Last Updated: 09/07/08
Hot in the city
In these days where a van range brochure reads like a volume of War and Peace, it is perhaps refreshing to find a vehicle with a relatively short list of options. Peugeot’s Bipper is a case in point, available in one load volume of 2.5cu m, with one payload of 610kg and a simple choice of one diesel or one petrol engine, which let’s face it for most of us means just the diesel motor.There are of course other options that can be ticked, for instance the diesel engine can be had with a five-speed manual gearbox or the 2-tronic automated manual. In simple terms the diesel costs £800 more than the petrol and the 2-tronic transmission adds a further £400 to that.
Trim levels are also fairly easy to understand. The basic S model gets ABS brakes, a driver’s airbag, an MP3 compatible CD/radio and a driver’s side ladder frame protector. Power steering is also standard.
The other choice is the S with Plus Pack trim level, which adds one touch electric windows, electric heated door mirrors, remote central locking with separate cab and cargo area locks, deadlocks and automatic door locking over 12mph. That little lot together will set you back £360.
However Peugeot recognises that not everyone is the same, and also offers a choice of an airbag pack, a Bluetooth pack, a comfort pack and a tough pack, along with all of the options that can be individually specified.
I only mention this because our Bipper arrived in basic S format, boasting the 68hp diesel engine and a conventional manual gearbox. Stop there and you are looking at £8,795 plus the VAT and on-the-road costs. Not bad for a compact urban runabout you might say.
However Peugeot had added a few options to our test van prior to delivery. These include that eye watering paint job, at £293.75. We also have the Bluetooth pack at £440 plus VAT, which rather oddly includes one touch electric windows, heated mirrors and remote central locking.
Our van also has the comfort pack fitted, that’s driver’s seat height adjustment, rake and reach adjust on the steering column, a lid on the glovebox and an integrated clipboard on the dash. Total cost to you sir, £120 plus tax.
We have roof bars at £80, front fog lights at £80, a cargo area floor covering for £30, rear parking aids at £170 and a fixed bulkhead for £90. All of which puts our low cost runabout at around £10,098, plus the VAT of course and those delivery charges. Suddenly that low cost delivery option is not looking quite so low cost after all.
Of course you can do the same thing with any van, and few fleet managers are going to be ticking quite as many option boxes, but as an exercise it shows that it is easy to add 15-20 per cent to the cost of even the most basic of vans, and that’s without opting for expensive things like sat-nav or air-con.
The additions to our Bipper do add to the driving experience, making the van more comfortable and easier to use. But none of them is essential and the van remains a highly competent urban delivery tool without any of them.
With a kerb weight of just over 1 tonne the diesel engine has more than enough power to push the little van along briskly, though it is no hot rod. Along with the 68hp you get 160Nm of torque, which with the Bipper’s relatively low gearing means that it is easy to stay with fast moving urban traffic.
If you want to travel regularly between towns however, the Bipper is not much of a motorway companion. It’s quiet and comfortable enough, but soon runs out of puff at higher speeds.
That’s not what this van is intended for though, it is far more at home in the cut and thrust of town driving and it is there, where it’s light positive steering and easy gearchange make the Bipper a delight to weave between roundabouts.
The van is a doddle to park, made all the easier with those reversing beepers that adorn the rear bumper of our demo vehicle. To be honest though, even with unglazed rear doors, the van is so short at just 3,864mm that it can easily be parked between cars.
As mentioned our test van had a full steel bulkhead. Despite that it was possible for a six footer to get the driver’s seat far enough back to be comfortable. Passengers reported a comfortable ride too, although the Multi Flex seat, which can be made to fold flat to boost cargo capacity, is not going to be available until later in the year. Having tried the folding seat on the French launch, I can report that passengers will not be so pleased if you tick that particular box.
At the back of the Bipper you get the obligatory asymmetric split rear doors, which can be released to open up to a full 180 degrees. That compact body really is a box on wheels, with a load length of 1,523mm, a maximum width of 1,473 and an internal height of 1,181mm.
The space is easy to access, with a floor height of just 527mm, making it easy to lift even the heaviest parcels or electrical appliances into the back. As a city delivery van for smaller loads the Bipper’s design is just about spot on.
It should be pretty cheap to run too, with an insurance group of just 3A-T2 and claimed average fuel consumption of around 62mpg. Service intervals are set at 20,000 miles or two years, and the van comes with a three year/60,000 mile warranty plus one year’s Peugeot Assistance.
If you are looking for a compact urban delivery vehicle the Peugeot Bipper, or for that matter its Citroen or Fiat cousins, has got to be worth a test drive. There are also some attractive finance deals on the firm’s website at present, further reducing the price on the road. Just be careful when it comes to ticking those option boxes.
