Last Updated: 11/08/08
A change of Partner
For the last three years Peugeot has sold more than 6,000 Partner vans in the UK each year, indeed in 2006 and 2007 the number has been around 6,700 vans. In total, since the Partner was launched in 1996, the company has found UK homes for more than 60,500 Partners.Replacing such a popular van was never going to be easy, and both Peugeot and PSA stablemate Citroen are retaining their previous vans alongside the new models for a time, albeit in fairly basic specification.
The new Partner is a big step forward though. More than a decade has passed since that original van arrived here and the requirements of van users have moved on. The basics remain the same of course, customers need a reasonably compact box in which to carry goods from point A to B. But their expectations of comfort, handling, performance and design have all raised.
Peugeot has upped its game too. The new Partner comes in a choice of two body lengths (L1 and L2) though they share the same wheelbase. At present you can only buy the L1 model, the longer van will be available later in the year.
There are S and SE trim levels and a choice of payloads - 625kg and 850kg on the L1 platform or 750kg on the L2 model. Interior volumes are 3.3cu m and 3.7cu m respectively, though you can raise those dimensions if you opt for the Multi-Flex passenger seat, which folds flat to extend the load area.
Indeed that should be Multi-Flex seats, as there is in fact space for two to travel alongside the driver, so long as they are not too big. Or you can travel two-up with an extended load length next to the passenger.
By folding the seat right down, internal volumes rise to 3.7cu m on the L1 van and 4.1cu m on the L2. Both versions get 1.22m between the wheel arches, so there is no problem getting a Euro pallet on board and there is up to 1.25m of load height available.
You can specify one or two side loading doors, along with the standard asymetric rear doors. That said, a single side door is an option on the S models, only becoming standard on the SE L1 van. Two doors are standard on L2 vans in both S and SE trim. A ladder frame behind the driver is also standard, or you can opt for a choice of half height or full height bulkheads, with removable or fixed mesh grilles instead.
That load area is pretty secure too,
with separate buttons to unlock the rear compartment on the key fob and a button on the fascia that will also lock the load bay. An alarm and deadlocking is optional, but even without the alarm the Partner achieves four stars from Thatcham in a security assessment, five with the alarm fitted.
Under the bonnet is PSA’s familiar 1.6 litre HDi engine, available in 75hp and 90hp tune. You can also specify a 90hp petrol engine if desired, but the majority will go for the diesels. The 75hp engine is only available with the lowest 625kg payload on the L1 chassis though, but if you can live with less payload and don’t need the power, you’ll save around £600 on the purchase.
Our test van was equipped with the more powerful 90hp engine, which offers up plenty of performance in the Partner. You only get five gears to play with, but they are well spaced and the van will run with the motorway crowd if the need arises. Peugeot claims that both diesel engines will provide the same 48.7mpg average, with reasonably low CO2 emission levels of 153g/km.
The standard S model gets electric windows, ABS brakes, a driver’s airbag, selective cab/load area locking, a radio/CD/ MP3, height adjustable driver’s seat and a passenger seat with a fold down armrest.
The main differences between S and SE, apart from the sliding side door, are electric heated door mirrors, a removable cargo area light, hard plastic floor covering in the cargo area, a lidded glove box and removable ashtray, the Multi-Flex passenger seat, different wheel trims and one-touch electric windows. SE trim adds £400 to the price.
The Partner is built on Peugeot’s 308 chassis, so car-like handling should be a given. Certainly the van drives very well, cornering relatively flat and being light and nimble through roundabouts and corners.
Around town the Partner offers excellent visibility, disc brakes all round provide reassuring stopping power and ABS, electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assist are all part of the standard package. ESP stability control is available as an option with all the engines, but to be honest it hardly seems necessary.
The revised cab is well thought out, with plenty of storage areas for a delivery driver to stow paperwork and lunch boxes. However there are two rather odd round storage cubbies, that echo the shape of the ventilation outlets above them, that are a bit of a waste of time. They are too small for water bottles and being tilted would certainly not hold a can, which leaves a few pens and pencils to rattle about in them. Far better is the wide, lidded storage box in front of the steering wheel and the deep glove box.
Drivers with the Multi-Flex seat can also drop the middle seat down flat to make a very useful table, with an elastic strap to stop paperwork sliding about. There is also a full width storage tray above the windscreen and a sliding drawer under the driver’s seat.
All well and good then. However, I do have one moan to make about the driving experience. As someone who is over six foot tall, I just can’t seem to find a really comfortable driving position in the Partner. The ladder frame behind the seat seems to stop the seat sliding fully back on its runners, leaving me slightly curled up in the front. I’ve tried a variety of Partners now and a few Berlingos, and they all seem to be the same.
Oddly, I find the smaller Bipper much more comfortable to drive long distances in, though that is even more the urban runabout. It may well just be me, but if you are taller, it might be worth trying a couple of bulkhead options before you buy.
The Partner certainly promises to be more comfortable on the wallet, with service intervals for the diesel engines set at 12,500 miles or two years, and a timing belt that doesn’t need to be changed for an incredible 150,000 miles.
Being car-based, and with a passenger carrying version in the line-up, there are of course a host of optional extras available, from air conditioning to parking sensors, Bluetooth to automatic lights and wipers.
As mentioned the Partner is a big step forward for Peugeot, and the company should easily match and exceed the sales numbers achieved over the last few years. The new van could never be quite the revolution that the original was over a decade ago, but the latest Partner represents a positive evolution.
