Peugeot Partner

Peugeot Partner

OVERVIEW
Coinciding with the launch of the new Expert van, Peugeot has released the smaller Partner model to fill out the light commercial vehicle range for the French importer.

The Partner has been a long time coming. Peugeot brought in a couple of vehicles for evaluation some years ago, but decided to hold off introducing the vehicle until the latest model was available and the launch could be timed in conjunction with the Expert's local release.

It's a sign of the relative importance to Peugeot, both here and abroad, that the Partner arrives in Australia just four months after its international launch in Europe. In fact, Australia is the first RHD market outside Europe to see the new LCV. Australian-delivered cars are built in Spain and will be sold here in two different lengths, as is the case for the forthcoming Berlingo.

Peugeot expects to sell just 200 units of the Partner for the remainder of this year and has set what we expect is a conservative forecast of 425 units for 2009.

Peugeot's model range actually works its way up from the base price, with the 55kW diesel Partner priced at $23,490, the 66kW diesel model priced at $24,490 and the long-body model with the 66kW engine priced at $25,490 -- so there'll be virtually no clash with the Citroen twin.

Standard features for all variants include: Driver's airbag, ABS/EBD, Brake Assist, central locking, speed-sensitive power steering, cruise control with speed-limiter, intermittent wipers, electric windows, air conditioning, trip computer and CD audio system with remote (steering wheel) controls.

Among the options Peugeot lists for the Partner, there's metallic paint ($500), stability control ($450), reverse-parking assist ($425), Multiflex seating ($380), dual sliding doors ($950 for the L1 variants, but standard for the long L2) and a passenger-side front airbag ($250).

Depending on the application, the diesel engine develops 55kW of power or 66kW of power. For the lower-powered version, which is only available in the short-body ('L1') Partner, peak power occurs at 4000rpm and 185Nm of torque is produced at 1750rpm.

Either the short or long-body Partner ('L1' and 'L2') can be specified with the 66kW engine, also developing its peak power at 4000rpm and producing 215Nm of torque at 1750rpm. All engines (petrol and diesel) meet the existing Euro IV emissions standard. Fuel consumption -- based on the ADR81/01 combined cycle test -- is 8.2L/100km for the petrol Partner and 5.8 for the diesel models.

A five-speed manual transmission is the only type available in the Partner range.  There's no automatic option for the Peugeot, which must be troubling for the French importer, when light vans like the Partner do so much urban running. The manual box drives to the front wheels, which are suspended by a MacPherson strut system and are braked by ventilated discs. At the rear, the vehicle rides on a torsion beam suspension system and the braking is handled by solid discs.

As mentioned below -- under PACKAGING -- the two different body lengths are built on the same wheelbase, so the turning circle is the same for L1 and L2 Partner variants.

Width between the wheelarches is 1.2 metres for the Partner, so standard-sized pallets will fit and the small van will carry payloads up to 750kg for the L2 or 850kg for the L1 Partner.
 
As already noted in the PRICE AND EQUIPMENT section above, dual sliding doors are an option for the L1 Partner variants and standard for the L2 long-body model.

On the subject of options that might appeal to a commercial vehicle operator, the Multiflex seat option allows the Partner to carry two passengers in addition to the driver, with the flexibility to fold the passengers' seats out of the way and extend the load length further.

As for the larger Expert, alighting from the Partner is easy, due to the seat height and ground clearance combining for genteel access.

The cockpit layout is excellent, notwithstanding the footrest sitting too far aft of the firewall and leaving the knee raised in a slightly awkward position. 
 
Overall, the instruments were easy to read and there was plenty of 'margin' within the confines of the steering wheel rim for ease of instrument legibility. The dash and centre fascia wrapped around the driver for easy reach, but without the driver feeling claustrophobic as a result.

Trim and materials appeared to be hard-wearing and if the seats weren't quite as comfortable as those in the Expert; they were appropriate for quickly entering and leaving -- as courier drivers are wont to do. There's a bin in the top of the dash, ahead of the steering wheel.

Prospective buyers will argue the need for a passenger airbag in a vehicle that, as likely as not, won't be carrying anyone other than the driver, so we're in two minds about Peugeot's decision not to specify the vehicle with an airbag on the left. Ultimately though, it's better to be safe than sorry, in our view.

The front passenger airbag is available as an option however, as is the stability control system and traction control. Lack of a standard airbag for a front-seat passenger in a commercial vehicle might almost be excusable, but not so the lack of standard stability control or traction control. At least ABS and EBD are standard.

Spelling out where Peugeot's safety priorities lie, the Partner is engineered with reinforced B and C pillars, plus a hefty beam in the rear, complemented by a deformable structure to protect the occupants from rear-end shunts. All seatbelts are the three-point type (lap/sash) and the Partner is equipped with a seatbelt reminder for the driver's seat -- not the passengers' seats, we note.
 

What the next Berlingo will bring to this party is not certain, but the current model offers the high-spec Partner's 66kW diesel engine for the same price as the base model petrol Partner.

As per the SAFETY section, the Renault Kangoo undercuts the Partner on price -- and is available with an automatic transmission option also. The Renault's turning circle is tighter, but the rear brakes are drums, not the discs fitted to the Partner -- and its payload is a long way shy of the Peugeot's (at least 200kg less).

If there's one other vehicle in the market of a type similar to the Partner, it's Volkswagen's Caddy. This is the vehicle most likely to provide the strongest competition for the Peugeot. The Volkswagen brand is well regarded and well known to commercial vehicle operators in the market -- and the entry-level Caddy starts out at the same price as the Partner, $21,990, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that produces a healthy 75kW of power.

Bear in mind though, that the front passenger's airbag in the Caddy is an option also. Furthermore, whilst the Caddy has the wood on the Partner for power and torque, it comes at some cost, once you get beyond the entry-level models. The Partner will carry larger volumes than the Caddy and the passenger airbag and stability control options are cheaper in the case of the Partner.

If you're looking for a wildcard entry in this pack, there's also the Suzuki APV -- a substantially cheaper vehicle that will tote a similar weight and use less fuel than the petrol Partner.

The gearshift in the Partner was sloppy and vague; not quite as badly so as in the Expert and owners will get used to it, but the shift quality is almost enough of itself to warrant automatic variants -- something not yet on Peugeot's agenda.

As with the Expert, NVH was not the Partner's strong suit. In the case of the smaller vehicle, the NVH manifests itself more as a booming quality, rather than the general amalgam of wind and road noise in the Expert.

The ride is quite firm; especially the load-bearing axle in the rear, but handling and steering were generally car-like in the high winds experienced during the drive program and certainly preferable to the Expert's general demeanour. Chances are that the Partner would be better mannered with a load of some sort in the rear, but it's a commercial vehicle however you cut it.

Where the Partner picks up its game lies more with its comfort and practicality, which we've covered in the PACKAGING section of this report.

Choosing the right small van for your business has thus become just a little harder with the introduction of the Partner -- a vehicle that is not what you'd call a grand driving experience, but it's certainly competitive as a goods-carrying vehicle.

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