| Week at the Wheel | Peugeot Partner Tepee |
Inside & Out:
It's an old cliché, but people-carriers are not cool; otherwise there'd probably be no such thing as a mini-SUV and a couple of other niches besides. But, controversially, I reckon this type of van-based person-hauler is very cool, in the same way wearing jeans, a t-shirt and some old plimsolls is; cool because it's completely functional, completely utilitarian, and never trying hard to look cool. Ok, enough use of the word 'cool' - we are discussing a Peugeot van, after all.
And let's be honest, it's ridiculous, isn't it? However, it so nonchalantly gets on with being spacious at the complete expense of trying to look good, that there are few more apt family cars. It's like a plastic carrier bag. And this particular shopping hold-all has got sliding rear doors, a massive boot, enough room in the back for Peter Crouch and his two even taller brothers, cabin storage space adequate to keep a whole Elton John back catalogue's worth of rubbish stowed away (including some clever bins at the top of the boot), and a dashboard that's bland but oh-so-functional. And that's all you need to know, really. In a nutshell, it is five-seat practicality at its most adroit.
Engine & Transmission:
Our test car was equipped with a 1.6-litre 107bhp diesel engine, the strongest in the range. It's not going to set anybody's world alight, but much like the car itself, it's admirably up to the task of pulling a full complement of heavy bodies and their stuff about without much fuss. There's plenty of low down pulling power on tap (177lb.ft from 1,750rpm) but a 12.5-second jaunt to 62mph tells you it's far from a machine to pin the throttle in and expect excitement (though plenty of other things about the Tepee give that fact away too). The point is, it's good enough, and probably the engine to go for if you're serious about using it as a carefree family motor - anything less will struggle under a heavy load, and it's still capable of over 50mpg.
The transmission isn't too bad either, but it is, of course, a Peugeot-Citroen 'box, so it's a vague, rickety thing that's absolutely no fun to use. Like any five-speeder these days, it feels like it could use an extra cog on the motorway, but it's perfectly suited to the task.
Ride & Handling:
Handling? Let's not waste much time here. It handles like a brick on top of a roller-skate, which is essentially what it is. That said, Peugeot always manages to keep body roll in check better than its colleagues over at Citroen do, and the Partner makes a canny fist of minimising roll while keeping things lovely and comfy. It's got a high, van-like driving position and a big steering wheel, which exacerbates the feeling that, ultimately, you're rolling in something built fundamentally for cash and carry runs rather than school ones. That said, you might expect the Tepee to bounce down the motorway like a toddler on an inflatable slide, but it doesn't - it dampens bumps ok. Well, it bounces a little, but what can you expect?
Basically, the ride doesn't make you seasick (although my two-year-old son had a rare whitey in the back, but maybe that was coincidence?). It doesn't stand out as too soft either, and that's pretty much success in a car like this.
Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:
Our press car came in top whack 'Outdoor' spec (though there's no 'indoor' version, strangely) complete with about £1,500 worth of Bluetooth, parking sensors and removable rear seats (a rare oversight - they really should be standard and they're £280). That little lot raises the price to just over £17,000, which sounds quite a lot but, we think, still represents good value for a car so well equipped, big and functional. Again, it depends whether you buy into the whole 'cool because it's utilitarian and a bit stupid' thing as to whether you'll be seen dead in one, but few cars will give you this much for this little. There are, of course, notable rivals in the shape of the
Citroen Berlingo Multispace and perhaps even the
Fiat Qubo.
The range starts with a 1.6-litre petrol option, although that doesn't have enough torque and the economy is in the mid-thirties. Still, for around £13k there's a reasonably equipped, lower-powered diesel to be had, and that sort of dosh isn't to be sniffed at - that's the beauty/sin of these cars: all substance, no style. But, as we all know, style comes at a premium, a premium that in this case you don't have to pay.
Overall:
Don't get us wrong here, there are plenty of four-star cars (and some three-star ones) that every right-minded dude or dudette would take over the Partner Tepee without thinking. A Tepee will be, if we're honest, a most depressing motor for the one-car family. However, it's so brilliantly excellent at being transport for 2.4 children that it's difficult not to recommend. Because it's not blighted by the need to be 'stylish' or 'sporty' like many a people carrier (for goodness sake), it just gets on with being a superb car for the active family. Ideally, though, it'd be a second car alongside something far more fun for the weekends and things.