The trouble with most vans is that they're so, well, van like.

Try as they do to be svelte and stylish, most miss the mark by some way. They're better than they used to be, offering creature comforts van drivers of the 1960s and 1970s would have died for, but they're still a million miles away from what the average car driver would be used to.

Which is why manufacturers like Citroen are turning out more and more car-based vans. The C2 Enterprise is their latest and, in truth, it's just about the most car-like van on the road.

It's based on the C2 hatchback. Importantly, it retains the rear side windows which makes it resemble a conventional car, but they are for show only. Behind the glass, there is a metal covering to make the loadspace secure.

It's part of a drive to appeal to people who might not feel comfortable in a proper van. And while this vehicle wouldn't cope with vast amounts of cargo, it would suit small businesses delivering small items.

A florist came to mind or perhaps a courier service - anyone really who wants a van without all the fuss with a Transit-style vehicle.

It's officially a 'sub-cube' - in effect, a 'smaller than a cube van'. A cube van, for the uninitiated, is one of those vehicles with a boxy loadbay.

As Citroen put it, the C2 Enterprise is a chic, swift and clean-looking vehicle. They say it has the lowest possible insurance rating (1E), best-in-class warranty, high security (remote central locking and immobiliser) and high safety equipment (twin airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBA and EBD).

Citroen say it is the most manoeuvrable car in its class with the tightest turning circle and the only car in its class to have a split rear tailgate for ease of access in tight spaces.

It holds 0.84 of a cubic metre of cargo in a load bay which stretches 1,070mm in length and 1,010mm between the wheelarches. Entry is by the tailgate which opens high for ease of access. There is a substantial solid steel and steel mesh bulkhead designed to keep cargo and passengers apart, and for security too.

On the road, the C2 handles very much like a car.

It's well balanced and the engine is willing and flexible, as happy chugging around town as it is racing on the motorway. In fact, the only real difference between a car and a van is that the sightlines aren't as good. As any van driver will tell you, you'd be surprised how often you miss having side windows in the back when you're at a junction.

Features as standard on this model include central locking, a 12 volt power socket, stereo and CD system, anti-lock brakes and twin airbags.

If the C2 Enterprise is too small, there's the Berlingo - a boxier, chunkier looking vehicle which can carry three square metres of cargo in a taller, wider and longer loadspace with the added advantage of side-opening doors.

PRICE: £7,695 plus VAT.Metallic paint is £200.

ENGINE: a 1,398cc, four-cylinder HDI diesel unit.

LOADSPACE: 0.4 cubic metres.

UNLADEN WEIGHT: 1,043kg.

PAYLOAD: 331kg.

WARRANTY: Two years unlimited miles or three years/100,000 miles.

INSURANCE: Group 1E.

All T&A road test vehicles are independently selected and assessments are carried out impartially by members of our own staff who base their opinions only on the vehicle supplied for these purposes by the manufacturer.