BY AUSTIN LYNCH
As a car driver you tend to forget that a large percentage of the vehicles on the roads are actually commercials, and that commercial sales make up a substantial part of 'car' dealerships' revenue.
While new car sales are undoubtedly being affected by the so-called 'credit crunch' we're supposed to be in the middle of commercial sales, in some quarters, have remained quite healthy.
While all manufacturers realise they must have at least a presence in the commercial sector some work harder at making vans 'fit for purpose' than others.
Citroen have two new entrants into the small van sector - a brand new vehicle called the Nemo, and a new version of the already popular Berlingo, and recently we borrowed both these vehicles from Donnelly Citroen in Enniskillen to find out a bit more about life as a van owner.
Described as 'the smallest biggest van' the Nemo promises big business benefits, plenty of power with low emissions and lots of room.
With a load length of 1.52 metres and an amazing load space of 2.5m cubed Nemo is capable of carrying 610kg payload.
The asymmetrical rear doors can open to 90 degrees, or for even more access, 180 degrees. A sliding side door on the kerb side (with the option of adding a second sliding door) gives you access to your load from all angles allowing for quick loading and unloading no matter where you've parked.
The Nemo is both a practical and a clever little vehicle, something you realise before you even start the engine.
The LX model (Nemo comes in X and LX variants) comes with a central locking remote control that has two buttons to open the van - one which opens the front doors but keeps the rear deadlocked, and another which opens the back.
Now maybe this is common on vans but I thought it is a great system as your tools, or payload, remain locked and secure even when the driver's compartment is open.
The LX also gets front electric windows, and electric heated door mirrors.
The Citroen Nemo has a smart interior which would put many small cars to shame with the model we drove coming with a host of toys including a temperature gauge and trip computer.
Another innovative feature is the 'Extenso' folding passenger seat which has three positions: seat, table or fully folded allowing for extra load space.
An anti-lock braking system (ABS), guide-me-home headlights and an A5 sized dashboard mounted clipboard writing surface are just more features you just wouldn't expect from a van of this size, or price.
A steel half-height bulkhead with upper mesh grille can be fitted as an option on all Nemo vans. This separates the load compartment from the cabin and provides substantial protection for the driver and passenger even when carrying a variety of small items. A full steel bulkhead is also an option on the Nemo.
Power comes from a 1.4HDi engine delivering 70hp which feels plenty when on the move.
When empty the van pulls well in all gears and is a great driver. Loaded, one would hope the same could be said although I'm sure the Nemo wouldn't be just as nippy when fully laden.
We were also impressed with the huge front windscreen which gives a panoramic, unobstructed view of the road ahead. And, for a van, the Nemo is pretty good looking too.
The Nemo is available from £23 per week (business users only) and is also very environmentally friendly - producing CO2 emissions below 120g/kg.
BERLINGO
The Berlingo is the Nemo's bigger brother and although it doesn't look that much larger the Berlingo is a big step up the commercial ladder.
The Berlingo is higher, wider and longer than the Nemo and feels altogether more grown up than it's little brother.
The Berlingo really feels like a big van but yet has very compact dimensions making parking and driving through busy towns and along narrow streets no problem.
With three seats up front you have more options when it comes to travelling to and from work while sliding doors on each side of the van make getting in and out of the rear easy.
The Berlingo feels very powerful with power coming from a 1.6HDI engine producing 90bhp.
This feels very powerful and really rather quick when empty although with such power one would imagine it will still pull well when fully loaded.
The model we drove was an LI 625X Berlingo which can carry a 851kg payload.
The new, bigger Berlingo can be loaded in seconds and has enough room for two Euro pallets.
The Berlingo also has the same locking arrangements as the Nemo, with the rear remaining deadlocked even when the driver compartment is open. The new Citroen Berlingo has a load length of 3.25 metres and has up to 3.7 metres (cubed) load space.
With prices starting from £9,140 plus VAT the Berlingo makes very good business sense. The Berlingo is available through Donnelly Citroen from £28 per week (business users only).
