Citroen Nemo Multispace 1.4HDI Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Citroën Nemo Multispace 1.4 HDi
Prices: £10,995 – on the road
Insurance Group: 2E
Emissions: 119 g/km
Performance: top speed 94mph / 0-60mph 18.7s
Fuel Consumption: (urban) 49.6mpg, (extra urban) 74.3mpg, (combined) 62.8mpg
Safety: ABS, Twin front and lateral airbags.
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 3959/1816/1721

MULTI-TALTENTED?

Our Rating: 6.4 / 10

Does the cheapest MPV in Citroen’s stable makes sense with the pricier diesel engine? Steve Walker reports.

Citroen has installed itself as the undisputed king of the MPV. That’s not to say that the French manufacturer’s products are the best: just that it has more of them. With a comprehensive line-up of conventional passenger car people carriers and a full selection of models based on its small van range, Citroen has more options for moving people around than National Express.

From on the outside, such a varied range of vehicles designed to fill essentially similar roles can look like overkill. Citroen would counter that its MPV collection is carefully structured to meet the varying needs of modern families. That would make the Citroen Nemo Multispace the vehicle for the family that needs a small car with a lot of space and may not have a whole lot of cash to spend on it. To get the 1.4-litre HDi diesel version, our family will need to pay more upfront to save over the longer term.

There’s an upright driving position in the Nemo and good forward visibility. The view to the rear is restricted by the tapering rear windows and thick C-pillars but there’s a wide rear screen and the flat back of the vehicle helps when parking - as does the tight turning circle. The steering is light and the dash-mounted gear lever is close at hand, both of which help with stop/start urban motoring but on the open road, the Nemo is less impressive.

The light steering doesn’t instil much confidence at speed and the suspension has the Nemo bouncing around a little too much. For such a tall vehicle, it feels quite stable through corners though. The diesel engine sounds rough when worked hard (and you find yourself working it hard quite a lot of the time) but refinement is generally OK. It’s a 69bhp unit with a reasonable 160Nm of torque but it will still struggle with a fully-loaded Nemo. The 0-60mph sprint is a laborious 18.7s but this Citroen is well capable of cruising at 70mph (if you have the patience to get there) or nipping about town. The top speed is 94mph.

Citroen sales personnel won’t necessarily draw buyers’ attention to the fact that the Nemo Multispace is based on the Nemo van but if the name doesn’t give it away, first sight of the vehicle should. The compact, sturdy shape has definite van overtones but it’s not unpleasant on the eye. The sharp angles have been gently rounded off and the distinctive front end with its chunky bumper and high-mounted headlights is far from offensive.

More importantly, the shape lends itself perfectly to the people carrier role. The tall, boxy dimensions and short overhangs maximise interior space for passengers and luggage. The Nemo is less than four meters long but has space for five and a 360-litre boot below the parcel shelf. The space is tall and not particularly deep but fold the rear seats and there’s a massive 740-litres available. With the seating removed completely, it reverts to something approaching van form with 2,500 litres available.

From a practical point of view, things don’t tail off much. Access to the boot is via a huge slab-like tailgate that lifts up over head and isn’t too weighty to pull down again. The low loading height and the tie-down points in the floor tell of the Nemo’s commercial vehicle origins while the load floor is usefully flat. There’s even a detachable torch mounted next to the boot area light. It’s a gimmick but as gimmicks go, it’s a good one.

Passenger access is through the sliding side doors which are great in tight parking bays. There’s room for three on the narrow rear bench at a push but generous space for two with ample legroom and a huge amount of headroom. The rear windows that taper off towards the rear of the vehicle can’t be lowered. They simply open a little way with a flap on their rear edge, which isn’t ideal. The seat backs fold down in an easy, positive action and from there they can be tumbled forward to make more space. They’re quite heavy though, so lifting them out completely is a major operation.

The 1.4-litre HDi