Peugeots Partner Combi Escapade Wont Be The First Thing Youd Choose As a Lifestyle Statement. Still, It May Well Suit Practically Minded Families On A Budget Who Havent Lost Their Sense Of Fun. Jonathan Crouch Reports
This van has a plan and its not a hard one to guess. The raised suspension, fog lights, lamp grilles and beefy wheelarch mouldings all aim to make this practical family runabout something of an escape hatch from the mundanities of everyday life.
All right, so the Partner Combi Escapade is a statement of style rather than intent. It doesnt have four wheel drive to match fashion sense with substance. Still, priced at 11,795, it shouldnt break the bank. For those not familiar, a quick product recap is called for at this point.
Mini-MPVs like Renaults Scenic and Citroens Xsara Picasso are in great demand, but theyre also a great deal of money if youre buying on a tight budget. To solve the problem, Renault and Citroen some years ago redeveloped their small Kangoo and Berlingo vans into small, versatile budget-minded family cars with great success. If you were one of the (relatively few) people who owned an original Partner Combi, youll be pleased to find that the look of the current generation car has been thoroughly revised, the front end modified to embrace a family feline look. Whatever you think about this, the result is agreeably modern and the smarter styling makes the Partner Combi look a good deal more expensive.
The front bumpers are now deeper and colour-keyed rather than regulation black, whilst the front wings, bonnet and grille have been fiddled with. Clear-lensed headlamps have been fitted which bring the look bang up to date. The front wings have even been cambered at the wheel arches to provide an elegant sweep into the line of the headlights and bonnet.
"If life and circumstance force you towards a car like this, then a little joie de vivre never goes amiss"
Whilst the Partner Combi has no pretensions of being anything other than a van with seats and extra windows, it effectively targets a market that values rugged, inexpensive family transport. Only a 1.6-litre HDi diesel Escapade version of this model is now offered. The suspension, brakes and steering have been fundamentally altered in the latest Partner Combi to give a more car-like ride and handling package and the interior has also been smartened up.
A high quality fascia panel reflects the styling of current Peugeot cars and storage space has been increased. As well as having a passenger airbag that can be deactivated by a switch, this Peugeot also has a lower glove box below the airbag and a CD/cassette holder on the central console. Three bottle holders and a 12v accessory power point underline the cars practicality. The dashboard has been redesigned for a more contemporary look and has been styled to echo Peugeots passenger car design cues.
Storage space has been increased too with a huge array of bins and cubbies available front and rear. A storage area for CDs and cassettes is located on the central console and there are no fewer than three bottle holders. The dash now features a rev counter and a BMW-style distance-to-next-service indicator, whilst theres a revised steering wheel with a radio stalk on the steering column. The steering itself is power assisted right across the range and multiplex wiring means that sophisticated options like cruise control are offered.
Although this multiplex system has been offered on the Partner Combi since June 2000, the latest car features a more intelligent Built In Systems Interface which increases the number of functions to include a vehicle location device which operates from the key fob. One plip in a crowded car park and the hazard lights will activate for ten seconds. No more pushing a shopping trolley up and down rows of parked cars after youve forgotten which level you parked on! Other functions are also standard. The radio can now be played with the ignition switched off and the volume level is linked to the vehicle speed.
