The new Peugeot Partner van has made its world debut in public at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicles show, where it was also awarded the International Van of the Year award 2019, alongside its Citroen Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo siblings.
Keep reading for full details of this new small van and to see pictures from the IAA show and a full breakdown of pricing. We’ll bring you the first review of the 2018 Peugeot Partner in October.
What makes the 2018 Peugeot Partner different?
The major difference between the 2018 Peugeot Partner small van and its closely related Citroen Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo cousins – which are both also new for this year – isn’t on the outside.
While the Partner certainly does have a distinctive Peugeot look to its front end styling, it’s behind the wheel inside the cab that you’ll find the most significant changes. For the new Partner represents the first time Peugeot has ever deployed its iCockpit interior design on a van.
And since the iCockpit is a bit of a love it or hate it kind of deal, the cab really could be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing between these three otherwise extremely similar vans.
What’s the fuss about the Peugeot Partner’s iCockpit cab interior?
If you’re familiar with any of Peugeot’s recent cars, you’ll already know what iCockpit is. But the fundamental elements are an unusual high-set instrument and a tiny, oddly shaped steering wheel.
As you can imagine, this requires a touch of adjustment to your usual driving position.
If you’re prepared to make that adjustment, it all works rather well – the small wheel generally makes driving feel more direct, while the high-set instruments help you keep your eyes on the road. But it isn’t for everyone, and many may prefer the more conventional interiors of the Berlingo and Combo.
Or that of the soon-to-be-upgraded Ford Transit Connect rival, for that matter.
However, what may help sway you is that Peugeot is promising material quality that exactly matches that of the car version – which is now named Rifter rather than Partner Tepee.
So if you like your vans fancy inside, it’s surely going to be worth a look. And that’s before you consider all the new technology that’s also available.
As with the Citroen, 113 litres of storage space is available inside the cab, too.
Does the 2018 Peugeot Partner get an Overload Alert?
Looking beyond the iCockpit, the Partner benefits from all the new design and technology juice that’s also served up for the Berlingo and Combo.
The headline features are undoubtedly therefore the Overload Alert – which automatically warns you if you’ve exceeded the van’s payload rating – and the Surround Rear Vision system.
Surround Rear Vision combines a rear-facing camera that functions as a virtual rear-view mirror and a second camera under the passenger door mirror to eliminate the blindspot on that side of the vehicle.
Both pieces of technology are firsts for the van sector (though also available on the Combo and Berlingo, as you’d imagine).
What other high-tech features does the 2018 Peugeot Partner have?
Further technological highlights include:
- Electric parking brake
- Adaptive cruise control
- Extended traffic sign recognition
- Active Lane Keeping Assist
- Driver attention warning
- Active Safety Brake autonomous emergency braking
- Trailer stabilisation
- Automatic high-beam assist
- Visopark 180-degree parking camera
- Blindspot monitors
- Keyless entry and go
- SOS emergency button
Most of these items will be optional.
As for infotainment, this is powered by an 8.0-inch touchscreen, and includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and optional sat-nav with TomTom Traffic alerts.
In addition, Peugeot is offering a Monitoring Pack for maintenance alerts and a Tracking Pack that can geo-locate the vehicle and help the police pin-point it in case of theft.
Three further packs are aimed at fleet managers:
- Connect Fleet Management Pack – covering mileage, hours of use, fuel consumption and cost, real-time service intervals
- Eco-drive Pack – for delivering tailored fuel economy advice to drivers
- Geolocation Pack – real-time vehicle tracking, including routes taken and vehicle downtime, plus geofencing with alerts so you can find out when a vehicle enters or leaves a particular area
What bodystyles and variants are available on the 2018 Peugeot Partner?
The Partner panel van comes in short-wheelbase (SWB) Standard and long-wheelbase (LWB) Long variants, both of which can carry up to three people where the Multifex front passenger seat is fitted.
A crew cab version of the Long model is also available (for the first time from Peugeot), and can carry up to five.
Alongside what’s described as a standard trim level, Peugeot is also offering Professional, Grip and Asphalt variants of the Partner, which align with the Enterprise, Worker and Driver versions of the 2018 Berlingo.
The basic Peugeot Partner is known simply as the ‘S‘ model, and comes with the following kit:
- Full bulkhead
- Hill start assist
- Remote central locking with separate locking for the cab
- Electric windows and door mirrors
- Auto lights with Daytime Running Lights
- DAB digital radio
- Bluetooth, USB and audio sockets
- 12V socket in dash area
- Peugeot’s Connect SOS system
- Unglazed asymmetric rear doors
- Nearside sliding door (L1 model only)
- Twin sliding side door (L2 model only)
The Peugeot Partner Grip gets everything that the S comes with, plus the following:
- Higher ground clearance (+30mm)
- 16-inch wheels with mud and snow tyres
- Advanced Grip Control traction control system with specific settings for slippery surfaces
- Driver’s seat with armrest and lumbar support
- Multi-Flex folding passenger seat with load-through bulkhead
- Plastic-coated floorpan for extra under-body protection
- Payload uprated to 1,000kg (max)
- Four mid-height lashing rings
- Extra load-area LED lighting
- Overload indicator
- Tyre pressure monitor
- Front fog lights with cornering function
The Peugeot Partner Professional comes with everything on the S, and adds the following:
- Air conditioning
- Rear parking sensors
- Speed limiter and cruise control
- Electronic parking brake
- Alarm
- One-touch electric windows and heated electric folding door mirrors
- Tyre pressure monitor
- Driver’s seat with armrest and lumbar support
- Multi-Flex folding passenger seat with load-through bulkhead
- Steering wheel infotainment controls
- 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink
- Hard plastic flooring in load bay
- 15-inch wheel trims (650 models)
- 16-inch wheel trims (950 and 1000 models)
- Front fog lights with cornering function
The top-of-the-range Peugeot Partner Asphalt gets all this and more, with the following added to the list of kit that comes on the Professional:
- Increased soundproofing for quieter long-distance travel
- ‘Comfort’ driver’s seats
- Surround Rear Vision camera system
- Front parking sensors
- Satellite navigation
- Automatic wipers
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Body-coloured bumpers and exterior details
It may be worth noting that Peugeot claims the extra sound-proofing will make the Partner quieter inside than any other small van (except, presumably, the Berlingo and Combo).
There will of course be more options available, and Peugeot is already working on conversions with various partner companies.
Is the 2018 Peugeot Partner the same size as the Citroen Berlingo and Vauxhall Combo?
In a nutshell, yes. And like those other vans, it’s based on a mixture of new EMP2 platform at the front and previous Partner van at the back – the EMP2 bits helping to reduce weight and improve the turning circle while adding electric power steering in place of the old hydraulic system.
The basic exterior dimensions are as follows:
- Exterior length: 4,400mm Standard / 4,750mm Long
- Exterior height: 1,850mm Standard / 1,850mm Long Grip
- Exterior width: 2,100mm (with door mirrors)
Any load area dimensions for the 2018 Peugeot Partner yet?
These too match the Combo and Berlingo:
- Load length: 1,810mm Standard / 2,160mm Long
- Width between the wheelarches: 1,230mm
- Load volume: 3.3 cubic metres Standard / 3.9 cubic Long
- Load volume with Multiflex passenger seat: 3.8 cubic metres / 4.4 cubic metres
- Maximum payload: 1,000kg Standard / 950kg Long
The Multiflex seat folds down to enable longer items to be loaded (hence the increase in load volume) – up to 3,000mm in length in the Standard model, and 3,350mm in the Long model. As the outer front seat folds independently of the middle seat, you can still carry two people, too.
If that’s still not going to be enough room there’s an optional roof hatch as well.
Less heavy-duty models will have a payload around 650kg, while fuel-economy focused models may see that fall further to 600kg.
What engines are available in the 2018 Peugeot Partner?
You get a choice between 1.2-litre PureTech turbo petrol engines and 1.5-litre BlueHDi turbodiesels (though we understand some older 1.6-litre diesels may be offered initially as well).
Peugeot Partner 2018 petrol engines:
- 110hp with stop-start and six-speed manual gearbox
- 130hp with stop-start and eight-speed automatic transmission (from the second half of 2019)
Peugeot Partner 2018 diesel engines:
- 75hp with five-speed manual gearbox
- 100hp with stop-start and five-speed manual gearbox
- 130hp with stop-start and six-speed manual or eight-speed auto transmission
The diesel engines do not require AdBlue to meet the latest emissions standards, apparently.
What’s the price of the 2018 Peugeot Partner and when does it go on sale?
It’s probably not a major surprise that the Peugeot Partner’s pricelist looks a lot like the one for the Citroen Berlingo – in fact the two are priced identically throughout the range.
Here’s what every version of the Peugeot Partner costs to buy:
S
Partner BlueHDi 75 manual M 650 S – £15,825
Partner BlueHDi 100 S&S manual XL 950 S – £17,800
Grip
Partner BlueHDi 75 manual M 1000 Grip – £17,075
Partner BlueHDi 100 S&S manual M 1000 Grip – £17,800
Partner BlueHDi 100 S&S manual XL 950 Grip – £18,700
Professional
Partner BlueHDi 75 manual M 650 Professional – £17,425
Partner BlueHDi 100 S&S manual M 1000 Professional – £18,500
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S 6-speed manual M 1000 Professional – £19,450
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S EAT8 Auto M 1000 Professional – £20,600
Partner BlueHDi 100 S&S manual XL 950 Professional – £19,400
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S 6-speed manual XL 950 Professional – £20,350
Asphalt
Partner BlueHDi 100 S&S manual M 1000 Asphalt – £19,970
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S 6-speed manual M 1000 Asphalt – £20,920
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S EAT8 Auto M 1000 Asphalt – £22,070
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S 6-speed manual XL 950 Asphalt – £21,820
Partner BlueHDi 130 S&S EAT8 Auto XL 950 Asphalt – £22,970
We’ll bring you more info and a full review very soon.
Also read:
>> 2018 Vauxhall Combo van – first official details and pictures
>> 2018 Citroen Berlingo van – first official details and pictures
>> Ford Transit Connect and Transit Courier 2018 facelift – big changes for small vans
