Should you buy one?

If you’re not fussed about the image you’re portraying to your neighbours and your priority is outright practicality from your family car, you could do a lot worse than the Peugeot Rifter.

The cabin is bright and airy with some nice touches found on Peugeot’s car range, such as the i-Cockpit set-up. The higher-output engines are punchy yet refined and it comes with a generous amount of standard equipment.

The Motability sector is predicted to account for the largest proportion of customers, but the firm aspires to attract more of the younger generation where a Rifter may fit into their lifestyles – hoping the rugged bumpers lend enough of an SUV-look to overcome the van-like profile.

The slight issue is, these rugged-looking higher-spec models are pricey and in SUV territory. Is the GT Line the one to get? If you want all the style and pace available on a Rifter, this top-spec GT Line BlueHDi 130 will be the one that ticks those boxes, but you’ll need to ask yourself what you value more: value or style.

The added looks may make or break that decision for you, but the extra practicality of the seats and additional storage spaces might need justifying considering the extra outlay over the Allure model below it. If you regularly have the Rifter at full capacity, this could make for a valid case, otherwise you may just be paying for features you won’t use.

The cheapest Rifter to buy and run will be the BlueHDi 75, with the best claimed fuel economy figures of almost 70mpg. The BlueHDi 100 engine isn’t far off this when it comes to potential running costs, so it could be worth upgrading to this version (if you can) thanks to the slight benefit in punch from the diesel engine.

The PureTech 110 may be well-suited to those spending the majority of their time in town, but if you plan on taking the Rifter on longer journeys on a regular basis, one of the diesels will be your best bet here. In particular, the BlueHDi 130 is smooth and punchy, while the EAT8 automatic makes light work of long journeys, too.

41