Peugeot Boxer 2020 Review

The 2020 Peugeot Boxer 160 slots into the large van segment above the Peugeot Expert  medium van and Peugeot Partner compact van. Front-drive only, it is priced from $47,490 plus on-road costs

Built in the Sevel Sud factory in Italy and launched in Australia in 2019, the Peugeot Boxer 160 simplifies the buying process. There's just the one roof height (2522mm), one car-licence-friendly gross vehicle mass (GVM) rating (3510kg), one engine (a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel) and one transmission (a six-speed manual).

Really, the only choice to be made is whether you want the medium wheelbase variant (3450mm) as tested, or the long wheelbase variant (4035mm). The latter adds $1500 to the price. All of the Boxer's various features outlined hereabouts are standard fitment.

Both variants come with a load bay equipped with twin sliding side doors and 50/50 barn doors at the rear. A full steel bulkhead is fitted and features a sliding observation window.

Peugeot says our medium-wheelbase test model has a load volume of 11 cubic metres and a maximum payload limit of 1645kg.

While the 2020 Peugeot Boxer 160 hasn't been assessed by ANCAP, Peugeot is clearly trying to give the model an edge when it comes to safety.

The Peugeot Boxer 160 comes standard with recent technologies like forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, plus lane departure warning. That's on top of forward and side airbags for both driver and passenger and hill hold assist, plus staples like stability control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes.

It comes with a reversing camera (minus predictive guides) but misses out on features like rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.

Inside the cab, there's a digital trip meter sandwiched between the analogue speedo and tacho and a small 5.0-inch multimedia touchscreen. The unit is equipped with Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, plus integrated satellite navigation.

It's a tiny screen by today's standards, and inputting an address into the sat-nav is a fiddly exercise. There is a fairly basic voice command system but no Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

Don't go hunting for auto lights or wipers, either – both functions are old-school manual affairs. The standard cruise control system is complemented by a speed limiter.

While the Peugeot Boxer 160 might skimp on some of the driver convenience items, on the business front it stacks up quite well, and features a load bay with superb access.

As a front-drive model, the load floor height is impressively low (just 450mm), while the side and rear apertures are all generous.

We measured the side apertures at 1210mm wide at their narrowest point by 1730mm high.

The rear aperture is 1550mm wide by 1770mm high and the rear barn doors open nearly to 270 degrees to ease access.

There’s 1410mm clear between the wheel arches. Add in a load bay length of 2900mm and a ceiling height of 1930mm, and there's a heap of space on offer -- plus a bit more storage in the compartment above the cab.

Our test van's load bay had 12 sturdy tie-down anchor points and two internal lights, but otherwise was a pretty basic painted steel affair. There's mid-height plastic protection on the side doors, but curiously not the walls aft of them.

As mentioned, Peugeot quotes a 1645kg payload limit for this vehicle. That's 305kg under that of the closest equivalent Fiat Ducato, which also has a larger and more powerful 2.3-litre turbo-diesel (130kW/400Nm, versus 120kW/310Nm for the Peugeot Boxer).

However, the Peugeot Boxer is covered by a five-year/200,000km warranty (three years/200,000km for the Fiat and three years/unlimited kilometres for Renault's Master) with complimentary roadside assistance.

The Boxer is also subject to a capped-price servicing scheme that totals $3445 for the first five years, with service intervals pegged at every 12 months or 20,000km.

And for those who tow, the 2020 Peugeot Partner has a 2500kg braked towing limit.

Powering the 2020 Peugeot Boxer 160 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. It is a Euro 6 compliant engine with a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) to help it meet emissions compliance. Thus it requires AdBlue.

It's not an exciting powerplant but that's hardly the objective in the commercial sphere. At 100km/h in sixth gear it ticks along at just over 2000rpm, but it's at its most robust between there and, say, 4000rpm -- about 500rpm short of its rev limiter.

It's actually the most powerful of the multiple ratings offered by Peugeot in some markets, and it provides modest, adequate performance -- even if it does require an active approach with the throttle and gearbox when a load is involved.

We ran around Melbourne with a 975kg test load in the back – roughly 60 per cent of the Boxer's payload limit – and found the van still got along at a respectable pace.

More impressive, however, is the fuel economy.

While still appreciably north of the ADR Combined Cycle figure of 6.4L/100km, we found the Boxer settled on 8.0L/100km when empty and only rose as high as 8.7L/100km with the best part of a tonne in the back. And that's without any 'eco' mode or idle-stop system.

With a 90-litre fuel tank, that's a safe working range of somewhere approaching 1000km which couriers and other high-mileage drivers will surely appreciate.

The six-speed manual transmission is fairly rudimentary. The hard plastic shifter knob is partnered by a slightly notchy shifting action but they get the job done without fuss.

Don't buy a Peugeot Boxer 160 if you're after a dynamic driving experience or a luxurious cabin, because it's anything but on both fronts. It's not that it's especially cumbersome or uncomfortable, but perhaps more that some rivals have made large strides in these respects in recent years. Ford's Transit and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter are two that come to mind.

There's nothing wrong with the Peugeot Boxer's ride. With 'pseudo-MacPherson-style' suspension up front and single-leaf 'comfort' suspension at the rear, it's not the rock-hard ride you might expect of an LCV when empty, and compliance increases appreciably with some weight.

Our load did increase body roll through the bends but not excessively so, and while the steering ratio is on the slow side, at over 3.75 turns lock to lock, the turning circle feels pretty tight for the size of the van. Peugeot quotes 12.6 metres.

It's a bit of a step up to the pedestal driver's seat and there's no A-pillar grab handle, but the doors open wide and the steering wheel (adjustable for reach, but not tilt) serves just as well.

Taller drivers will need to watch not to bump their head on the overhead parcel shelf.

It's strictly a two-seat arrangement in the cab, with the cloth-upholstered driver's perch featuring height and tilt adjustment. Both seats have lumbar adjustment and a fold-down adjustable armrest.

Vision is good, and aided by large standard/spot side mirrors, although the shrouding around the side quarter glass adds to the width of the A-pillars.

There's reasonable vision out the back through the bulkhead's observation window, although there are no wipers for the rear barn doors.

The Boxer is a pretty noisy ride, with a fair bit of engine noise and plenty of road noise permeating the cab.

In cab storage is a little basic. The door pockets are large and deep but lack any internal mouldings. There's a paperwork holder on the centre dashtop and a small concealed tray on the passenger side. Given these vans are often a moving office clever storage options are appreciated by buyers.

There are a few foibles thanks to shift from left to right-hand drive too – no dead pedal for the driver (but a beauty for the passenger!) and a volume knob on the far side of the multimedia system you have to stretch to reach.

Oh, and mind the manual park brake lever when you hop out – it's on the right-hand side of the driver's seat (although that does free up the space between the two seats for storage).

The cab itself is pretty utilitarian, with hard, dark plastics aplenty and few concessions to soften the experience – a bit of piano black around the multimedia system and some fake carbon fibre on instrument surround, mainly.

But hey, it's a workhorse, so it's all a matter of priorities.

There are so many factors to weigh up when purchasing any LCV, but the 2020 Peugeot Boxer 160 does stack up for anyone who simply needs a basic, honest van to shift a load.

Safety inclusions like AEB and lane departure warning are worthy features that may well catch the eye of fleet buyers with strict safety compliance frameworks. Then again, some will baulk at Peugeot Australia's smaller dealer network in comparison to that of the heavyweights of the large van segment, and who are well versed with the needs Australia's LCV buyers.

Owner/drivers may well want more comfort and convenience features than the Boxer can offer, but that will all come at additional expense.

What we can say is the Peugeot Boxer covers all the basics and bodes well for fuel economy. It’s realistically priced for the features and capability it offers.

How much does the 2020 Peugeot Boxer 160 cost?
Price: $47,490 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 120kW/310Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 168g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A