Whichever of the Peugeot Partner’s various configurations you choose, though most popular with users is the standard panel van and it’s a very sound choice for urban delivery duties. The chassis has much in common with the Peugeot 308 family hatch, so a supple ride is a given. For some users, the suspension might be just a little too squishy, especially if you intend to make full use of the Partner’s maximum payload.
However, the soft ride means lighter loads get a very cushy ride and it’s the ideal van for transporting delicate items that don’t take kindly to be bashed around. This also means the van’s occupants are well looked after over rough roads. If you need to travel further in unmade lanes, Peugeot offers its ATV model that has Grip Control. This delivers much of the ability of an all-wheel drive van but without the expense of a 4x4 system to permanently haul around.
The ATV model works with raised suspension to give greater ground clearance, additional underbody protection to keep it safe from stray rocks and chunkier tyres to give more grip. There is also a limited slip differential to keep the front wheels turning when other vans’ would be slithering to a halt.
Given the softer suspension than many rivals, you might reckon the Peugeot Partner will lean like a galleon at full sail. This is not the case and the Partner keeps body control in very good check, which means you can make use of its good cornering grip to make able progress on twistier roads. It’s also stable on the motorway in side winds.
Around town, the Partner’s size is not an issue thanks to its tight turning circle and light steering. The clutch and throttle pedals are also light in their action, which keeps fatigue at bay during long days in traffic congestion. On more open roads, the Partner’s cab is decently quiet and free from wind and road noise.
The choice of 75PS and 92PS HDi turbodiesels engines gives users a reasonable spread to pick from. Unsurprisingly, the 75PS engine is best suited to town driving and picks up cleanly from idle to work through the five-speed manual gearbox. It’s a happy combination for urban use, but on faster stretches of road the 75PS engine feels short on puff.
For this reason, the 92PS 1.6 HDi is the better all-round bet. It’s offered with the ATV version or with Peugeot's semi-auto EGC (electronic gear control) transmission that does away with the clutch pedal and entrusts clutch work to electro-hydraulics.
This is one of the Partner’s few weak spots as the EGC gearbox is slow-witted and lurches form one gear to the next, even when the driver times easing off the throttle to perfection. Unless you absolutely need an automatic gearbox, stick with the standard manual transmission for a far more pleasant experience in the Partner.
Much easier to get used to is the Stop & Start available with the 92PS engine. It saves fuel and lowers emissions to as little as 129g/km, which isn’t as low as the EGC’s 123g/km, but we’d live with the small increase for the added enjoyment of the manual gearbox.