Citroen Nemo Multispace (2009 – 2015) Review

Citroen builds more people carriers than any other manufacturer, with something to suit most tastes and budgets. These tend to fall into one of two groups: upmarket and full of innovative features (like the C4 and C3 Picasso) or more focussed on value for money and practicality, like this, the Nemo Multipace.

This is actually the smallest people mover that Citroen builds and is based on the Nemo compact van, which is evident in its looks. It slots in under the C3 Picasso in the range and its van origins provide excellent versatility and load carrying capabilities.

It seats four and, distinctively, has one feature missing from other more expensive people carriers - sliding doors. These not only open easily, but create a wide opening, which means passengers don't have to struggle to get on board and it's easy to do things like fit baby seats. Plus it's easier to do all this in a packed car park, as you don't have to struggle with wide-opening doors.

Power comes in the form of a 1.4-litre petrol or a 1.4-litre diesel engine. Both offer decent performance around town, while the diesel has attractive fuel consumption and emissions figures.

This may be Citroen's budget MPV offering, but it's not evident in the spec, where it's well equipped with front electric windows, a stereo and electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors as standard, with optional air-conditioning, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors. It's the fit-and-finish of the interior that gives it away - it isn't quite up to the standard of the car-based MPVs further up the range. The plastics are hard and there's a utilitarian feel to the entire cabin. But for buyers that plan to use the Nemo Multispace as workhorse, this 'no-nonsense' approach will all be part of the appeal.

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Nemo Multispace gets two of Citroen's most popular engine. First up is a 1.4-litre petrol with 75bhp. It's nipper than its 0-60mph time of 16 seconds suggest and is fairly economical, returning 42mpg. It's the 70bhp 1.4-litre HDI that's the favoured engine. It's less powerful and a few seconds slower, but returns a useful 62mpg and has emissions of just 119 g/km CO2. That means it costs nothing to tax in the first year of ownership and benefits from low tax after that. It's pretty quiet on the move, with engine noise well suppressed, while there's a decent amount of punch for overtaking on the motorway.

This is one of just a handful of small diesels that's available with an automatic gearbox. In this case it's a Sensodrive that provides the two pedal convenience of a conventional automatic transmission with the fuel economy and low CO2 emissions of a manual gearbox. Otherwise all cars have a five-speed manual gearbox.

Although it's based on a van, the Nemo Multispace is surprisingly good to drive - it's light, agile and easy to park. That's primarily because the Nemo van, on which it's based, has been designed to be driven around town for short courier runs. It's nippy, great at darting in-and-out of traffic and has a particularly tight turning circle (which is ideal for tight three-point turns). The steering is light too.

Out of town, it's only let down by a bit of bodyroll, which is to be expected from this kind of car and a slightly choppy ride. Plus that steering that was pleasingly light in town lacks precision at higher speeds.

Parking sensors are an optional extra, though there's not a great need for them as all-round visibility is good. The windscreen is large, as are the glazed areas at the side, while it's easy to see out of the rear even with two in the back.

What sets Nemo Multispace apart from other MPVs (aside from the identikit Fiat Qubo and Peugeot Bipper Tepee) and small family cars is the sliding rear doors. It's an incredibly useful feature in confined spaces, like multi-storey car parks, provides plenty of space if you need to fit a child seat and the large opening makes it easy for people of all ages to get in-and-out of.

Although the rear seats don't slide, they can be removed altogether. That transforms the boot area from 360 litres to a whopping 2500 litres - more than enough for most family's needs and as much as is offered in the van version. The seats also split/fold 60:40 to increase the load space without having to worry about taking the seats out. Other practical touches include a decent sized glovebox and a sunglasses holder.

Thanks to its tall shape, there's loads of headroom inside. Being square, it lends itself well to making efficient use of space. Legroom is a little bit on the tight side in the back, but acceptable for children or short trips. The driver is treated to a particularly good driving position, with a height-adjustable seat (which isn't common on this kind of car) and a steering wheel which adjusts for height and reach. Only the seats are a bit of letdown, as they lack support. But even this is only a problem on longer trips where you're more likely to get back ache.

The fit-and-finish of the cabin isn't quite up to the standard of Citroen's other small MPVs - most notably the C3 Picasso. But there again, you're not paying C3 Picasso prices. Reminders that this based on the Nemo van are everywhere, from the exposed to the no-nonsense dashboard. But it's all very easy to use and built to withstand the knocks and scrapes of commercial use, so should stand up well to family life. Air conditioning is optional, rather than standard.