Good: adult seating for eight, surprisingly good on the road.
Not so good: taxi image, high annual road tax.
Model tested: Citroen Dispatch Combi L1H1
Pricing: €36,700 (Dispatch Combi range starts at €32,900)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: eight-seat people carrier (up to nine seats possible)
Rivals: Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life
CO2 emissions: 172g/km (Band E, €750 per annum)
Combined economy: 42.8mpg (6.6 litres/100km)
Top speed: 170km/h
0-100km/h: 11.8 seconds
Power: 128hp at 4,000rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 2,000rpm
Leaving aside the obvious taxi hire drive usefulness of a nine-seat car like Citroen's Dispatch Combi, could it really appeal to large Irish families? We don't produce quite as many kids as we used to in Ireland, but those that need the seating space would do well to check it out. Adults will be comfortable in any of the three rows and there's absolutely loads of space for the accompanying bits and pieces.
But that we could have predicted. What was a surprise in the Dispatch Combi was how comfortable it was to drive and how refined it was. Even lightly laden it soaks up potholes and speed bumps with aplomb and it feels at home on the motorway too. Despite its slab sides and large frontal area there's not too much wind noise either.
The 2.0-litre engine, producing 128hp, doesn't appear to be one found in the rest of Citroen's passenger car line-up, but it's just as smooth as any other and it's relatively quiet too. It's no slouch either, thanks no doubt to the 320Nm torque figure, which is produced low down the rev range.
An official average consumption figure of 6.6 litres/100km (42.8mpg) doesn't sound too bad, and we averaged 9.0 litres/100km (31.4mpg) over a week of fast motorway and urban driving. It's no worse than most cars in this segment with this carrying capacity. The starting price of €32,900 isn't bad either. Sensible (large) family motoring.
Alternatives
Chrysler Grand Voyager: much more expensive, but also more luxurious.
Ford Grand Tourneo Connect: great new addition, though 'only' seats seven occupants.
Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life: arguably a little more desirable, but not as good on the road.