Peugeot Partner Van: Worth the Extra Money?

Peugeot Partner Van Review

I love a big van. There, I’ve said it. I said big, and although Peugeot Partner Van is cute and functional, it is very small. Does that mean it is no good? ON the contrary, it’s a peach.

Ok, small vans aren’t quite my thing, but that is not to say you can’t have a bunch of fun in one, one way or another. I like a big, bold, ballsy van with bags of space, but I can see scope here for conversion to a camper.

How could I use Peugeot Partner Van

Peugeot Partner Van is aimed at smart delivery drivers, those who value safety. Even so, who is to say a canny buyer couldn’t get a couple of chaps around to trick it out for camping? If you’re handy, you could make this a tiny home for the road. There is a bunch of safety gear on board, and that is always one of my prime boxes to tick.

Peugeot Partner Van can carry 1,000kg of load, but that’s going to include the fat passengers. In my case, fat and old, but hey ho.

Doors on both sides allow plenty of access (watch for my twin brother Bruce in the video). Rear doors are split 60/40. They open to 90°, but with the flick of a yellow tag, will then open to 180°. They close as normal, so no faffing about.

Other GayCarBoys SUV/VAN Stories:

What engines do Peugeot Partner Vans have?

There is a 1.6L 4cylinder turbo diesel, with a 5-speed manual. The 1.2L turbo petrol comes in either a 6sp manual or 8sp automatic. Outputs vary depending on engine

1.6L diesel: 68kw/230NM, 5.4L/100k, CO2 130g/km

1.2L Petrol: 81kw/205Nm, 6.8 L/100k, CO2 130g/km

1.2 auto: 96kw/230Nm, 7.3 L/100k, CO2 142g/km

The 8sp automatic is as smooth as a Bublé ballad, but is geared to carry weight, so is never going to feel super-sporty. This means it occasionally gets caught on the wrong cog. Like all turbo engines, you have to allow a socially acceptable amount of time for the turbo to spool up before anything really happens.

Paddle shifters, and a manual mode, make keeping Partner in the rev zone a little easier.

Above: This Week’s Car Review – 2020 Peugeot Party Van or Camper? GAY GLAMPING?

Top GayCarBoys Stories:

Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

ABOVE: 2020 Peugeot Partner Van: Worth the Extra Money? (Overseas Model Shown)

What’s Peugeot Partner Van’s cabin like?

Peugeot Partner Van’s cabin has the feel of its spiritual successors, including those from Citroën. It is basic without feeling bereft of modern comforts. The upright driving position is hard to get used to at first, but you quickly settle in. After a short while, the plucky little van is all fun.

Dials are laid out sensibly. With Peugeot Citroën, you half expect a certain amount of quirk, but they’d dialled that back a bit to keep it real. There are no strange levers in the glove box, and you don’t change gears by massaging an avocado. Peugeot is not pure quirk any more, and that’s all there is to it.

A rotary gear dial selects forward, backward and park, with a small lever for the electric parking brake. The latter activates when you park, whether you turn it on or not. That’s excellent for safety. The last thing you want is to be getting a load off, and your van takes you out in a solo hit and run.

Huge side mirrors give a great view along the side of the van. This is nicely complimented by a digital rearview camera in place of the rearview mirror. Solid read doors would make a conventional mirror useless. Sadly, it also means you won’t be using it for your lippy. Never fear, there is a mirror in the sun flap.

Peugeot is very thoughtful. It is channelling Piaf, as always, and that’s fine by me.

They say the air conditioning is “climate control” but it lacks a full automatic mode. The temperature is automatic, but the fan is manual.

Best of all, there are cubby holes galore. There are the usual suspects of course. A plethora of bins and spaces for bits and bobs, and there are cup holders too, HOORAH! Most useful are the overheads trays for paperwork. Don’t be tempted to put a laptop in it however. It may finish up on your noggin.

What Peugeot Partner Van like on the road?

The 1.2L engine is a cutie. It sounds more like a 3-cylinder bike than a car, and it isn’t as economical as you might think. 7.3L/100k is average, but one might expect oily-rag stuff going on. The trade-off is you want to plant your foot everywhere you go, so don’t be tempted. Drive more like a limo driver than Niki Lauder, and you’ll be fine.

Steering is very light. The calibration of the electric motor is tuned to comfort rather than firm sporty handling. I like that.

Ride is firm. Remember, Peugeot Partner Van is going to have up to 1,000kg of stuff on board. Like all Peugeots, Partner Van corners well. Even when you’re scraping the doorhandles, it never feels like it will let go. We tested on dry roads only, so the story may well be different when things get moist.

We confined our tests to a few local chores like a little light shopping. We moved a small sofa for a friend and dropped of a load of carboard off at recycling. Sure, all of that is well within the remit of Partner, but I proved it was easy in town, decent on freeways, and a doddle to park.

A few final thoughts.

I’m more of a small hatch lover than a small van lover, but I had fun in Peugeot Partner Van. It is as easy to drive as a small sedan or SUV. Price may put some off, and all I would say to that is, think about your safety.

Buyers tend to go for whatever is cheapest, and that’s great until you have a prang. Then you’ll wish you’d spent those few extra shekels.

Price: $30,990

Engine: 1.2L turbo Petrol 3 Cylinder

Econ: 7.3/10

CO2: 142g/km

TAGS:

Gay Peugeot, Peugeot Australia, Peugeot France, Gay peugeot Citroën, peugeot commercial van, peugeot camper, gay glamping, small van review

Share this: