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Certain CV categories are dominated by specific manufacturers and their
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wheeled wares, with history or ability — or both — playing a vital role in this.
And despite the fact that there may be plenty of contenders within a group, all vying for attention. including many with strong credentials, it would take a serious drop in standards to upset the position of the dominant vehicle(s).
In the small car-derived arena, Ford is sitting pretty at the pinnacle with its soon-to-be-replaced Fiesta Van. And why not? It's pretty damn good, and comes from a firm you know and trust — a no-brainer. really.
However, to end the story there would be unfair on all the blood, sweat, toil, and cash expended by rival firms striving to shift units in what is largely an uphill struggle.
If we uttered the words Citroen and C2 Enterprise. there'd be a few quizzical faces in the commercial crowd, and rightly so. This is not a van that tends to top sales charts.
However, to clear up the picture, it's a small car-derived van competing with the likes of Ford and Vauxhall's decent Corsavan. But unlike these, the Citroen is often left on the shelf because the buying public prefers to 'go with what they know'.
Coming with the rear seat removed, which allows for a load area of 0.84m3, the little hatchback, which made its debut all the way back in 2005, received a bit of a makeover last year.
Although the 70hp 1.4-litre HDI engine, complete with five-speed manual gearbox remains unchanged, the C2's external appearance has been tweaked. It now boasts a redesigned bonnet, front bumper and new grille design.
Inside the little van, there's an uprated CD/radio with MP3 compatibility, and an optional air-conditioning pack (i500), which, says Citroen, now includes electric windows and door mirrors.
Other options include central locking with deadlocks, an immobiliser, and steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Metallic paint is another extra. The standard model will cost you £7,995. compared with £8.850 for the outgoing Fiesta van and £9,545 for Vauxhall's Corsa van.
Productivity
It wasn't a question of if the C2. would do well on fuel economy, it was more a case of just how impressive the result would be. After all, it's a van that has a kerbweight of just 1,043kg and a GVW of 1,374kg.
So, with this in mind, the laden figure of 62.1mpg was a decent result, coming out top on our comparison chart, just ahead of the second-placed Fiat Punta 1.3 Multijet with 61.4mpg.
An unladen run saw things improve to 64.9mpg — again a class-leading figure.
Payload for the C2 is 331kg, which is noticeably down on the Fiesta's 390kg, and more significantly Vauxhall Corsavan's 550kg.
However, once you've tilled the load area to the maximum, it will be clear that in most conditions you're probably not going to need much more in terms of weight. Loading up is helped by the split-hatch arrangement at the rear, which allows decent access, as well as providing a useful bench via the fold down tailgate. This can also hold up to 100kg when fiat and incorporates a recessed integrated cubby to store tools and the like.
The load area itself is well designed: the tall sides and high rear of the C2 allow you to make the most of the admittedly compact(ish) space. There are also two tiedown points at the near end to help secure your load.
Cab comfort
Recently, we've witnessed a noticeable improvement in build quality with Citroens, and this is never more so evident than in the C2's interior.
Close the door and you hear a satisfying clunk. Once inside, you're greeted by an orderly, clearly laid out dash that, although not particularly dynamic in design, is well kitted out and pleasingly arranged.
We also liked the digital speedo, which clearly shows your exact velocity, ideal for when making progress without going over any limits. Additionally, the circular air vents and small, sporty steering wheel help to raise the Citroen's ambiance a little.
Overall, cab space is surprisingly generous for such a small van; there's enough rear travel to sort out a half-decent driving position, which is aided by an adjustable rake-andreach steering wheel.
But we're not as enthused over the seat itself, which lacks a degree of contour and offers very little in the way of lumbar support.
Storage space consists of door bins, central cup holders and a couple of oddment trays, which are well positioned and deep enough to be practical.
On the move, the C2 is a civilised companion, with road and wind noise suppressed thanks to a decent level of sound-proofing, although at motorway speeds road noise will intrude into the cabin a little.
On the road
'Small', 'Citroen' and 'hatchback' — yep, those words are pretty much a licence for entertainment, and despite the minor detail of having its rear seats removed, the C2 still proves to be an engaging drive.
The French firm can always be relied on to engineer a safe, compliant chassis that handles well without any drama, and these attributes are evident in the Enterprise.
It rides smoothly, absorbing bumps and undulations well, while in the corners there's little to unnerve it, even with a full load onboard. It is a touch soft in the suspension department, but this is nothing to worry about. When pushed, it understeers gradually without any drama.
A further plus comes from the I .4HDI engine. Whereas this unit feels underpowered in the heavier Nemo, it's just right in the C2, giving a nice spread of torque from low down without sounding like it's stressed.
The vehicle is let down, however, by its five-speed shift, which is ill-defined in its action and doesn't lend itself to quick shift changing, most notably when in town. •