The rise of SUVs and crossovers has resulted in casualties in other high volume car sectors. Mainstream saloons and hatchbacks have declined, and many prefer their seven-seaters in a more rugged looking profile. Peugeot abandoned the MPV (people carrier) sector last year with the introduction of the seven-seat 5008, which came almost a year after the 3008. Both SUVs and both replacing MPVs. The van-derived MPV is a more difficult proposition to replace. Passenger versions can’t really escape the appearance of being a van with extra seats and windows. Furthermore, the Peugeot Rifter, sister vehicle of the third-generation Partner van, follows a group-wide template that has also produced Citroën and Vauxhall/Opel versions. The opportunity for distinctiveness is rather small. Dealing with the ‘van platform’ first, the new Rifter (and Berlingo Multispace and Vauxhall Combo Life) actually uses a car platform, as do the van versions. The PSA EMP2 platform was first deployed in the Peugeot 308 in 2013, and has been used for many medium and large Peugeot and Citroën cars and the larger panel vans and people carrier variants.
The technology available makes the Rifter far more sophisticated than its Partner Tepee predecessor. Included are automatic dipping main beam, electronic parking brake, wireless smartphone charging, driver fatigue alert, speed limit sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, parking assistance, lane departure warning and blindspot alerts. And, to differentiate the Rifter from the Vauxhall and Citroën equivalents, the Rifter has its version of I-Cockpit raised instrument cluster and lower steering angle, and Peugeot has given it more of an SUV personality in its styling, with a slightly more rugged look than the other models.
