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25/08/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Though there have been a number of private imports of Peugeot light commercials over the years, it comes as a surprise that this is the first time the famed French marque has decided to get really serious about the van market in Australia. So it has gone to a lot of trouble to source exactly the right variants for our demanding buyers.
Expert may sound like a slightly arrogant name for a van, but there's little doubt this is a vehicle aimed at a very specific market and that Peugeot is an expert in this tough field. One where practicality and purpose, and particularly low running costs, come before anything as esoteric as fashion and fun.
 Yet the Peugeot stylists have gone for a frontal look that follows the latest themes from the company’s passenger car range. Just look at these big headlights sitting inside almost-separate guards, and flanking a central Peugeot Lion badge.
Peugeot Expert is coming to Australia in standard (3000 mm) and long-wheelbase (3122 mm) formats, creating overall lengths of 4805 mm and 5135 millimetres; as well as in two heights (1942 and 2204 mm), so there plenty of load volume on offer.
An interesting air-suspension system is installed on a special model called the Expert L2 Professional model. This aids comfort and brings the ride height under 1.9 metres to make access to just about any carpark possible – still best to check for yourself, though…
Peugeot offers two turbo-diesel engines with the Expert. One with a capacity of 2.0 litres, the other a 2.2-litre unit. Output is 88 kW, and 300 Nm at 2000 rpm on the 2.0-litre; the 2.2 produces a maximum of 100 kW, and its torque is 320 Nm, also at 2000. Both engines are teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox.
 We were only able to road test the smaller of the two engines and found it to have surprisingly good performance, with plenty of grunt and the ability to pull well on hills. It must be said that the van was empty at the time so it wasn’t a true test. We will carry out a full test in our home area, including time with cargo in the back, then publish a comprehensive report.
Not all engine and body options are offered, we suggest getting in touch with your Peugeot dealer for full details on the permutations they can sell you.
The load area is cavernous and almost ‘cube shaped’ thanks to the near vertical styling at the rear. It is easily accessed through rear barn doors and dual sliding side doors. The rear doors can be opened through either 90 degrees or 180 degrees. A fascinating feature is that the lights are ‘left behind’ when the doors are opened, with a hole left in the doors to shield the lights when the vehicle’s on the road.
There are big ‘bumpers’ on the inside of the van’s rear, and eight strong locating rings in the load area to maximise safety of the load. Various cargo barriers can be installed, including a full steering unit.
This new Peugeot is a big van, so it can cope with three seats across the front compartment. We tried the central position between test drives in a program run out of Melbourne and found the Expert to be better than average for space. We would be reasonably happy to travel there for extended periods.
The style of the Peugeot Expert’s body is carried into the cabin, with plenty of flair in the dash and instrument cluster shaping. Though practicality still comes to the fore with big easy to read dials and a gearshift that falls readily to hand. The handbrake is on the outside of the seat to maximise the space on the centre of the floor.
Air conditioning is standard and this includes cooling of the glovebox to keep those drinks chilled on a hot day.
 Safety features include standard ABS and a driver’s airbag. ESP and a passenger airbag are extra cost options.
Peugeot Expert comes to Australia fresh from a victory in its class as “International Van of the Year” in a highly respected poll organised by light-commercial vehicle journalists in 20 countries. So it looks to be in for strong acceptance in this country virtually from the start.
Though the Expert is sold as a people mover in many markets that option isn’t being considered for us at this stage. We did drive a couple of them in France last year and liked the spacious interior and good refinement. So don’t be over surprised if it does make an appearance in Australia one day.
The Peugeot Expert range with prices, excluding on-road costs, is:
SWB 2.0-litre HDi 88 kW: $36,990
LWB 2.0-litre HDi 88 kW: $38,490
Professional LWB 2.0-litre HDi 100 kW: $41,590
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