Citroën Nemo Multispace mini MPV

The Citroen Nemo Multispace is a budget compact MPV with seating for five, a generous boot and sliding side doors. Resembling the larger Berlingo, the Nemo was developed in conjunction with Peugeot and Fiat. Only one engine is available: a 75bhp 1.2-litre diesel, which promises very low running costs. The decent-sized boot, high roofline and split-folding, tiltable rear seats create a practical interior. The Nemo Multispace is aimed at families on a budget who want more space than a traditional supermini can provide, and rivals the likes of the Nissan Note, Hyundai ix20 and Kia Venga.

EFFICIENCY is one of the Nemo Multispace’s strong suits – the car returns up to 67.3mpg when fitted with the EGS automatic box, with manual models promising 65.7mpg. CO2 emissions of 112g/km mean road tax bills of £30 a year, while buyers can expect parts, servicing, insurance and tyres to cost roughly what they do for a regular supermini.

High sided and fitted with a small engine, the Nemo Multispace struggles through fast corners and in high winds, but the engine feels strong enough to keep pace with other traffic on motorways. The automatic gearbox is impressive, and models with this almost match the manual version’s 16.6-second 0-62mph time. But the Nemo really comes into its own around town, as the tight turning circle, good visibility, lightly weighted controls and effortless power-steering all help to make low-speed journeys a breeze.

Up front, the Nemo Multispace caters for taller passengers well, with plenty of leg and headroom. The seats don’t provide a lot of support, however, especially on longer trips. In the back, legroom is quite limited and the backrests aren’t especially comfortable for adults. Suspension settings are well judged, and on smooth surfaces the lack of wind and engine noise is very impressive. On heavily used, bumpy roads the suspension struggles to cope, and the car jumps around.

Getting in and out of the Nemo Multispace is easy because both rear doors slide. Once you’re inside, however, legroom in the back is slightly limited, while only the front seats provide enough space for taller adults. Still, the rear seats are removable, and also split, fold and tilt – this allows countless configurations, and means owners can expand the 365-litre boot with them in place to an impressive maximum capacity of 2,500 litres. The large tailgate acts as a useful shelter if you’re caught out in the rain, but it does require considerable space to swing open.

THE independent experts at Euro NCAP gave the Nemo a rather disappointing three stars in their stringent crash tests, so the car doesn’t offer the accomplished occupant protection of some rivals. Front and side airbags are standard, as are anti-lock brakes, but it’s surprising that electronic stability control isn’t available on any version of the Multispace. Citroen doesn’t have the best record for reliability, either, so the car fares poorly in this area.

THE Nemo carries a similar price to Citroen’s larger Berlingo, and appears rather expensive. Some of the interior materials feel very cheap, especially when compared to the likes of the Hyundai ix20. Standard equipment is also in quite short supply. Air-conditioning is a £535 optional extra, while rear parking sensors will set you back an additional £210. The £200 optional Road pack improves practicality, and gives the styling a boost, as it includes roof bars and foglights.