Page 18 - issue-27

First drives: new Citroen Dispatch/Peugeot Expert
Meet the new FrenThere are a whole stack of reasons why traders might be tempted by the new Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot Expert – class-leading fuel economy being just one of them. John Threadgold gets behind the wheel of the new Gallic contenders
It’s not often that we get to drive a genuinely new van. Most of them are facelifts or upgraded versions of what went before
But in September Citroen and Peugeot officially launched their new Dispatch and Expert medium panel vans – and being totally new vans rather than upgrades, they set the scene for a battle royal in the mid-ranges.
The two vans are clones of each other and differ only in their front grilles.
This van will also feature as the Toyota Proace, incidentally.
After to official launch at the CV Show in April Trade Van Driver magazine was invited to test the new vans in left-hand drive format on varying roads around Paris and it soon became clear that they
are worthy trade contenders, with several best-in-class features and a host of new technology gadgets.
The new van is based on the Citroen C4 Picasso/Peugeot 308 platform, albeit modified to cope
with the stresses and strains of a commercial vehicle life. Uniquely in the sector, three body lengths will be available – compact, standard and long – and while no high roof versions are on offer, maximum cargo volume is 6.6 cubic metres, while payloads go up to 1,400kg
– well up with all the rivals in
the sector. Using the flap in the bulkhead, loads of up to 4.02 metres can be accommodated. Gross vehicle weights go from 2.6 tonnes to 3.1 tonnes.
Under the barriers
One of the reasons PSA doesn’t offer a high roof option is that at 1.9 metres high, this van can go under the barriers in most city car parks, whether over or underground.
Under the bonnet, two powerplants are available, both diesel at 1.6-litres and 2.0-litres. No petrol and electric versions are planned. These offer power outputs of between 95bhp and 180bhp and all come with an AdBlue tank which
helps the vans comply with the tougher emissions standards that apply since September this year.
PSA reckons a tankful will last for 9,300 miles. The tank is filled via a flap in the front of the vehicle. CO2 emissions will be less than those in the current vans (as low as 133g/ km). Fuel economy is impressive, with the most efficient engine slated to return a class-leading 55.3 miles per gallon on the combined cycle.
Environmentally-friendly ‘Blue’ versions also get stop/start as standard.
Meanwhile service intervals are stretched to 25,000 miles or two
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