Review of the new Citroen Nemo Enterprise Van

The little Citroen Nemo van didn't need much to complete its appeal. In Enterprise guise, it might just have everything business users need: strong design allied a few very carefully chosen extra features - air conditioning, Bluetooth 'phone compatibility and reverse parking sensors.

Today's van market is a difficult one. Not only are sales difficult to come by but there's very little to choose between the contenders that are available. Take the small van class, populated by products like the little Citroen Nemo van we're looking at here. This vehicle is the same as the Fiat Fiorino, which itself is the same as Peugeot's Bipper. How can a manufacturer like Citroen make its products stand out? That's where the Nemo's Enterprise trim package comes in. At a value price, you get three of the most important optional features - air conditioning, reverse parking sensors and Bluetooth 'phone compatibility thrown in as standard.

The Nemo Enterprise features the engine that most buyers of the ordinary models choose - a 1.4-litre HDi diesel developing 70bhp. This may not sound a whole lot but 160Nm from 1,750rpm means it has the low-end muscle that drivers like for getting their payload smartly off the line. This Citroen isn't earth-shatteringly quick but the chance to approach the speed limit has become a rare luxury in the areas where it's designed to work, so that shouldn't unduly matter.

Under the skin is independent front suspension braced with an anti-roll bar, while at the rear is the old commercial vehicle standard transverse beam. The set-up works well helping to give this van the lively and energetic feel on the road that the latest supersized Berlingo has partially lost. The downside is that the Nemo is less comfortable a proposition on the open road, but around town its short overhangs and teeny dimensions make it highly manoeuvrable. The turning circle is super-tight at under 10 metres kerb to kerb.

"If you haven't driven a van for some time, you'll be impressed by how much more comfortable and car-like the modern breed have become."

This van measures just 3,860mm in length but uses its interior space to full effect in offering a 2.5m3 load volume and a 610kg maximum payload. The space itself is usefully square and a ladder frame bulkhead protects the rear of the driver's seat. Choose the optional Extenso folding passenger seat and that load volume can be increased to 2.8m3 with the load length upped from 1,520mm to 2.5m, ideal for pipes, planks of wood or other long items.

Its styling should win the Nemo many admirers. The bumpers, the wheelarches and even the windscreen dome outwards and along with the wide track, this creates a squat, planted stance. The inherent chunkiness also suggests the Nemo is a tough customer and there's not much to dissuade you from that opinion on the inside. Fiat's influence on the project is evident in the cab. The air-vents, the stereo and other components have been seen before in Fiat products but all feel solid and look the part. The design is simple and the materials robust but storage could be more generous. Space is adequate for driver and passenger but larger occupants might find it a little confined during a long day at the wheel.

There's little doubt that the Citroen Nemo Enterprise does what it sets out to do in making the lot of drivers in urban areas that little bit easier. Whether enough van drivers get the chance to have their lives made a bit easier, however, will depend on whether this van can persuade the people who hold the company purse strings. On the combined cycle, the Enterprise model returns 62.8mpg with its manual gearbox and around town it produces a figure of 49.6mpg. Emissions are also exemplary with 119g/km emerging from the manual transmission model.

As we've said, the Nemo Enterprise package is based only around diesel power and includes the addition of air-conditioning, built-in Bluetooth technology for better communications and reverse parking sensors for improved safety. An MP3-compatible CD stereo, a trip computer, ABS brakes, a driver's airbag and pre-tensioner seatbelts also feature in the standard specification along with a sliding side door on the nearside, electric front windows, remote central locking, a folding passenger seat and heated electric mirrors. This extensive list shows just how much manufacturers like Citroen have improved the lot of the commercial van driver in recent years.

If you haven't driven a van for some time, you'll be impressed by how much more comfortable and car-like the modern breed have become. This Nemo Enterprise model is a perfect example of that. As for its other virtues, well, its carrying capacity isn't the greatest but the advantages of its compact size will be felt more keenly by urban operators than any lack of space in the rear. Plus there's good visibility and a tight turning circle. All of which means that with the Enterprise package in place, it'll be a difficult option to ignore if you're shopping in this sector of the market.