Peugeot’s new generation Expert panel van ticks all the right boxes

By Gerry Murphy

Substance matched with style and driver comforts are the ingredients that occupy the thoughts of vans designers as customer become more demanding these days. Long gone are the days when shifting a load was the primary concern. Nowadays a van must look good, offer the operator some of the luxuries that car buyers have been used to for years and function as a load carrier or work van too.

Peugeot’s new generation Expert panel van goes a long way to satisfying all three with a whole new look, a well-presented cabin, and the ability to carry loads from 1,000kg up to 1,400kg. It comes with a reduced height of 1.90m, in three lengths – Compact, Standard, and Long – and in two trim levels – Active and Professional.

Visually, compared to its sister products, the Citroen Dispatch and the Toyota Proace, I think the Peugeot has the edge in looks with its upright, aggressive front, prominent grille, an attractive lighting layout and the large front bumper being a show of strength and character.

Of course, the functionality of the van as a working vehicle remains hugely important. Load volumes of up to 6.6m3, payloads of up 1,400kg and a floor load length of up to four metres make it a very adaptable van in the segment. The Standard and Long versions, at 4.95m and 5.30m, are designed for the core market.

The Compact 4.60m version, unique in the segment, allows loads of up to 5.1cubic metres and 1400kg, with a useful length of 3.32m. Its reduced dimensions and overhang offer great manoeuvrability, which will prove particularly popular with professionals working in urban areas on a daily basis.

Standard equipment on the New Expert Active range includes; twin side sliding doors, twin panel rear doors, full steel bulkhead, 16” wheels, ESP, central locking with deadlocks, driver and passenger airbags, driver’s seat height and rake and reach adjustment, lumbar adjustment and armrest, dual passenger seat with under seat storage, cruise control with variable speed limiter, front electric windows, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, full size spare wheel, DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB and audio jack, LED daytime running lights, and 3 x 12 volt sockets between the cabin and the load area.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.