Small vans are making a comeback into the New Zealand fleet thanks to their compact size and versatility. Recognising this trend, Peugeot importer, Sime Darby Automobiles New Zealand brought in two Partner Vans for market evaluation just prior to Christmas. We managed to borrow the longer L2 model for our Cover Story, because we felt this vehicle will meet the needs of many of our readers. There are two models available, the standard length Van (L1) of 4380mm and the long length Van (L2) of 4628mm. Under the bonnet both versions share a lusty yet quiet 66 kilowatt 1.6 litre HDi turbo diesel engine mated to a slick shifting five speed gear box. The Partner L1 offers up to 3.3 cubic metres of load space and 850 kg of payload while the Partner L2 as pictured offers 3.7 cubic metres of load space but a lesser payload of 750kg. With Peugeots new Multi Flex front seats fitted the L1 has up to 3.7 cubic metres of load space and the L2 a whopping 4.1 cubic metres. The L2 gets two side opening doors as a standard fit and our vehicle also came equipped with rear electronic parking assistance, air conditioning, remote audio controls, cruise control and dual airbags. The cargo doors lock automatically once the vehicle is in motion so you must remember to unlock them when stopping at your next destination. The key fob will also lock and unlock the front and cargo doors separately, which is a very good security feature for tradesmen with valuable tools or couriers with valuable cargo. A great deal of clever design has gone into the interior of this van to make it a user friendly companion. There is seating for three people up front, and despite the dash mounted gear stick, a second passenger will fit quite comfortably by simply moving their legs slightly to the left.
This however could get a bit tricky if a carrier bag is hung on the “curry” hook attached to the centre console. Should the second passenger seat not be occupied, then the seat back can be flipped down to create a flat surface for the driver to use as a writing pad. |
Thanks to the multi flex arrangement the outer seat can fold flat into to the floor to accommodate longer loads up to 3.25m in length because the lower bulkhead panel can be flipped down allowing ladders or the like to be safely stowed. Also the bottom squab of the outer passenger seat can be folded up so that tall objects such as pot plants can be ferried about in the cabin. This is one very cleverly designed vehicle which will please all drivers. Other amenities in the cabin include twin cup and bottle holders, a twin shelf glove box, a map pocket in the dash in front of the passengers, ceiling shelves above the driver and passengers and another lidded compartment behind the instrument binnacle where the driver can hide his (or her) wallet and other valuables. Because of the 1.23m clearance between the rear wheel arches a standard pallet can be loaded into the Partner and the rear barn doors open fully to 180 degrees to allow easy access for a forklift operator to do this. On the road the Partner L2 displayed the normal nimble road manners you would expect from a Peugeot, thanks to its McPherson strut front suspension and coil sprung rear suspension with an anti-roll bar providing a comfortable ride on all surfaces. Like many other vans we have driven, there is a bit of road noise which echoes through the rear cargo area cabin when the Partner is not laden, but fill it up with boxes or other cargo and that noise disappears instantly. We wonder if some hardboard panelling would fix that problem as well as protect the paint work from being scratched and damaged. The turning circle is a very commendable 11 metres and getting the longer L2 in and out of loading zones didn’t prove too difficult apart from the blind spots created by the lack of side glazing. We would recommend people go for the option of glass for the rear ¾ if they can or fit some additional convex mirrors. Four wheel disc brakes are fitted to the Partner as standard, so too is ABS braking with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution. ESP or electronic stability program will be fitted as standard to all New Zealand bound Partners as will ASR traction control. Prices and specification will be finalised in the first quarter of 2009.
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