Peugeot Partner 2023 review: Premium - GVM test

Our test vehicle, to use its full name, is the Peugeot Partner Premium Short Auto which translates as follows: ‘Premium’ is the more upmarket of two model grades, positioned above the more work-focused Pro version. ‘Short’ describes its wheelbase in comparison to the long wheelbase variant and ‘Auto’ points to its eight-speed torque converter automatic, which is paired with a 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. List price is $38,096 plus on-roads.

The Premium brings 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/60 R16 Michelin tyres and a full-size steel spare, body-coloured door mirrors, handles, side mouldings, door rails and rear bumper, keyless entry with push-button start and a leather steering wheel.

And that’s in addition to plenty of useful standard kit shared with the Pro including height and reach-adjustable steering column, electronic parking brake, cruise control, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, guide-me-home lighting, rain-sensing wipers and an infotainment system with 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and USB. There’s also benchmark safety headlined by AEB and lots of places to store stuff.

With a 2785mm wheelbase and 4403mm overall length, this compact front wheel-driver rides on MacPherson strut front suspension, coil-spring trailing-arm rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering. Turning circle is 10.8 metres and with a height of 1880mm it will easily access underground or multi-storey carparks.

The cabin is separated from the cargo bay by a steel bulkhead which doubles as a cargo barrier. The cabin has a spacious feel, with a fabric-trimmed driver’s seat offering six-way manual adjustment including lumbar support alongside a bench seat that can accommodate two passengers. The central contour of the dashboard which houses the gear selector dial protrudes into the cabin space, but there’s still adequate kneeroom in the centre seat even for tall passengers.

Although the top of the oval-shaped steering wheel sits below the instrument display to provide a clear view, the cruise control and light stalks on the steering column are completely hidden behind the wheel and must be operated purely by feel. Combined with the paddle-shifters, these controls look rather cluttered and would be easier to see and use with better positioning.

This small but big-hearted 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which meets tough Euro 6.3 emission standards, uses direct injection and intercooled turbocharging to produce a healthy 96kW at 5500rpm and 230Nm of torque at 1750rpm on 95 RON fuel. It also has a default automatic stop/start function which can be switched off.  This engine is paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic which offers a fuel-saving Eco mode and the option of manual shifting using sporty steering wheel paddle-shifters.

Peugeot claims a combined figure of 5.9L/100km and the dash display was showing 8.1 at the end of our 351km test, of which about one third was carrying its maximum payload. When we stopped to top up, our figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings came in at 6.8L/100km or about halfway between the official and dash display figures.

We only used the performance-dulling Eco mode once for a short time (who needs Eco with this economy?) and the stop/start function was always switched off. So, based on our figure, you could expect an excellent real world driving range of just under 900km from its 60-litre tank.

With its 1320kg kerb weight and 2320kg GVM, the Partner Premium has a robust 1000kg payload rating and up to 120kg of that can be carried on the roof using Peugeot genuine accessory racks. Even though most buyers would probably never need to carry such heavy loads, it’s nice to know this little van is a genuine one-tonner if need be.

It’s also rated to tow up to 900kg of braked trailer but as Peugeot does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) rating for this vehicle class, we can’t tell you how much it can legally carry when towing 900kg. Again, probably not a big issue given typical small van use.

The centre seat backrest folds forward to reveal a work desk that can slide and pivot for optimum working comfort. (image: Mark Oastler)

Part of the load floor length can be extended to 3090mm thanks to a large flap in the lower left of the cabin bulkhead. (image: Mark Oastler)

The cargo bay has no windows in the walls or doors which are all lined to mid-height. The cargo bay is accessed through sliding doors on each side and rear barn-doors with 180-degrees opening for forklift access. It allows for loads of up to 1817mm in length, 1527mm width and 1243mm height and with 1229mm between the rear wheel housings, it can carry either one standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallet or two 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets. There are six floor-mounted load anchorage points and a single light.

Part of the load floor length can be extended to 3090mm thanks to a large flap in the lower left of the cabin bulkhead, which when opened (and with the outer passenger seat folded forward) allows items more than 3.0 metres long to be slid through and safely transported. This handy feature expands the cargo bay’s load volume from 3.3 (flap closed) to 3.8 cubic metres.

There’s also thoughtful design evident in cabin storage and ease of use, starting with surprisingly large bins in the base of each door which can each hold up to three large bottles. There’s also a cup-holder at each end of the dash-pad, full-width overhead shelves and numerous places in the dash to store small items even though there’s no glovebox.

The centre seat backrest folds forward to reveal a handy work desk that can slide forward and pivot left or right to an angle of about 45 degrees for optimum working comfort. Lifting the centre seat’s base cushion also reveals a deep storage bin beneath it, so there’s clever use of space here.

It’s easy to achieve a comfortable driving position with the seat and steering wheel adjustments plus good lateral seating support. However, the driver’s seat base cushion feels too short for tall drivers and has no rake adjustment. Fortunately, there’s a sizeable left footrest to help counter this.

The sporty oval-shaped steering wheel, which looks like something out of an F1 car, is nice to use and provides a clear view of the instrument display. The steering feel is direct and nicely weighted with minimal turns required from lock to lock.

The supple ride quality and agile handling is excellent for an unladen one-tonne commercial and feels like you’re driving a small car rather than a van. The cabin is quiet and the engine is so refined that you sometimes need to look at the tachometer needle to confirm that it’s idling.

In non-Eco mode, it has energetic response with plenty of torque on tap either side of its peak figure, making light work of zipping through heavy traffic and accessing narrow streets and laneways in city and suburban driving. It’s also effortless at highway speeds, requiring only 2000rpm to maintain 100km/h and barely 2100rpm at 110km/h with negligible engine, tyre and wind noise.

The reversing camera works well but the left-hand door mirror provides only adequate kerbside vision. Given that cargo bay’s solid walls completely block the driver’s view over his or her left shoulder, the absence of blind-spot monitoring is a glaring safety omission.

We strapped 890kg into the cargo bay which with driver equalled a payload just under its 1000kg limit. The coil-spring rear suspension compressed 60mm, which was enough to engage the second stage of load support provided by long rubber cones mounted inside the coils.

Although firmer, there was not a significant change in ride quality. It maintained good acceleration and handling in city and suburban traffic and was equally impressive on the highway. It also performed with astounding ease on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb, self-shifting down to fourth gear and 2500rpm to easily haul this one-tonne payload to the summit with minimal pressure on the accelerator pedal.