| Week at the Wheel | Citroen Nemo Multispace |

Inside & Out:

It would be fair to say that the Nemo's looks are 'challenging'. From the bulbous front end to the square rear, the Nemo is more about function than style and it met with unanimous disapproval from all with whom it came into contact. When you consider that cars such as the C3 Picasso nestle further up the range it does make one question the wisdom of Citroen producing something so obviously van based.

On the inside, things do improve. As you'd expect, space is plentiful; the airy front cabin is complemented by a generous rear passenger compartment, which benefits from excellent accessibility courtesy of the sliding doors and a large boot, whose only downside is the massive rear hatch - a limitation one needs to bear in mind when parking.

Ergonomically the Nemo is sound enough. The driving position is upright and visibility is excellent. The controls are all light and the dash-mounted gear lever falls easily to hand. However, the finish of the cabin is more than a little basic, something emphasised by the amount of paint visible and the bare plastic flooring, which is no doubt excellent for wiping down, but rather industrial for a family car.

Engine & Transmission:

Two engines are available, one a 1.4-litre petrol, the other, a 1.4-litre HDi diesel - as tested here. The 1.4-litre HDi engine is rated at 70bhp with 118lb.ft of torque on tap from 1,750rpm. In practice this proves to be just about adequate to propel the Nemo along, unloaded at least, but figures of 0-62mph in 18 seconds with a maximum speed of less than 100mph tell their own story. We didn't try the car fully loaded with people or cargo but you should bear in mind that those numbers will be worsened by additional weight.

On the road you need to work the engine and stir the gearbox to keep things moving and it never feels like there's much performance in reserve - the engine begins to sound vocal and strained under hard use. Needless to say this impacts the fuel economy with the real world figure being nearer 45mpg than the claimed early sixties.

Ride & Handling:

Around town the Nemo copes fine, but on the open road it begins to feel a little out of its depth. In the urban environment a healthy dose of manoeuvrability pays real dividends and the relative lack of performance isn't a major issue. The ride quality is acceptable, but don't expect the suspension master class Citroen is known for. Once out of the urban throng things begin to go awry. The helm is rather vague and overly light and the chassis is found wanting by rougher surfaces and motorway expansion gaps alike. It doesn't handle too badly, but it's not fun.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

Buyers pay a premium for the diesel motor but it would appear to be the most sensible route into Nemo ownership. Insurance comes in at a lowly group two, emissions are low and the service intervals of 15,000 miles should keep running costs to the bare minimum. The asking price of £11,000 or so will rise when some of the optional extras that many people would like are added on. Looking around at rivals at a similar value doesn't necessarily put the Nemo in a positive light.

Overall:

Finding the balance between cost and functionality can prove to be very difficult. In this instance the roots of the Citroen Nemo's platform show through rather too clearly - from the poor refinement, to the plastic flooring, the Nemo errs on the wrong side of the line between van and cheap family transport. There's no question of the practicality and back to basics appeal of the Nemo, but slightly more money buys significantly better alternatives.