are explored further in our feature on the cab comfort and workspace design of the new Relay.
What stands out most is accessibility. Where rivals like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Ford Transit often reserve advanced safety tech for upper trims or expensive options, the Relay brings much of it in as standard equipment, giving small fleets and sole traders access to big-fleet safety.