The Tepee is the passenger version of the Peugeot Expert van. It was introduced in 2007 and has remained in basically the same form ever since.

It's available with two body styles - L1 is long, and L2 is even longer at nearly 17 feet. Depending on which seating configuration is chosen, the Expert Tepee can have anything from five to nine seats, of which all but the front two can be removed to create a colossal load space.

All versions have a 2.0-litre diesel engine with power outputs of 97bhp, 126bhp and 161bhp. The 161bhp cars have automatic transmission, while the less powerful ones have a six-speed manual gearbox.

Performance

For such a large vehicle, the Expert Tepee can be surprisingly perky. The 161bhp L1 can accelerate from 0-62mph in 12 seconds, slightly quicker than the heavier L2. The 126bhp specs are not far behind thanks to their more efficient transmissions on around 13.5 seconds.

With the 97bhp diesel, the Expert Tepee has to be worked hard if you want to get anywhere in a hurry. The L2 with this engine is among the slowest-accelerating vehicles on the UK market, with a 0-62mph time of 20.7 seconds, while the L1 takes 18.5 seconds to do the same job. Neither can reach three-figure speeds, running out of steam at 96mph. The others can all reach 106mph, though it will take them some time to get there.

Ride and Handling

With the standard suspension, the Expert Tepee is more than 1.9 metres tall, which could cause difficulties in height-restricted areas.

While it's always advisable to bear its great size in mind, the Expert Tepee isn't at all intimidating to drive, and could be handled by a novice without difficulty. The ride is quite good, as it often is in large vehicles with modest wheel sizes. The Tepee also feels secure in corners, though it would be unwise to rely on its handling too much in the 161bhp versions. With the standard suspension, the Expert Tepee is more than 1.9 metres tall, which could cause difficulties in height-restricted areas. Optional lowered suspension, with air springs rather than metal ones, brings the car below the 1.9-metre threshold.

Interior and Equipment

A sister model to the Expert Tepee is also sold in Britain as the Citroen Dispatch.

The Expert Tepee is available with up to nine seats, though if you want more than six you have to order the optional third row. With these fitted, the L1 has 283 litres of space left over for luggage below the parcel shelf, but the L2 has 553, and both offer over 1000 litres in two-row form. With all but the front seats removed, the load volumes become spectacular, reaching to over 2800 litres in the case of the L2. The load space is accessible from the rear via a tailgate, or by side-hinged doors if you specify those as an option. Peugeot offers two trim levels called Comfort and Leisure, the latter having slightly more equipment including heated folding door mirrors and two rather than four audio speakers. Both have air-conditioning and steel wheels, but you can have alloys on the Leisure at extra cost.

Cost

Running costs are bound to be high - the 97bhp cars have the best fuel economy and CO2 emissions at 44.1mpg and 169g/km.

Pricing roughly matches that of a premium family hatchback, ranging from just under £24,000 to a little short of £30,000 before extras. Running costs are bound to be high - the 97bhp cars have the best fuel economy and CO2 emissions at 44.1mpg and 169g/km, while the 161bhp ones lag well behind on 37.1mpg and 199g/km. Annual Vehicle Excise Duty payments therefore range from £205 to £265, while Benefit In Kind taxation will have reached the maximum 37 per cent for all versions in April 2019.

Our Verdict

If this isn't the type of car you need, the Expert Tepee isn't even worth thinking about, since there will be many others far more suited to your requirements. For those of you in the very small and specific market for it, however, it does its job superbly, being not only easy to drive but also capable of acting as both a minibus and a load-carrier.