PEUGEOT Tepee
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
Born as a utility van and later on converted into a people-carrier, the Peugeot Tepee Expert shares the same technical platform with the Fiat Scudo, Citroen Jumpy and the Toyota ProAce.
The van industry can be a winning card only if more companies are involved in a project. This is why the PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroen at that time) joined forces with Fiat and Toyota to produce and sell this lineup.
The biggest diesel European diesel-engine manufacturer, PSA Group, installed and gave the main “heart” for this medium-sized minivan, either if it was used as a people carrier or a delivery van. For the passenger version it was fitted with quieter engines, and when those wore the Peugeot badge, the name Tepee was added. Tepee means tent in French. The Expert Tepee was very popular with taxi companies, but its great versatility also made it a useful large family car.
Both the 1.6 and 2.0-liter diesel-engines models returned approximately 7.5 l/100 km (38 mpg), which was impressive for an MPV capable of carrying up to nine people. On longer highway journeys, this figure was likely to improve.
The ability to remove or keep the seats inside could transform it from a people carrier into a utility vehicle in a matter of minutes. Also, it was good to use it as a camping vehicle, where up to four people could have slept inside. This is why the Tepee name was a good choice.
While the MPV market continued to shrink, some carmakers tried and found new opportunities based on LCV vehicles.
Depending on the market, the Bipper was also known as Partner. The second generation of the Tepee Bipper was a joint project with the Italian carmaker Fiat (Fiat Fiorino/Qubo), but it featured some particular styling that made the Bipper/Partner different. It was based on the Fiat Grande Punto platform.
The Tepee Bipper/Partner looked more rugged than its non-Tepee version. Due to its higher ground clearance and black, unpainted, lower plastic parts, it induced the idea of a vehicle suitable for outdoor excursions on unpaved roads. The high-mounted headlights were good against small parking crashes, where they were protected due to the bigger front bumpers. The same recipe was applied to the taillights. There were two regular doors in the front and sliding doors in the back to access the car. A pair of asymmetric rear doors made loading and unloading easy. From the sides, depending on the options, a third set of windows were installed between the C- and D-pillars.
Inside, the dashboard and the instrument cluster were similar to those found in the 2005 Fiat Grande Punto, except for the fact that it featured round air vents instead of squared ones.
Under the hood, the Peugeot Tepee Bipper/Partner featured a choice of three gasoline or diesel engines with power output between 70 hp and 75 hp. While Fiat built the 1.4-liter gasoline and the 1.3-liter diesel, the 1.4-liter was a joint project between Peugeot and Ford.
Citroen-Peugeot group chose a different way to produce a small MPV as a passenger and as an LCV.
The MPVs were out of trend in Europe, but a few carmakers decided that it would be good to fit that niche market with light commercial vehicles converted into passenger vehicles. Thus, the costs for research and development went down, and the production costs were not high. The French carmaker Citroen/Peugeot thought that offering a family car in an LCV body-shape would do great for those who are using a vehicle in both directions. Both vehicles were built on the Peugeot’s P2 platform, used for the 307 compact hatchback.
The look might not have been its most decisive advantage, but it was built to form a spacious vehicle. With a raked front fascia, an almost vertical A-pillar, and a high roofline, the Partner Tepee had the shape of a light utility vehicle. The car featured sliding doors, which eased the loading and unloading. A flat and vertical tailgate abruptly ended the car.
Inside, there was a cavernous space with a lot of headroom. The flat floor allowed an unobstructed passage from one side to the other via the sliding doors. The high driving position and the dashboard were made to fit a daily job as a delivery van. With the rear seats that could have been reclined, the comfort was good. If there was a need to transport bulky items, the rear seats could have been folded or completely removed. It was also available with a 7-seat option.
Under the hood, the most requested engine was a 1.6-liter diesel unit mated to a 6-speed manual. The in-dash, high-mounted gear-stick was easy to use and practical since it eased the move inside the cabin from left to right.