Big, bold and beautiful
HOW is it possible to get yourself and seven friends to the races without anyone having to drive home?
It’s quite a conundrum isn’t it – unless you can afford the serious fare that two taxis demand for such a 15-mile trip.
My answer was to borrow Peugeot’s large people carrier/ minibus called the Traveller Business, and inveigle a non-drinking friend to drive.
It was perfect for the task and carried us all there and back in fine style and excellent comfort.
The Traveller is based on the Expert van and it’s none the worse for that. It comes with three rows of three seats and wide sliding rear doors that make it reasonably easy for everyone to get in and out.
Those nine seats make it ideal as a posh minibus, a taxi or as transport for large families.
It’s available with two diesel engines in four stages of power. The well-known 1.6 HDi engine is available in 95bhp and 115bhp guises, while a 2.0-litre HDi comes with either 150bhp and manual gearbox, or 180bhp and a standard automatic.
I drove the 150bhp 2.0-litre and, although acceleration was fairly linear, it never seemed short of urge when required.
Although this is not what a large people carrier should be about, it also holds the road well, with high levels of grip and reasonable balance giving excellent safety.
There’s a fair amount of luggage space with all nine seats occupied and both rear rows of three fold 60/40, giving a large combination of seat and load-carrying combinations for those who carry bikes, camping gear or other large gear on a regular basis.
Equipment includes a six-inch screen for DAB stereo and a Mirrorlink phone link system, plus aircon, front fog and turning lights, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors – very useful.
The Peugeot Traveller 2.0 HDi 150 Business costs £32,485.