Peugeot Partner Tepee

The Partner Tepee Outdoor is a practical, comfortable and well equipped MPV, but the interior design and finish can’t mask its commercial roots. The cabin simply looks too dated when compared with those of more modern rivals. It has a huge boot that can be made even bigger by removing the rear seats completely. But while there are reasons to consider a Tepee, have a look at normal crossovers or MPVs before you take the plunge.

The Peugeot Partner Tepee has been given a facelift to help it compete with van-based rivals like the Fiat Doblo.

The Tepee Outdoor is the range-topping Partner model and features Peugeot’s softer, new-look face. There’s still no hiding the fact that it’s been developed from a commercial vehicle, but the new LED daytime running lights and sculpted front bumper make it look more car-like than ever.

There’s a nice high driving position and huge amounts of space, but much of the interior design does look a little cheap and dated, despite pleasing touches like chrome-rimmed air vents. Still, up-to-date kit is available, including a Bluetooth and satellite navigation package that costs a reasonable £750. Driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags are included as standard as well.

The driving experience is more impressive than the boxy, van-like shape suggests, mainly because the Partner is based on the Peugeot 308 hatch’s platform. The 112bhp e-HDi 1.6-litre diesel is quiet at idle and offers smooth acceleration. It’s not all that fast, though, with 0-62mph taking 12.1 seconds. Fuel economy is 53.2mpg and it emits 139g/km of CO2.

There is a fair amount of body roll, but the suspension soaks up the worst of rough roads and settles quickly over large bumps. Potholes, however, send a jarring thud through the cabin.

On the plus side, sliding doors on each side provide easy access from the pavement, while there’s a low and wide boot opening, so it’s easy to load heavy and bulky items into the 675-litre boot. There’s easily room for three adults in the rear seats, plus they fold separately to provide 1,350 litres of space. They don’t fold entirely flat, but are removable, increasing the load area to a huge 3,000 litres.

The Partner Tepee is practical, sensible and offers a lot for its £16,795 price tag. But despite its charms, it can’t match the well rounded driving experiences and quality interiors of more traditional rivals like the Skoda Roomster or Vauxhall Meriva.