Appealing new eight-seater from Peugeot

Small tour operators and shuttle service providers are also potential markets for the new Tepee.

The new Tepee is based on same chassis as the Peugeot Expert van but it has been considerably prettied up to give it a warmer, less work-like appearance.

Designed for comfort, ease

Peugeot showed the new Tepee to the Media at a function in Durban recently. The cabin is spacious, the seats are comfortable and it's an easy vehicle to get in and out of.

Flexible seating can be configured quickly and easily to carry between two and eight passengers and different luggage loads.

The Tepee is powered by a direct injection 2.0-litre HDi engine that produces 88 kW and 300 Nm and is mated to a six-speed manual box.

Because we were not given the opportunity to drive the Tepee I cannot tell you what its performance, roadholding, noise-levels, brakes and comfort levels are on the road.

Now that's economical!

Peugeot says the engine meets Euro 4 emission standards and emits 198g of C02 per kilometre.

Sliding doors on both sides make entry and exit very quick and easy.

Combined fuel consumption is given as 7,5-litres per 100 km and Peugeot says this will drop to 6,5 litre per 100 km on the open road.

A cabin designed by Pininfarina suggests driver comfort. The driver's seat is height-adjustable, the steering column is fully adjustable and both the driver and the front passenger seats have fold-down arm rests.

There are six separate aircon vents distributed in the cabin so passengers can adjust temperatures to individual needs.

Just slide in

Access to the second and third rows is via a sliding door on each side of the vehicle, with a tilt/fold mechanism for the 60:40 split ensuring easy access to the third row from either side.

Load space, particularly with the seats folded away is very generous.

The Tepee has 761 litres of storage space when loaded to window level and a giant 1 195 litres up to the roof. And that's before a single seat has been removed.

The Tepee has driver and passenger airbags and disc brakes all round enhanced by anti-lock and electronic pressure distribution systems.

The driver’s seat is height-adjustable, the steering column is fully adjustable and both the driver and the front passenger seats have fold-down arm rests.click to enlarge

It is a child-friendly vehicle and the passenger airbag can be disarmed while the outer seats in the second row have ISOFIX child seat tethers.

The Tepee is priced at R339 000 and comes with a three-year/100 000km warranty.

Specifications