Peugeot has gone against a local tradition that has spanned over 50 years. The French importer, regarded in some quarters as the most prestigious of the three volume-sellers from La Belle France, is dipping a toe in the muddy water of light commercial vehicle sales for the first time in Australia.

The smaller of the two vans Peugeot is bringing to market here is the Partner, a badge-engineered Citroen Berlingo. Peugeot had been considering the Partner for the Australian market over a period of some years, but the company decided to wait for the new model, which arrives here less than four months after its (LHD) release in Europe. Australia is the first RHD market outside Europe to see the new LCV.

Joining the Partner is the Expert, a larger van which has been jointly conceived by Peugeot with Citroen and Fiat -- the latter two companies already marketing their respective versions in Australia as the Citroen Dispatch and the Fiat Scudo.

With just a few months left for this year, Peugeot expects to sell just 200 units of the Partner and 140 units of the Expert for 2008, but the company is anticipating a modest sales tally for 2009 of up to 425 of the Partner and 300 of the Expert.

Built in Spain the Partner will be sold locally in two different lengths, as will the Berlingo (more here). The extra length is in the rear overhang, rather than the wheelbase, which is the same 2728mm measurement for both bodies. With a width between the wheelarches of 1.2 metres, the Partner will accommodate standard-sized pallets weighing up to 750kg for the long body or 850kg for the short body model.

Peugeot has positioned the Partner to sell to buyers looking at models priced above the Citroen Berlingo. With their respective entrants, the two PSA partners (Peugeot and Citroen), can attack rivals Renault's Kangoo and Volkswagen's Caddy from above and below, although the premium pricing for the Peugeot may be its undoing, unless Peugeot sales staff can really promote the specification advantages of their baby.

Four variants of the Partner comprise one long-body and three short-body models, with a petrol four-cylinder variant as the entry-level model ($21,990). The next step up the ladder is the 55kW diesel short-body Partner, priced at $23,990. A higher performance (66kW) variant of this vehicle costs $500 more ($24,490). Capping the range is the long-body Partner with the 66kW diesel engine, for $25,490.

Peugeot offers an extensive range of options and accessories for the Partner, including metallic paint ($500), stability control ($450), reverse-parking assist ($425), Multiflex seating ($380), dual sliding doors ($950, but standard for the long-body model) and a passenger-side front airbag ($250). The Multiflex seat option allows the Partner to carry two passengers in addition to the driver, with the flexibility to fold the passengers' seats out of the way and extend the load length further.

Standard features across the range include: Driver's airbag, ABS/EBD, Brake Assist, central locking, speed-sensitive power steering, cruise control with speed-limiter, intermittent wipers, electric windows, air conditioning, trip computer and CD audio system with remote (steering wheel) controls.

Both petrol and diesel engines are four-cylinder units displacing 1.6 litres, but the petrol powerplant develops 66kW of peak power at 5800rpm and 132Nm of torque at 2500rpm. The diesel engine is available in two states of tune, with the 55kW version developing peak power at 4000rpm and 185Nm of torque at 1750rpm. This engine is only available in the short-body Partner.

The 66kW engine is available in both short and long-body models, also developing its peak power at 4000rpm and generating 215Nm of torque at 1750rpm. All engines comply with the Euro IV emissions standard and fuel consumption based on the ADR81/01 combined cycle test is 8.2L/100km for the petrol Partner and 5.8 for the diesel models.

Drive to the front wheels is via a five-speed manual transmission for all variants. There's no automatic option, although Peugeot would like to have one for the Australian market.

With both the short and long-body models built on the same wheelbase, all variants of the Partner prescribe the same turning circle of 11.0 metres. Suspension is MacPherson strut at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. Ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the rear take care of the braking.

Both the Expert's badge-engineered siblings have been on sale in Australia since April (more here for Citroen Dispatch and here for the Fiat Scudo). As for the Partner and Berlingo, the Dispatch and the Expert are separated by price, but both offer short and long-wheelbase models powered by an 88kW engine and driving through a six-speed manual box to the front wheels. Whilst Citroen has already announced through local distributor Ateco Automotive that the Dispatch will be available with a 100kW LWB version later this year, Peugeot has beaten them to the punch, with this variant already available in the Expert range.

The Expert's pricing seems set to hurt sales of the Fiat Scudo, but Peugeot is also aiming higher. It's within a couple of thousand dollars of the Mercedes-Benz Vito and offers better torque than the lower-priced variants in that range. Also, by virtue of being front-wheel drive, the Expert's load volume of five cubic metres is ahead of the Vito's 4.65 for the entry-level Compact models.

Starting at $36,990, the short-wheelbase Expert with the 88kW diesel engine is the entry-level model. The long-wheelbase Expert with the same engine is $1500 more ($38,490) and the 100kW long-wheelbase model is a further $3100 more ($41,590).

Once again, buyers can specify the Expert with a range of options and accessories, including metallic paint for $790, stability control for $450 and a front passenger airbag for $360.

Standard features for the whole Expert range comprise: driver's airbag, ABS/EBD, Brake Assist, an alarm, separate (remote central) locking for cabin and cargo area, height and reach adjustment for the steering column, electric mirrors/windows (folding mirrors with fisheye lower sections), reverse-parking assist, CD audio system, air conditioning, cruise control with speed-limiter, rear air suspension and trip computer.

Powered by 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engines, the Expert develops its peak power at 4000rpm for both engine outputs (88kW and 100kW). The 88kW variants produce 300Nm of torque at 2000rpm, the same speed at which the 100kW 'Professional' LWB variant produces its peak torque of 320Nm. A diesel particulate filter for the higher-output version is one of the contributing factors in the extra power and torque for the 100kW engine. Fuel consumption figures, in accordance with combined-cycle testing under the auspices of ADR81/01 are 7.2L/100km for the SWB Expert and 7.4 for the LWB variants.

The only transmission is a six-speed manual box, driving through the front wheels via a MacPherson strut-type system. At the rear, the Expert is suspended by what Peugeot calls a semi-deformable axle with an offset Panhard rod.

Unlike the two different Partner body styles, the Expert is actually built on two different wheelbases, so the turning circle is moderately larger for the LWB variants (12.59m versus 12.18m for the SWB Expert).

Taking a pot-shot at Vito once again, Peugeot points to the Expert's low loading height of 145mm for all variants as a further virtue of the French van. All three Expert variants will carry the same payload, 1188kg, and the LWB models will accommodate six cubic metres of load, by volume.

Peugeot will have both the Expert and the Partner in dealers' showrooms from September 1. Look out for our launch reviews in the meantime.

To comment on this article click here