Peugeot Expert van review (2023)

• Good handling and ride comfort
• Tight turning circle
• Refined and powerful engine options

In many respects, the Peugeot Expert is an impressive van to drive. There is very little bodyroll in the corners, and the steering is light but precise.

It’s also very manoeuvrable, with turning circles as tight as 11.3m.

What's more, an area where the Peugeot Expert has come on leaps and bounds is NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness), as the new model is incredibly refined at low speeds, even if noise levels do increase on the motorway.

The suspension does a good job of dealing with most road surfaces, too, proving comfortable and controlled even without any load in the back.

Peugeot Expert engines before May 2019

From launch in 2016, Peugeot chose to use the same 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre BlueHDi engines fitted to the previous-generation Expert, although they were modified for more power, better efficiency and thus lower CO2 emissions.

There are power ratings of 95hp / 210Nm or 116hp / 300Nm for the 1.6-litre motor and 120hp / 340Nm, 150hp / 370Nm or 180hp / 400Nm for the 2.0-litre engine.

All versions use a six-speed manual transmission with the exception of the 95hp 1.6, which comes with the choice of five-speed manual or ETG6 automated manual transmission, and the 180hp 2.0, which is exclusively available with the EAT6 six-speed automatic transmission.

Apart from the entry-level 95hp model, all versions are very quick off the mark. Even the 116hp 1.6 with 300kg on board will pull away from traffic lights with ease and has no trouble tackling hilly terrain. The top-of-the-range 180hp option is one of the most powerful vans on the market.

Peugeot Expert engines after May 2019 and October 2022

In order to meet new emissions requirements, Peugeot revised the Expert's engine range from May 2019 production onwards.

The 2.0-litre engines are fundamentally the same as before, with the same 120hp, 150hp and 180hp outputs. However the 180hp versions now gets an EAT8 eight-speed automatic for improved performance and efficiency. The range was then trimmed down to the 120hp and 180hp engines, but in October 2022 this was reduced to just a 144hp version.

The 1.6-litre engine is dead, however. In its place is a 1.5-litre BlueHDi of more modern design, and familiar from Peugeot's car range. This produces 102hp / 270Nm in the Expert.

All work very well in this van, delivering plenty of smooth power and an impressively refined driving experience. Go for a 2.0-litre if you regularly carry a fair amount of payload, but 1.5-litre models can get the job done if required.

• Offset driving position is poor
• Cab feels very cramped
• There isn't much useful storage space

For a medium-sized van, the cab feels very small and claustrophobic.

This is due to way the roof slopes down towards the windscreen and the raised, far forward positioning of the dashboard - which combined with the black plastics used throughout the interior make the cab quite dark.

The seats are comfortable, but again, aren’t very spacious. The steering column and driver’s seat are fully adjustable but they don’t slide too far back, which may hinder some taller drivers.

Worse still, on right-hand drive versions of the Expert, the pedals and the steering wheel are noticeably offset, so you find yourself sitting in a slightly twisted position. This is very poor for a van that first went on sale as recently as 2016.

There are a number of useful storage spaces but they are quite small - the only exception being the cubby underneath the standard-fit passenger bench seat.

A 'Moduwork' load-through bulkhead is fitted as standard from Professional grade upwards, and this not only comes with an outer passenger seat that folds out of the way to accomodate longer loads but also a middle passenger seat that converts into a desk.

Handy, but no compensation for the cramped feeling and offset driving position.

• Good value with plenty of standard kit
• Excellent fuel economy
• Shouldn't cost too much to run

With attractive list prices and plenty of standard kit, the Peugeot Expert represents good value - especially to cash buyers.

Anyone looking to fund their van by finance may find that more popular or premium rivals offer better prices per month, however, due to the way they hold their value better.

Peugeot Expert mpg

As of 2023 the 1.5-litre diesel engine is the most economical of the two on offer. This manages an official figure of 45.7mpg, so long as you go for one of the two shorter models - the compact or standard length. Going for the long model knocks a fraction off the rating, but less than 1mpg.

The gap to the 2.0-litre engine isn't a huge jump, though - it manages a high of 41.3mpg for the manual, while the auto sacrifices less than 0.5mpg in terms of efficiency.

If you are looking at a used example of the 116hp 1.6-litre engine then don't be mislead by the official figure of 55.3mpg that it managed when it was launched in 2016. New emissions regulations came in September 2019 that used a revised method of measuring fuel economy called WLTP. This saw the on-paper claims drop dramatically to a best of 41.3mpg.

The change does not mean that the Expert suddenly became dramatically less efficient in the real world, rather that the test is not supposed to be more realistic. And certainly we feel that the small and lighter versions of this van are well capable of approaching 40mpg in regular driving.

The 22.4-litre AdBlue tank is bigger than a lot of others in this segment and offers a very respectable range of around 9,300 miles in theory. Exactly how far you'll go per tank will depend on how and where the van is driven.

Peugeot Expert service intervals

Service intervals are set at 25,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first.

Peugeot Expert warranty

The Expert comes with a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

The Toyota Proace - which is essentially the same van - has a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Just so you know.

Peugeot Expert standard equipment

Up until May 2019 production, the Expert was sold in S, Professional and Professional Plus trim levels; Asphalt and Grip variants then joined the range at this point, with Asphalt replacing Premium Plus.

Then in August 2021, the Expert range was revised again, and now consists of S , Professional and Asphalt only. Come October 2022 and these were pared back to just the two trims - Professional Premium+ and Asphalt Premium+. These are the current standard equipment highlights:

Peugeot Professional Premium+ standard equipment highlights:

• Twin sliding side doors
• Full steel bulkhead
• Height-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support and armrest
• Dual passenger bench with storage tray
• Cruise control with variable speed limiter
• One-touch electric windows
• Electrically adjustable door mirrors
• Full size spare wheel
• DAB radio
• Bluetooth, USB and aux-in connectivity
• 12v socket in load area and cabin
• Air-conditioning
• Rear parking sensors
• Laminated acoustic windscreen for improved refinement
• 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Six months subscription to Peugeot's Free2Move Connect Fleet telematics

Peugeot Asphalt Premium+ standard equipment highlights (in addition to Professional Premium+):

• Leather steering wheel
• Body-coloured bumpers, door handles and side rubbing strips
• Front foglights with cornering function
• LED daytime running lights
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• 180-degree rear parking camera and blindspot monitors
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Electrically folding heated door mirrors
• Automatic lights and wipers
• Connected 3D Navigation sat-nav system with voice recognition and Peugeot Connect
• Three-year subscription to TomTom Live and SpeedCam / Danger Zones alerts
• Head-up display
• Safety Pack
• Driver Assist Pack
• Moduwork load-through bulkhead and passenger bench

For reference, the now discontinued Peugeot Expert Grip model was based on the also-discontinued entry-level S, and designed for heavy-duty construction site work.

As well as gaining the Moduwork load-through bulkhead, this version also comes with the Grip Control enhanced traction system, 'mud and snow' tyres, 20mm extra ground clearance and a 20mm thick engine protection plate.

• Long-serving engines should be a good sign
• But lots of recalls since launch in 2016

Over the course of their lives, the various engines from PSA have proved themselves to be fairly durable and a number of vans using these engines have featured in the FN50 list for the most reliable light commercials.

However, this model of Expert has certainly been subject to a number of official recalls, with issues relating to the engines, suspension, gearboxes and brakes all requiring action from Peugeot. These have largely been in the early stage of the van's life, though. The 1.5-litre engines introduced in 2019 are relatively new to vans but have done plenty of time in Peugeot's cars and so far are looking to be reliable. There have been a few recalls since 2019 but none related to the engines.

Whichever engine you go for, when buying used, do make sure that all of the necessary recall work has been carried out. You should be able to check with Peugeot.

A full list of recall issues is available via the government's 'check vehicle recall' service.

• Plenty of safety kit available...
• ...but you'll have to pay extra for much of it
• Deadlocks as standard

As with all the latest generation of vans, big improvements have been made to the Peugeot Expert’s levels of safety and security.

However, you will find that much of the best safety kit is only optional.

Peugeot Expert Safety

Available safety items on the Expert include:

• Electronic stability control (ESC)
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Speed limiter
• Forward distance alert
• Head-up display
• Blind spot monitors
• Traffic sign recognition
• Lane departure warning
• Driver fatigue monitor

Since Volkswagen made autonomous emergency braking standard on all the vans it sells in the UK back in 2017, it's always disappointing to find this limited to the options list on rival models.

Peugeot does lump a selection of key items - including AEB - together into the cost effective packs, however, with the Safety Pack and Driver Assist Pack covering the latest technology available here. These both come as standard on the range-topping Asphalt and Asphalt Premium models.

Euro NCAP Silver award

The Peugeot Expert has been given a Silver rating by Euro NCAP based on the availability of safety equipment. This is part of a wider van safety campaign launched in December 2020, listing the best and worst vans for safety.

Peugeot Expert security

Deadlocks and remote locking that allows you to unlock the cab and load area separately are standard on every version of the Expert.

But you will need to go for a Professional model or above to get an alarm as part of the basic price.