New CITROEN NEMO VAN review at a glance:
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Advantages: Compact size, pleasant to drive, convenient in town, low costs of running

Disadvantages: Not suited to motorways, variable build quality
New CITROEN NEMO Review:

Smaller than the current Berlingo, but bigger than C2 Enterprise, Citroen's all-new Nemo is a compact cargo shifter aimed squarely at the urban operator.

The Nemo marks Citroen's entry in a new sector of the van market.

The compact high-cube van sector was launched here, along with the Peugeot Bipper from Citroen's sister company, and the Fiat Fiorino.

All three were developed alongside each other and are built at the same Fiat plant.

The Nemo offers compact exterior dimensions and maximised interior space and a decent payload, along with efficient engines, particularly the diesel.

Nemo boasts a 2.5m3 cargo bay and can handle a 610kg payload. Fold down the Extenso passenger seat and you can expand the load space to 2.8m3 and the cargo bed length to 2.491mm.

To ensure that items placed on the flattened seat do not topple into the driver's lap you can specify a mesh bulkhead with a section that can be swung through 90, thus separating the driver from the passenger area.

Passenger and side airbags are likely to feature on the options list along with Bluetooth compatibility, sensors that alert you if you are getting too close to an obstacle when reversing, and a device that warns you both visually and audibly if you are exceeding a set speed. Cruise control will be an option too.

ABS comes as standard on all Nemos with ventilated 257mm-diameter disc brakes installed at the front and drums at the back. Electronic Stability Programme is not available at present, but is a possibility in the future.

Oddment storage facilities include pockets in each of the doors and a glove box with a lid that catches the passenger's knees every time you open it. While the cab is roomier than you might expect for such a compact vehicle, the seats offer insufficient support. It feels you perch on them rather than sit in them.

On the positive side, it is unlikely that Citroen's new baby will cost you a fortune at the pumps with projected fuel economy figures of over 60mpg for the diesel.

The Nemo has good space for driver and passenger up to about six feet tall and a user-friendly cabin environment with good forward visibility.

The controls are light, clearly marked and easy to use. A CD/radio is standard along with a driver airbag. The 'plus pack' includes remote central locking and deadlocks, separate load compartment locking, electric front windows, and electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors.

Small dimensions help the Nemo feel nimble on the road. Our test vehicle had a few sacks of gravel in the back and it proved agile and responsive.

The steering is light and the Nemo turns in precisely, seeming more like an ideal vehicle for negotiating town traffic.

Although acceleration is good, the Nemo doesn't feel particularly comfortable at a steady 70mph on the motorway and with relatively high revs could become tiring after too long.

GREEN CREDENTIALS

In Nemo, power comes courtesy of a 1.4-litre HDi common rail four-cylinder eight-valve diesel pumping out 70hp at 4,000rpm.Peak torque of 160Nm kicks in at 1,750rpm with CO2 emissions being a modest 119g/km.

It is a potentially handy benefit given that CO2 output looks set to become an increasingly important factor when city authorities come to assess liability to pay congestion taxes.

The engine can be run on up to 30 per cent biodiesel. The alternative is a 1.4-litre petrol lump generating 75hp at 5,200rpm. Maximum torque of 118Nm makes its presence felt at 2,600rpm.

The diesel is expected to power some 90 per cent of Nemos sold Europe-wide. Both engines are married to a five-speed manual gearbox. A five-speed clutch-pedalless automated manual box is up for grabs as an extra-cost option.

While Fiat is offering an electric Fiorino, Citroen looks unlikely to follow suit.

For the UK market however, specialist engineer Nicholson McLaren may soon be converting the petrol model to run on liquefied petroleum gas too. It already produces a dual fuel petrol/lpg Berlingo.