Car: Peugeot Partner Tepee
Prices: £12,005-£16,145 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-4
Emissions: 150-195g/km
Performance: [1.6 HDi 110] 0-60 14.3s Max Speed 106mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.6 HDi 110] (combined) 50.4mpg
Safety: ABS, EBD, twin front side and curtain airbags
Dimensions: length/width/height 4380/1810/1800mm
PRACTICAL INTENTIONS
Our Rating: 6.3 / 10
Peugeot’s Partner Tepee can’t decide whether it’s a van or a car and that’s good news for families on a budget. Steve Walker reports.
Families seeking space, versatility and low costs from their next vehicle have a ready-made candidate in the Peugeot Partner Tepee. They’ll have to put up with sluggish performance and the odd jibe about driving a van with windows but on the price to practicality ratio, it’s a winner.
It still wouldn’t be strictly true to say that the stigma surrounding van-based passenger cars has gone but it certainly seems to be dissipating. Maybe this is down to the growing sophistication of modern commercial vehicles or perhaps the public has realised just how cost-effective and useful they can be when converted into people carrier form. Whatever the reason, van-based MPVs are no longer seen as a last resort for the over-fertile or cash-strapped and Peugeot hopes its Partner Tepee can benefit from this levelled playing field.
The Partner Tepee has a lot to thank its immediate predecessor for. The Peugeot Partner Combi along with its Citroen Berlingo Multispace sister vehicle and Renault’s Kangoo were the three musketeers that joined forces to combat the initial suspicion that UK buyers held for vans with windows passing themselves off as family-friendly MPVs. The idea of strapping your offspring into the back of something designed for parcels and plumbing equipment seemed a trifle unkind but we soon got used to the idea and the French threesome sold in big numbers. They spawned a gaggle of imitators in the process too and today, there are even purpose-built small MPV products that aim to capture the simple utility of the van-based originals. Peugeot’s Partner Tepee may have a tougher task than ever staying at the top but it’s certainly been equipped for the task, even offering buyers a useful 7-seat option pack for increased versatility.
The engine range is weighted three to two in favour of diesel, Peugeot obviously deeming 1.6-litres the optimum for the propelling the Partner Tepee as all five of its engines share that capacity. The oil-burners are the 1.6 HDi common-rail injection units that are found across the Peugeot line-up. They’re dependable and economical with a smooth power delivery but exactly how much power is delivered depends on your choice of HDi 75, HDi 90 or HDi 110. The smaller two units are self explanatory but the HDi 110 range-toppe
The Partner engine range lacks variety and how far buyers should bother to climb up it will depend on the kind of usage they intent to put their Tepee through. The entry level petrol and diesels will be quite adequate for the low mileage, school run and shopping trip routine that is the Partner’s stock in trade but the more powerful options are worth shelling out for if the vehicle is going to be regularly faced with long journeys, heavy loads or a family holiday entailing both. Whichever engine you choose, the Partner isn’t going to be fast, the 13.4s of the 1.6-litre petrol being its liveliest 0-60mph sprint time.
The Partner Tepee might be van-based but these days that’s something of a misnomer because the Partner van is car-based. If you think that sounds confusing, you’d be right but the fact is that the van shares its underpinnings with various Peugeot and Citroen passenger cars including the 308 family hatch. What all boils down to is that today’s Partner Tepee has a more advanced car-like suspension set-up and in general feels far less rough around the edges that the old model. Along with the rigidity in the suspension, a little of the cornering stability has gone but that’s a trade most will make for the enhanced ride quality and comfort.
The unique selling point of vehicles of this ilk has always been their ability to carry five passengers and a lot of luggage in a compact and nimble package. The Partner Tepee is now substantially larger than the vehicle it replaced and while some of the manoeuvrability may have ebbed away the space inside is bigger than ever – hence the opportunity for Peugeot to offer a 7-seat option pack. Legroom on the main back seat is fine for adults and positively luxurious for small children. The boot measures in at 574 litres which surpasses the luggage space in pricier compact MPVs like Citroen’s C4 Picasso and Ford’s C-MAX. Peugeot has also worked hard on the look and feel of the interior. The quality of the materials and of t
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