Just two engines are available in the Nemo Multispace – a petrol and a diesel. The 1.4-litre petrol has 75bhp and is the entry-level engine, but is still peppy enough for town driving. It’s also economical with an average of 42mpg achievable. The 1.4 HDi has slightly less power with 70bhp but has noticeably more pulling power, so although on paper it is two seconds slower from 0-62mph (taking a very leisurely 18.7 seconds) it feels quicker in everyday driving and has decent in-gear pull.

It’s not too noisy either and will allow the Nemo to happily keep up with fast-flowing motorway traffic. The biggest difference, however, is in fuel economy as the HDi is capable of an impressive 63mpg. CO2 emissions of 119g/km make it cheap to tax too. Unusually for a small car, the diesel version is available with an automatic gearbox. The system is called SensoDrive and the good news is that choosing it doesn’t affect economy or emissions, while acceleration times actually improve.

The standard gearbox is a five-speed manual which is positive enough, albeit with a spongy feel when changing gear.

Like the van it’s based on, the Nemo Multispace is designed for city and town driving, so it has light and easy steering along with a tight turning circle. This manoeuvrability is great for parking or tricky three-point turns and is further helped by good visibility, although the rear pillars are a little wider than you’d expect on a car this size. But the large side mirrors help and rear parking sensors are available as an optional extra.

It’s not such good news on the open road though. The light steering feels somewhat vague at higher speeds and there is precious little feel in corners either. There’s also a fair amount of body roll, while in strong cross winds the Nemo feels quite lightweight.