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V an buyers have never had it so good when it
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comes to the range of sizes and models on offer. There's a light CV to suit just about every possible application.
A perfect case in point is Peugeot's cutesy compact van. the Bipper, which sits snugly between the 207 and Partner in the company's rejuvenated light CV range — and to add to this little van's appeal Peugeot has now introduced an automatic option.
There's only one trim level available, called S. Initially we thought S stood for Spartan, because the standard items are limited to 14-inch steel wheels, ABD, a radio and driver's airbag, but drivers can choose the Plus Pack or tuck into the generous list of options to enhance specification.
The Plus Pack, for instance, adds remote central locking, deadlocks, one-touch electric windows and heated electric door mirrors. And if those still aren't enough for you, we can recommend the Bluetooth hands-free system.
Being a small compact van, the Bipper comes with a choice of equally small and compact engines. The first is a 1.4-litre eight-valve petrol engine that develops 75hp and 118Nm of torque; alternatively there's the 1.4-litre turbo-diesel (our test vehicle) — it generates 5hp less than the petrol example. but has that bit of extra grunt with 160Nm of torque.
As for the competition, the Peugeot goes up against Citroen's Nemo and Fiat's Morino (essentially the same van since they were all co-developed bythe three manufacturers), along with Renault's new Kangoo Compact.
Prices start at £8,595 for the petrol version, rising to 19,395 for the five-speed manual 1-IDi and 110,095 for our 2-Ironic HDI.
Productivity
So, does fuel economy suffer as a result of the small engine, automated manual and a 610kg payload? Surprisingly not. On a laden run on our regular Kent test route the diesel Bipper returned 55.2rupg, which is an impressive result for a van running at maximum payload — and an auto.
As you might expect,fuel economy rose by a considerable margin after we unloaded the weights. We squeezed out 62.1mpg on the route the second time around, With a load volume of 2.5m3. the Bipper swallows loads
that belie its diminutive body, which is also well design& enabling you to utilise every cubic inch of loadspace.
Choose the 'Multi Flex' folding passenger seat optioi (£80.50) and load volume increases to 2.8m3, along wit] actual load length.
The saying you don't know what you've got till it's gone applies to our test van, which came without twin sliding sid, doors. We've grown accustomed to the side doors in ou Citroen Nemo long-term test vehicle, and not having then on the Bipper made loading and unloading inconvenient.
The option of side doors will set you back a furthe £506 at the dealership, although its well worth the outla,. especially since the van will be operating in tight urbai environments. British Car Auctions (BCA) also says van with side sliding doors are easier to sell and this option cal add between £250 and £500 at resale.
Keeping the load secure were six floor-positioned tie down points, while the rear doors open out from 90" to 180 at the bush of a button.
Cab comfort
For starters, all seems well with the Sipper's interior. It's simple, well appointed and surprisingly roomy for a vehicle of its size.
Getting comfortable is an easy task. with more than enough seat travel to accommodate our six-foot van man. The seats are both comfy and robust and should stand up well to general wear and tear.
One thing that did disappoint, though, was the lack of reach on the steering wheel, which can only be adjusted for height. This was compounded by a slight reduction in footwell space, but what did you expect on a van that's smaller than a toaster?
Elsewhere, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat have really done their collective homework on this van in terms of storage. There are plenty of storage bins and trays catering for a variety of different items such as mobile phones, lever-arch files and the day's newspaper.
For added convenience, the test version came fitted with the optional Bluetooth pack (which adds £161 to the £10,095 list price). Even being the k lechno-peasants' we are, it was a simple exercise to pair our phones with the system — we highly recommend it for those operating in courier mode.
To keep us entertained on the fuel runs, we appreciated the CD/radio with MP3,which generated a clear and undistorted sound. On the downside, though, we weren't able to listen to our iPod through the system because there's no auxiliary jack. Woman's Hour it was then.
The test 2-Tronic came with a full steel bulkhead (a £103 option), which is arguably the one to have because it insulates the cabin from body boom and retains warmth far hotter than the half-height mesh version.
On the road
An automatic van is a fairly rare beast, particularly one so compact. First impressions of the 2-tronic automated manual are good, with smooth gear changes the order of the day.
Of course, the Pug's box also offers a 'manual' function that allows the driver to take control of the ratios. In full auto mode the 2-Tronic was a little too eager to get into top gear. changing up at 2,000rpm. During the week-long test period,we found ourselves using the manual function more and more because it felt far more urgent and responsive — but for constant town driving you're more likely to relax with it in auto mode — and leave it there, too.
The small-capacity diesel suffers from an acute bout of turbo lag, which was especially evident at slow speeds. The subsequent lack of low-down torque doesn't help matters either, with the Bipper struggling on pull-off, especially with an extra 610kg on board.
The steep hillclimb on our test route highlighted the Bipper's lack of poke: the van, fully laden, only achieved a maximum of 38mph in third gear on the 16% climb.
As far as dynamics go, the Bipper is exceedingly agile thanks in part to a stiff chassis that tracks corners with only a hint of understeer. The suspension backs up the chassis' dynamic prowess with sufficient damping to absorb bumps and ruts with ease.
Being an urban warrior, the Bipper possesses all the qualities that buyers look for in a compact, light CV: tight turning circle, light steering and compact dimensions. Funnily enough, it is possible to specify rear parking sensors (£195.50) on the Bipper, but with the van just under 4m long and 1.5m wide, why would you? •