An amenable ally
Road Test
The Peugeot Partner van has been refreshed. GreenFleet unpacks the latest version of Peugeot’s best-selling light commercial vehicle and uncovers a highly practical and efficient business companion.
First launched 20 years ago this year, the Peugeot Partner and its sister vehicle the Citroën Berlingo should need little introduction to light commercial buyers. While the first‑generation featured a more car-like front than the refreshed model which replaced it in 2002, the square, rear cargo area pointed to the purpose for which it was created. In 2008, the second‑generation model appeared, and brought with it a much more commercial vehicle-orientated face, although both models have also spun civilian ‘multi-purpose’ vehicle versions from the same basic body.
The Partner is Peugeot’s second-biggest commercial vehicle and slots in between the smaller Bipper and larger Expert panel vans. At the top of the range is Peugeot’s largest light commercial, the Boxer. The latest version of the Partner was – along with the Berlingo – refreshed in spring 2015. Its UK debut was at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show, where it celebrated Peugeot’s 120th year of light commercial vehicle (LCV) production.
Two body styles
Available in two body styles – panel van and double-cab crew van with optional side windows – the Partner features payloads of 625‑850kg, while loadspace varies from 2.4-3.7m3. The panel van is available in two lengths of 4,380 and 4,628mm (wheelbase stays the same at 2,728mm) and it’s the shorter ‘L1’ 3.3m3, 625kg version on test here. The crew van is based on the longer wheelbase model.
Three trim levels tempt LCV buyers: S, SE and Professional, while CO2 emissions range from 108 to 150g/km. For the ultimate in last-mile deliveries, the all‑electric £21,300 (ex-VAT) Partner Electric offers a zero‑emission all-electric powertrain.
Our Professional-specification model was fitted with the Euro 5-standard 1,560cc four-cylinder diesel engine. Although not as clean as the lower-emitting BlueHDi 100 S&S version (which uses the same engine as the Peugeot 208 Allure 1.6 BlueHDi 100 S&S passenger car tested in GreenFleet issue 92), over our 492-mile mixed route test we achieved fuel economy which was on par with – or eclipsed – Peugeot’s official figures. The French manufacturer quotes a combined cycle average miles per gallon figure of 56.5 for the L1 H1 75 model: we achieved an average of 54.2mpg, with 57.0 seen during the duration of the van’s period with us. The potential range on one tank of fuel based on our figures is 558 miles.
The 1.6-litre unit develops 75bhp at 4,000rpm, with 136lb ft (185Nm) of torque from as little as 1,500rpm. It’s easily enough to scoot the Partner along with little fuss or drama. However, if you want speedier performance and a more relaxed cruising ability, you may want to opt for the higher‑output HDi 92 or BlueHDi 100 models. As an aside, BlueHDi models employ Euro 6-standard technology and a stop-start system, while Peugeot also offers a non‑diesel‑powered Partner, powered by a 1.6‑-litre VTi 98bhp petrol engine. PSA Peugeot Citroën’s ‘ETG’ automatic transmission is also an option on selected BlueHDi variants.
Car-like manners
On the road, the Partner, like the Berlingo, drives with car-like manners with levels of refinement not too far removed from its passenger-carrying cousins. Little engine noise intrudes into the cabin, while an acceptable level of road noise filters through into the loadspace area, which is separated from the cab with a half-height bulkhead/mesh grille. As with the Berlingo XTR+ model we’ve previously tested, ride comfort is very good for a commercial vehicle with few road imperfections making their presence felt. Peugeot also offers an enhanced ‘Grip Control’ traction system for easier passage over rough roads or surfaces with low grip levels, as well as an ‘Active City Brake’ system for £540.
If you’re used to the modern crop of light commercials and have driven PSA small panel vans before, the Partner’s cabin will be familiar to you. Similar in style to the Berlingo, the dashboard appears much the same as the previous version. An upgraded seven-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with DAB, Bluetooth and MirrorLink borrowed from PSA’s car ranges is much more user‑friendly, though. Range‑topping Professional models include a high level of standard equipment over SE versions: air conditioning, an alarm, an athermic windscreen, cruise control with speed limiter, rear parking aid/sensors and a TomTom Go 5000 semi‑integrated navigation and connected telematics system can all be found on the business-aimed versions. Front parking sensors and a reversing camera are available as options to make urban drivers’ lives easier.
User-friendly practicality
Practicality hasn’t been forgotten, either. The Partner/Berlingo were always two of the more functional vans on the market, and the latest model loses none of the touches which made the earlier versions so user-friendly. A left-hand (nearside) sliding door gains access to the – class-leading according to Peugeot – load area, while twin rear asymmetric 180-degree opening doors ease cargo into the back. A ‘multi-flex’ dual passenger seat which folds the outer seat into the floor for more storage also features, as do one‑touch electric windows. Sixty litres’ worth of cubbies in the dashboard and doors look after smaller items, while a full-width ceiling shelf provides an out-of-sight storage option. A closed space behind the steering wheel and a writing table on the back of the folding backrest of the central passenger seat provide extra functional touches for business users.
Total load floor length is 1,800m, which increases to 3,000mm when the multi-flex passenger seat is folded down. The practical nature of the multi-flex seat really is a boon – it also increases the loadspace from 3.3m3 to 3.7m3. There is also 1,500mm of width inside the sliding door van (1,620mm where no sliding door is fitted), with 1,230mm of space between the wheel arches, easily enough to accommodate a pair of Euro pallets. Maximum load height meanwhile is 1,250mm, with 1,100mm of height through the side sliding door. The optimal rear opening width is 1,250m with 1,150mm of height. Overall length of the ‘L1’ model is 4,380mm: the larger ‘L2’ models are 248mm longer.
More appealing, greater value
With small but important changes and prices from £10,415, Peugeot has made the Partner more appealing, better looking and greater value. With the addition of the Active City Brake system, insurance costs have the potential to be reduced, while service interval top-up integration of the AdBlue additive needed for diesel versions is now easier for fleet users who cover more than 12,500 miles per year.
Overall then, it’s pretty much business as usual for the highly successful Partner – the UK is Peugeot’s third largest sales market and the Partner is the UK’s best‑selling light commercial van. There’s little reason why that shouldn’t continue.
Further Information
business.peugeot.co.uk/range/vans/
