Special Offer detail

FRENCH SENSE
We had the opportunity of selecting just one van for our long term test fleet. Just as well we chose wisely. Jonathan Crouch reports on a year with Citroen’s Dispatch

We have to be honest here. The van on our long term test fleet gets a hard life. It’s constantly to be found trekking up and down the country transporting our video production team and all their bulky kit. It must be practical, cavernous and comfortable for hours at the wheel.

It was with all this in mind that we thought long and hard before selecting the right van for the task. Given the amount of urban driving we’d need to do, we didn’t want anything too large. Yet the vehicle would also have to carry enough equipment for a production team, so it would have to have a large payload. Eventually, after plenty of heated discussion, we settled on the van we’ve been clocking up the miles in over the last twelve months – Citroen’s latest generation Dispatch. Upon delivery, opinions were divided as to whether you could call this vehicle good-looking but it’s definitely got character. Those expensive-looking headlights are positioned high up on the steeply raked nose so they’re well back from the bumper and protected from parking knocks. Thick rubbing strips do a similar job for the vehicle’s flanks and the rear is also well protected by a sturdy-looking bumper that’s wide enough to serve as a handy step for access to the rear. The Dispatch is built with a view to keeping the looks that it has intact. One of the reasons why we felt so comfortable in choosing the Dispatch was down to the positive experience we’d had in running this model’s predecessor. The improvements over that van are instantly apparent virtually everywhere you look. This Dispatch is a much bigger vehicle and that’s especially evident in the long wheelbase bodystyle that our test vehicle came in. The biggest strength of the old Dispatch was its manoeuvrability so surely, we thought, that must be one area where something would have been lost in translation with the move to a bigger replacement. Not so. You quickly get used to the extra bulk and it’s not really that much more awkward to position than a smaller Berlingo.

"Offers everything a small business user like us needs – with nothing we don’t…."

All right, so in low speed turning and parking situations, the large front overhang of the Dispatch can be a hindrance. It’s hard to judge exactly where the front of the van is when you’re cosying up to an obstacle. Happily though, the tendency is to underestimate the amount of room you’ve got left so our bumper remains blemish free at the time of writing. The mirrors are wide enough to give the driver a good appreciation of what’s behind him but the full height unglazed bulkhead in our Dispatch means the optional rear parking sensors are a must. The extra bulk the Dispatch gained over the model it replaced is even more quickly forgotten when you take to the highways and byways. The driving position is much more MPV than panel van in that you sit lower, in a more laid-back position with your legs stretched out further in front of you more. It’s still more upright than a conventional passenger car but on longer journeys, the comfort factor has been a welcome boost. It’s easy to prop an elbow on the well-positioned arm rest and spend a couple of hours eating-up some miles, Ginsters pasty in hand for the authentic van-man look. The seating position in the Dispatch is also perfect for drivers on multi-drop rounds or continually hopping about town. Entries and exits are easier than in both a car-derived van, where you need to hoist yourself out, and a panel van where it’s a case of clambering down and up again when it’s time to get back in. This might seem a small consideration but the strain it takes off your back over the course of a year’s work could be worth a couple of shots off the golf handicap. On the whole, our range of drivers agree that the Dispatch is one of the better drivers’ vans out there. The steering is a little on the light side for high speed travel but well-weighted for urban driving. The firm suspension tackles corners adeptly and even with the high-roof bodystyle we tested, body-roll is well controlled. The gear change would be sharper in an ideal world but in general the Dispatch serves up a polished experience to whoever’s behind the wheel aided by a driver’s seat with height, reach, rake and lumbar adjustments. The full-height metal bulkhead shows the Dispatch in a better light as it eliminates much of the road and engine noise that echoes around the loadbay in models without one fitted. In general, the 120bhp 2.0-litre HDi engine is smooth once it gets into its stride and delivers a strong hit of performance. There is some lag if you get caught in the wrong gear, leaving the van floundering for a second or so while the revs build but once the torque starts to kick in, there’s acceleration on tap. The official combined fuel consumption for our Dispatch is 39.2mpg and we’ve been getting mighty close to that. The test vehicle we’ve been out and about in came with a healthy quota of optional extras but they don’t gloss over the basic quality of the Dispatch cabin. High standards of fit and finish are now being set in the small panel van segment but the Citroen can hold its own. The seating is supportive while the dash is neatly laid out and constructed from decent quality plastics. The huge dash-top area created by the sharply-angled windscreen is an inviting place to leave pens and paperwork but it’ll soon slide off when you get moving. Instead, use the handy pot carved into the fascia above the glovebox or the wide door pockets. Small cubby holes also abound to swallow-up those little odds and ends. Overall, as you’ve probably picked up if you’ve read this far, we’ve been impressed with our Dispatch. It does everything it should do to an extremely high standard, offering everything a small business user like us needs – with nothing we don’t. Will we be getting another? Don’t bet against it.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Citroen Dispatch L2H2 120 ENGINES: 2.0HDi 120bhp DIMENSIONS: length/width/height 5135/2194/2276mm LOAD VOLUME: 7m3 GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: 2,963kg

THE SENSIBLE FAMILY SOLUTION
Nine-seater large MPVs were essentially mini-buses until cars like Citroen’s Dispatch Combi came along. Having tried this huge People Carrier, Jonathan Crouch thinks a growing family could very happily live with it…

If you’re going to get a large MPV, then there’s a great argument for doing the job properly and getting one with van-like dimensions. Better still perhaps, getting one originally developed as a van, providing it’s acceptably car-like to drive. Something, indeed, like Citroen’s Dispatch Combi. It shares its design with Fiat’s Scudo Panorama and Peugeot’s Expert Tepee but is slightly more affordably priced, with room for up to nine people and their luggage. Try getting all that in a conventional large MPV.

What’s refreshing about Citroen’s marketing for the Dispatch Combi is that it doesn’t pretend the vehicle to be anything other than a Dispatch van with seats and windows fitted. This Dispatch, like its predecessor and its bigger brother the Relay, is a product of Peugeot Citroen’s alliance with Fiat and features a steeply raked windscreen, a huge front bumper and dramatically elongated headlamps. The styling themes are definitely more Peugeot than Citroen with the large front overhang and the bonnet that rises at the edges before easing up into the A-pillars. Half close your eyes, stand on your head and on a foggy morning, you could almost mistake it for a 407. The Dispatch Combi model is offered in either of two loadlengths (L1 and L2) with either six or nine seats. Alright, so the Dispatch Combi isn’t going top be the first port of call for those MPV buyers looking for a sparkling driving experience. Unless your work vehicle is a London bus, the Expert Combi isn’t going to feel especially lively, especially if you opt for the 1.6 HDi 90 entry-level version. Load it to the gunwales with passengers and related gubbins and you’ll probably want the more powerful of the two 2.0-litre HDi diesel engines if you’re to make anything other than stately progress. On the open road, the Dispatch Combi is very pleasant to drive, with the suspension taking care of the bumps admirably and the electrically assisted steering being light and accurate. This vehicle corners with good body control for such a high-sided vehicle and the braking is assured with ABS and EBD as standard.

"Being sensible has a lot to be said for it…."

The 2.0-litre engines both feature second generation HDi diesel technology and that means torque of 300Nm or 320Nm for the 120 and 136bhp models respectively, all generated at a lowly 2,000rpm. Refinement is acceptable although there is inevitably quite a degree of wind noise and you’ll notice crosswinds when motorway cruising. The suspension setup is a fairly rudimentary arrangement of struts up front and a torsion beam at the back and there is some bump and thump overt city potholes as a result. The Dispatch Combi is all about space and a lot of it. The eternal problem with MPV-style vehicles is that once you’ve loaded them with all the family, there’s nowhere to put the luggage. I drove one such vehicle recently where when it was configured in seven seat mode there was not even enough space behind the rearmost seats to carry a modestly sized briefcase. Inexcusable, really. That’s certainly not the case with the Dispatch Combi. Specify it in entry-level 6-seat guise and even the regular wheelbase model has enough space back there for enterprising estate agents to slap a For Rent sign on it. Inside, the light grey plastics aren’t of the soft-touch variety but they do seem tough and the layout of the controls is largely conventional with all the important stuff sited on the steering column itself. For storage there are narrow door pockets, a large pot in front of the passenger and a small glovebox but you might need that third front seat to sit larger items on. The overhead shelf increases the oddment space available but you have to reach up and feel about blindly for anything you’ve put in there, so leave that box of roofing tacks in the glovebox. The basic question you’ll need to answer before buying a Dispatch Combi is why you should do so rather than going for an apparently almost identical Fiat Scudo Panorama or Peugeot Expert Tepee. It’s a rather complicated question to answer as trims vary between the three. A really basic 5/6-seat version of the Fiat is priced from under £15,000, while the Peugeot in entry-level 5/6 seat form costs around the same as the cheapest Expert Combi L1 HDi 90 6-seat (which retails at £18,636). Realistically, most buyers are going to want the nine-seater longer bodied version with one of the 2.0-litre HDi diesel engines, in which case, with the Citroen, prices start at around £20,500. That’s not altogether bad value for money considering that the cheapest Chrysler Grand Voyager – the closest ‘purpose built’ MPV to the Dispatch Combi’s monster luggage capacity – will run you well over £28,000. At the end of the day, it comes down to the deal on the table rather than list prices when it comes to choosing between the various brands. There will always be buyers who need a vehicle capable of hauling a big family and all their paraphernalia but the fact remains that these customers are often among the most cash strapped and have other diversions for their cash. Other than a questionable depreciation performance, the Dispatch Combi turns in some decent results. All three engines are respectably economical and the combination of long-legged six-speed gearboxes and huge 80-litre fuel tanks gives the Dispatch Combi some real reach when it comes to distance between top ups. Emissions are amazingly good too, the 120bhp version emitting 194g/km of carbon dioxide and the 136bhp engine only slightly worse at 196g/km. A few years ago, we could never have recommended that any parent consider a van with windows. However, as light commercial vehicles have become progressively more car-like, that has all changed. I used this car to transport a family of five, plus three large bikes (all contained inside the car), something I could never have done in any conventional large MPV. For that kind of versatility, I’m prepared to put up with some driveability compromises, though interestingly, there aren’t too many – as long as you opt for the 2.0-litre HDi engine in one of its forms. Who cares if it doesn’t look particularly sassy or that it won’t corner like a BMW? That’s not what you buy a vehicle of this kind for. Being sensible has a lot to be said for it.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Citroen Dispatch Combi range PRICES: £18,658-£23,954 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-8 CO2 EMISSIONS: 191-200g/km PERFORMANCE: [136bhp] Max Speed 106mph / 0-60mph 12.5s [est] FUEL CONSUMPTION: [120bhp] 38mpg (combined) [est] STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front and side airbags, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4805/1895/1942

ONE FOR THE LOAD
Citroen’s latest Dispatch squares up to some heavy hitters in the small panel van sector but they underestimate it at their peril. Steve Walker reports…

For a long time, Citroen’s Dispatch van resisted classification in the UK’s light commercial vehicle marketplace. It was bigger than the crop of compact vans but not so big as to impinge on the territory of the panel vans in the class above. As a relatively unique compromise between manoeuvrability and carrying capacity, it enjoyed considerable success. Today’s model is easier to pin down, going head to head with vehicles at the more petite end of the panel van spectrum. It’s a tougher gig but there’s confidence at Citroen that the Dispatch is up to the challenge.

The 3m3 load volume of the original Dispatch left a glaring hole in the Citroen light commercial vehicle Range. The littlest version of the Relay panel van could carry 8m3 and this left a 5m3 window in which rivals like Vauxhall’s Vivaro and Volkswagen’s Transporter could make hay. Today’s Dispatch plugs that gap, nestling up beneath the Relay model Range with a variety of load volumes ranging from 5m3 to 7m3. Payload options of 1,000kg and 1,200kg ensure that the Dispatch can cope with more weight than before as well, while the Range has taken on a far greater level of diversity thanks to two load lengths (L1 and L2), two roof heights (H1 and H2) and three engine options. On top of that little lot, buyers also get the choice of panel van, window van, platform cab and Combi bodystyles. The modern Citroen Dispatch Range has the mix and match potential that operators expect in the panel van sector but a key factor behind the success of the original Dispatch was the way operators found it compact and wieldy in the manner of smaller, more car-like vans from the class below. Citroen was obviously acutely aware of this and rather than cloning the look and feel of the leading small panel van rivals, this Dispatch manages to remain a little bit different.

"Citroen knows better than anyone how to sell vans in the UK marketplace"

The frontal styling borrows quite substantially from the current Citroen passenger car Range and, indeed, from recent Peugeot models. The Dispatch, for the uninitiated, is the product of a partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroen and Fiat which has also spawned the identical Peugeot Expert and Fiat Scudo models. The grille displays the Citroen double chevrons as upward kinks knocked into parallel chrome bars and below the multi-part bumper juts forward imposingly. A deep swage line runs from the lower edge of the large, elongated headlamps into the window line, continuing down the flanks. The design is undeniably distinctive but where it looks modern from some angles it’s a little gawky from others. In profile, the large front overhang of the Dispatch is highlighted and this contributes to a turning circle that, at 12.2m, is nearly a metre greater than a Vauxhall Vivaro of equivalent capacity. The Dispatch, however, hits back on height or more accurately, lack of it. Citroen is at pains to point out that the standard roof H1 versions are just 1,942mm tall and drop to 1,894mm when the optional pneumatic suspension is specified. This means that they’ll be able to squeeze under height restrictors on urban car parks that would deny entry to most other panel vans. The sliding side door on each flank is a further boon in situations where space is tight and operators need to access their load. These open wide enough to accommodate a Euro pallet and benefit from a low loading height of 562mm which can be cut by 71mm if you splash out on that self-levelling suspension. Anyone jumping from another small panel van into the Dispatch will notice how much lower the driver sits in the Citroen. This makes access far simpler and ideal for delivery drivers who are constantly climbing in and out of their vans but something is lost in terms of visibility. It also can be difficult to see over that extensive bonnet when parking, especially as the driver sits a long way back from the base of the windscreen. In general driving, the Dispatch does feel compact and it’s easy to thread through traffic, largely thanks to a footprint that’s barely larger than a standard family saloon. The brakes respond with assurance and body roll when cornering is helped by that low centre of gravity. The gearchange, though not class-leading in its accuracy, is a sizable improvement over the old Dispatch and the suspension gives a well-judged blend of comfort and stability. The cab area has been thoughtfully designed with firm, supportive seating and a respectable amount of storage space to keep oddments in check. A three-seat capacity is claimed but, as is so often the case in small panel vans, the legroom for the middle berth is severely restricted by the dash-mounted gear lever. In the Dispatch, the shifter occupies the space where the middle passenger’s knee should be so unless the third member of your work crew happens to be Heather Mills-McCartney or Long John Silver, it may be better to make other arRangements. The three engine options are all HDi common-rail diesels and they take some beating on grounds of fuel economy. The 90bhp 1.6-litre unit returns over 39mpg on the combined cycle and has more than enough puff to get a lightly laden Dispatch moving briskly along. The 2.0-litre engines will be a better bet in the larger models and of the two, I’d probably settle for the 120bhp option. Here you get identical fuel economy to that of the 1.6HDi but with a full 300Nm of torque at 2,000rpm. The Range-topping 136bhp engine delivers 38mpg and 320Nm of torque. It is quicker but this may not justify the price premium in the eyes of many buyers. Equipment levels look generous with Citroen offering the headline-grabbing Smartnav satellite navigation system as standard along with ABS, EBA, a driver’s airbag, a CD Stereo with wheel-mounted controls and electric windows. The LX derivatives get the self-levelling suspension along with other desirables. With these and other features taken into account, the Dispatch looks a conspicuously good value van – but what else did you expect from Citroen? The original Dispatch, with its blend of compact van and small panel van qualities, was quite unlike anything else on the market but this model is more conformist. The extensive Range means it will appeal to more operators but it has a tougher task of convincing them of its merits because some accomplished small panel van rivals are now directly comparable to the Citroen. The Dispatch still offers a user-friendly, MPV-style driving experience but it lacks a little in terms of quality, both actual and perceived, when pitched against the very best. This may not matter. Citroen knows better than anyone how to sell vans in the UK marketplace and tight pricing along with innovations like the standard Smartnav navigation system and the inevitable cashback deals should give this impressive product the edge it needs in a closely-fought sector.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Citroen Dispatch van ENGINES: 1.6HDi 90/2.0HDi 120/2.0HDi 136 DIMENSIONS: length/width/height [L1H1] 4805/2194/1942mm LOAD VOLUMES: 5m3-7m3 GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHTS: 2,717-2,963kg

WHO’S ROUTING FOR YOU?
Citroen’s marketing department pulled off a bit of a coup in getting SmartNav satellite navigation included as standard on their Dispatch van but how good is it? Steve Walker reports…

There was a time when any review of the technological features contained within a panel van would have run out of subject matter soon after examining the electric motor that drove the windscreen wipers and the hinge that stopped the sun visor from falling off. Today, it’s a different story with top commercial vehicles sporting all manner of gadgetry as a matter of course. Citroen’s Dispatch is one of the most tech-laden vans on the market and our long term test of one provided a golden opportunity for us to get a bit nerdy with its two, count ‘em, satellite navigation systems.

Satellite navigation is the automotive gadget of the moment. The technology that has promised to consign the nation’s tatty road atlases to history and eliminate the in-car inter-spouse argument is proliferating at a dramatic rate but of all the vehicles we’ve tested, from tiny citycars to luxury saloons, the Citroen Dispatch was the first to arrive with two satellite navigation systems installed. Yes, that’s right, it’s got two sat nav setups and it’s a van. The reason for this slightly odd specification can be traced to the link-up between Citroen commercial vehicles and TrafficMaster. The deal is that all Citroen Dispatch Vans have TrafficMaster’s SmartNav as standard but Citroen also offer an integrated map screen sat nav system as an option. Our Dispatch had the optional arrangement installed but as the SmartNav system comes free, it had been chucked in anyway.

"SmartNav is more than a standard satellite navigation package…"

This quirk of fate presented the perfect opportunity to assess both arrangements side by side. It isn’t just the cost that separates them but as ever, it is a crucial factor. Where SmartNav comes as standard with the Dispatch in a package that includes a three-year subscription to the navigation service and to the stolen vehicle tracking service, the optional system comes at a premium of just over £1,000. This is the point where fleet managers nationwide form a distinct bias towards SmartNav. The reason why the Dispatch is able to bring us the SmartNav system as standard is that SmartNav isn’t your average satellite navigation system. In the small blue touch screen mounted on the top righthand corner of the Dispatch fascia what you have is a real time interface with the TrafficMaster control centre. You programme in your destination as you would with an integrated system then SmartNav connects to the remote TrafficMaster computer which supplies the route. This enables the TrafficMaster to incorporate real time traffic updates using information gleaned from the average speeds of SmartNav users as they traverse different sections of the road network. The dispatch package includes a 3-month subscription to this service which advises you of delays and gives you the option of re-routing to avoid them. SmartNav is more future proof than most of its rival products as the software can be upgraded remotely by TrafficMaster. The screen is the only on-board component acting as a link to the mapping and processing computers back at TrafficMaster HQ. The lack of any expensive on-board computers or mapping CDs also helps to keep the costs down and means that fleet operators are not forced to invest in expensive on-board technology that isn’t valued highly by the used market. The question is, how well does it work? Citroen’s NaviDrive on-board system provides the competition in our Dispatch and there’s no doubt that its large full-colour map screen is easier to follow than the SmartNav’s small monotone display. It offers individual graphics to indicate the direction to turn or the correct exit take off roundabouts but you’re largely reliant on the voiced instructions. One drawback to NaviDrive is that the mapping CD has to be inserted in the CD player in the Dispatch for the system to work. Navigating with NaviDrive and listening to your favourite music is not an option. Where SmartNav excels, it in its use of live traffic updates. TrafficMaster monitors average speeds across the entire UK road network and can detect delays feeding the information back to its customers. When a delay is detected on your route and there’s a faster alternative, the SmartNav system offers to recalculate to avoid it. This has the potential to save businesses significant amounts of time but we found that it’s also handy when you’re stuck in traffic. SmartNav constantly adjusts your ETA based on the road conditions ahead so you always know roughly how much longer the journey is going to take. This can be brutally depressing when your arrival time spirals out of control as you sit motionless staring at the rows of brake lights snaking off into the distance but at least you know. SmartNav is less effective when it comes to dealing with human error. Take a wrong turn and the system can become flummoxed, clamming up completely while it connects to headquarters to re-programme the route. It usually sorts itself out again in time but without a map screen showing you how to get back on track, you’re forced to wait while it gets its act together which isn’t always convenient. In the final toss-up between SmartNav and the integrated NaviDrive system a number of factors must be considered. If it comes down to the basic act of route guidance, that is getting drivers to destinations in the simplest way possible. The NaviDrive system with its large map screen and button operated control interface, just about shades it. The SmartNav option takes a bit too long to react when you foul up its route with a wrong turning and it lacks a map of any kind, although the touch screen controls are reasonably intuitive. This isn’t the whole story though. SmartNav offers a whole extra dimension with its real time traffic updates and its ability to steer you around the worst hold ups. It also warns you when you’re approaching a fixed position speed camera at a speed in-excess of the limit and it has the integrated Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking system. SmartNav is more than a standard satellite navigation package and it’s free with the Dispatch. Although we can see the logic in some operators paying the £1,000 premium of the NaviDrive system that covers the basics better, SmartNav does a decent job for a lot less. You get three years’ use of the navigation and tracking services with SmartNav but the standard package on the Dispatch only includes three months of live traffic updates and one month of speed camera alerts. Having tried them, we think most owners will want to continue the subscription once the initial period has expired. They’re what set SmartNav apart.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Citroen Dispatch L2H2 120 ENGINES: 2.0HDi 120bhp DIMENSIONS: length/width/height 5135/2194/2276mm LOAD VOLUME: 7m3 GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: 2,963kg

PATCHY OR PERFECT?
Van drivers spend more time than most in the company of their vehicle but first impressions still count. We make the acquaintance of Citroen’s panel van…

When you’re going to be in each other’s company for what could amount to several years or well over a hundred thousand miles, it really does help if you get on. This holds true whether we’re talking about a work colleague or a working vehicle. Just as nobody wants to get lumbered with a co-worker whose questionable personal hygiene is only masked by his foul-smelling packed lunches, a van that’s noisy, uncomfortable or plain unsuitable will soon get your goat. At the outset of our long term stint at the wheel of Citroen’s Dispatch, we had our eyes peeled for any niggling annoyances.

Credit where credit’s due, the Dispatch makes a valiant attempt at looking interesting with its massive headlights and chunky bumper design. Whether you could call the vehicle good-looking is a different matter but it’s definitely got character. Those expensive-looking headlights are positioned high up on the steeply raked nose so they’re well back from the bumper and protected from parking knocks. Thick rubbing strips do a similar job for the vehicle’s flanks and the rear is also well protected by a sturdy-looking bumper that’s wide enough to serve as a handy step for access to the rear. The Dispatch is built with a view to keeping the looks that it has intact. We had extensive experience of this model’s predecessor and the improvements over that van are instantly apparent virtually everywhere you look. This Dispatch is a much bigger vehicle, however, and that’s especially evident in the long wheelbase, high roof bodystyle that our test vehicle came in. The biggest strength of the old Dispatch was its manoeuvrability so surely, we thought, that must be one area where something has been lost in translation. In low speed turning and parking situations, the large front overhang of the Dispatch can be a hindrance. It’s hard to judge exactly where the front of the van is when you’re cosying up to an obstacle. Happily, the tendency is to underestimate the amount of room you’ve got left so our bumper remains blemish free at the time of writing. The mirrors are wide enough to give the driver a good appreciation of what’s behind him but the full height unglazed bulkhead in our Dispatch means the optional rear parking sensors are a must.

"…a likable van that does things that bit differently from the majority of its rivals"

This Dispatch is trickier to manoeuvre than the vehicle that went before it but that’s to be expected when you’re gaining all that extra capacity. It’s also a little less malleable at low speeds than some rival products that employ a higher driving position with a better view out but there are definite advantages to the set up that Citroen chose. Out on the open road, these become clear. The extra bulk the Dispatch gained over the model it replaced is quickly forgotten when you take to the highways and byways. The driving position is much more MPV than panel van in that you sit lower, in a more laid-back position with your legs stretched out further in front of you more. It’s still more upright than a conventional passenger car but on longer journeys, the comfort factor will be a welcome boost. It’s easy to prop an elbow on the well-positioned arm rest and spend a couple of hours eating-up some miles. The seating position in the Dispatch is also perfect for drivers on multi-drop rounds or continually hopping about town. Entries and exits are easier than in both a car-derived van, where you need to hoist yourself out, and a panel van where it’s a case of clambering down and up again when it’s time to get back in. This might seem a small consideration but the strain it takes off your back over the course of a year’s work could be worth a couple of shots off the golf handicap. On the whole, the Dispatch is one of the better drivers’ vans out there. The steering is a little on the light side for high speed travel but well-weighted for urban driving. The firm suspension tackles corners adeptly and even with the high-roof bodystyle we tested, body-roll is well controlled. The gear change would be sharper in an ideal world but in general the Dispatch serves up a polished experience to whoever’s behind the wheel aided by a driver’s seat with height, reach, rake and lumbar adjustments. The full-height metal bulkhead shows the Dispatch in a better light as it eliminates much of the road and engine noise that echoes around the loadbay in models without one fitted. In general, the 120bhp 2.0-litre HDi engine is smooth once it gets into its stride and delivers a strong hit of performance. There is some lag if you get caught in the wrong gear, leaving the van floundering for a second or so while the revs build but once the torque starts to kick in, there’s acceleration on tap. The official combined fuel consumption for our Dispatch is 39.2mpg and we’ve been getting mighty close to that. The test vehicle we’ve been out and about in came with a healthy quota of optional extras but they don’t gloss over the basic quality of the Dispatch cabin. High standards of fit and finish are now being set in the small panel van segment but the Citroen can hold its own. The seating is supportive while the dash is neatly laid out and constructed from decent quality plastics. The huge dash-top area created by the sharply-angled windscreen is an inviting place to leave pens and paperwork but it’ll soon slide off when you get moving. Instead, use the handy pot carved into the fascia above the glovebox or the wide door pockets. Small cubby holes also abound to swallow-up those little odds and ends. So, our first impressions of the Citroen Dispatch. It’s essentially, a likable van that does things that bit differently from the majority of its rivals. Good to drive and comfortable over long journeys, it comes well-equipped and with a level of build quality that stands comparison with the German alternatives. Possible downsides could be those distinctive looks, the loose gearchange and the forward visibility for parking but there’s nothing that’s going to prevent the majority of van drivers from forming a fruitful working relationship with this model. Citroen’s generous warranty and free SmartNav satellite navigation system should also help make it a big hit with the people who hold the purse strings at businesses up and down the country.

Facts At A Glance VAN: Citroen Dispatch L2H2 120 ENGINES: 2.0HDi 120bhp DIMENSIONS: length/width/height 5135/2194/2276mm LOAD VOLUME: 7m3 GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: 2,963kg