PEUGEOT SAYS: Some say life is too short to drink instant coffee, some say life is too short to smoke (if you must smoke) machine-made cigars. Some say life is too short to drink blended whisky, preferring to stick to single malts. Peugeot says life is too short not to travel in style, even if you must travel en mass.
That’s why Peugeot Motors South Africa has introduced the Tepee, a generously-equipped eight-seater bus aimed primarily at the hospitality industry, but with considerable appeal for those with large families who want an enticing mix of space, comfort, and safety.
Sharing chassis fundamentals with the acclaimed Expert van range means that the Tepee comes with durable underpinnings, making it eminently suited to an application where it may be required to spend many hours on the road everyday, much of that time with a substantial cargo of passengers and their luggage.
In essence, the Tepee represents a new way of travelling thanks to its bold design, car-like dynamics, and an exceptionally spacious and comfortable cabin which can quickly and easily be configured to carry between two and eight occupants. With its sleek nose and black plastic exterior mirrors and similarly unadorned bumpers and side protection moulding, the Tepee clearly combines the practical and the aesthetic, confirming that this vehicle is perfectly suited to a number of roles too. The front bumper forms an integral part of the distinctive countenance and the structures behind it have been designed for ease of repair.
And with Peugeot’s leadership in the turbodiesel field with their HDi engine range, the Tepee’s powerplant is ideally suited for its function. Under the stubby bonnet is a willing and able version of the company’s direct injection, common-rail 2,0-litre HDi, rated at 88 kW at 4 000 rpm and 300 Nm at just 2 000 rpm – this high torque output at a low speed makes it ideal for carrying heavy loads at low engine speeds. When mated to the light-shifting ML6C six-speed box its breadth of capability is enhanced further, giving it a combination of lugging power and open road cruising ability which is hard to match.
Thanks to features such as a two-stage injection process, the engine meets Euro 4 emission standards and emits just 198 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This translates into fuel consumption of just 7,5 litres per 100 km in the Combined cycle, dropping down to 6,5 on the open road. With an 80 litre fuel tank, operators will waste little time at the fuel pumps and because it is so clean-burning, oil changes are required only every 30 000 km.
Speed-sensitive electro-hydraulic steering contributes further to its frugal appetite. On the subject of the mechanical hardware, the Tepee combines MacPherson struts with a coil-sprung torsion beam axle at the rear. Ensuring ride comfort for all three rows and still giving the driver a sense of control is a tough ask in this class of vehicle but it has been achieved by fine-tuning the spring and damper rates to reach a healthy compromise across broad usage patterns.
A cabin designed by Pininfarina suggests driver comfort (and therefore attentiveness) has been placed high on the design agenda. The driver’s needs in terms of comfort and convenience are further attended to by a height-adjustable seat with lumbar support and a steering column which adjusts in vertical and horizontal planes. All doors lock automatically once underway and cruise control is just the press of a button away to reduce the driver’s workload once on the freeway. The front passenger also gets an individual seat, which like the driver’s, has a fold-down armrest.
Passengers are able to dictate their own heating and cooling requirements thanks to separate air conditioning controls (six separate vents ensure an even distribution), while there are sliding windows for those in the second row, and hinged rear quarter lights for those even further back. All of this results in an open and airy ambience, conducive to a pleasant motoring experience.
Access to the second and third rows is via a sliding door on each side of the vehicle, with a tilt/fold mechanism for the 60:40 split ensuring easy access to the third row from either side.
The Tepee is a first-class people carrier and because people invariably come with luggage, there’s plenty of space for that. There is 761 litres of storage space when loaded to window level and a giant 1 195 litres up to the roof. And that’s before a single seat has been removed.
In addition to a high level of dynamic ability from a chassis which behaves with decorum seldom associated with people-carriers, the Tepee benefits from Peugeot’s deep-seated belief in occupant safety as a core of vehicle design. For example, the engine compartment has been designed with upper and lower impact absorption structures that spread the energy – irrespective of the type of accident the vehicle is involved in – and prevent the powertrain from intruding into the front of the passenger compartment. Then there are retention pins fitted into the front doors to help keep them located in the door aperture, which along with the reinforcing bars in the doors themselves results in enhanced side impact protection. At the rear, an aluminium impact beam with deformable crash boxes is fitted to control energy absorption in the length of the luggage compartment, once again leaving the passenger compartment undamaged.
The Tepee model sold in South Africa also has driver and passenger airbags and disc brakes all round enhanced by anti-lock and electronic pressure distribution systems. It is a child-friendly vehicle and the passenger airbag can be disarmed while the outer seats in the second row have ISOFIX child seat tethers.
Finally, the Tepee boasts the levels of refinement expected in a passenger vehicle, underpinned by the inherent smoothness of the DW10 engine. A major source of noise into a large single-box vehicle comes from the floor area and the Tepee has a special underbody treatment to negate this. In addition, acoustic insulators and extra sound proofing has been fitted in the engine compartment. As a result, whatever happens to be playing on the tuner or in the CD slot will be received loud and clear.
The Tepee, as part of Peugeot Motors SA’s increasingly broad-based offering, is expected to play an important role in the brand reaching a new segments of the market. With the sector for people-movers expected to be a dynamic one in the next year, the Lion is well-placed to meet the expected demand in a safe, comfortable and stylish package.
That’s why Peugeot Motors South Africa has introduced the Tepee, a generously-equipped eight-seater bus aimed primarily at the hospitality industry, but with considerable appeal for those with large families who want an enticing mix of space, comfort, and safety.
Sharing chassis fundamentals with the acclaimed Expert van range means that the Tepee comes with durable underpinnings, making it eminently suited to an application where it may be required to spend many hours on the road everyday, much of that time with a substantial cargo of passengers and their luggage.
In essence, the Tepee represents a new way of travelling thanks to its bold design, car-like dynamics, and an exceptionally spacious and comfortable cabin which can quickly and easily be configured to carry between two and eight occupants. With its sleek nose and black plastic exterior mirrors and similarly unadorned bumpers and side protection moulding, the Tepee clearly combines the practical and the aesthetic, confirming that this vehicle is perfectly suited to a number of roles too. The front bumper forms an integral part of the distinctive countenance and the structures behind it have been designed for ease of repair.
And with Peugeot’s leadership in the turbodiesel field with their HDi engine range, the Tepee’s powerplant is ideally suited for its function. Under the stubby bonnet is a willing and able version of the company’s direct injection, common-rail 2,0-litre HDi, rated at 88 kW at 4 000 rpm and 300 Nm at just 2 000 rpm – this high torque output at a low speed makes it ideal for carrying heavy loads at low engine speeds. When mated to the light-shifting ML6C six-speed box its breadth of capability is enhanced further, giving it a combination of lugging power and open road cruising ability which is hard to match.
Thanks to features such as a two-stage injection process, the engine meets Euro 4 emission standards and emits just 198 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This translates into fuel consumption of just 7,5 litres per 100 km in the Combined cycle, dropping down to 6,5 on the open road. With an 80 litre fuel tank, operators will waste little time at the fuel pumps and because it is so clean-burning, oil changes are required only every 30 000 km.
Speed-sensitive electro-hydraulic steering contributes further to its frugal appetite. On the subject of the mechanical hardware, the Tepee combines MacPherson struts with a coil-sprung torsion beam axle at the rear. Ensuring ride comfort for all three rows and still giving the driver a sense of control is a tough ask in this class of vehicle but it has been achieved by fine-tuning the spring and damper rates to reach a healthy compromise across broad usage patterns.
A cabin designed by Pininfarina suggests driver comfort (and therefore attentiveness) has been placed high on the design agenda. The driver’s needs in terms of comfort and convenience are further attended to by a height-adjustable seat with lumbar support and a steering column which adjusts in vertical and horizontal planes. All doors lock automatically once underway and cruise control is just the press of a button away to reduce the driver’s workload once on the freeway. The front passenger also gets an individual seat, which like the driver’s, has a fold-down armrest.
Passengers are able to dictate their own heating and cooling requirements thanks to separate air conditioning controls (six separate vents ensure an even distribution), while there are sliding windows for those in the second row, and hinged rear quarter lights for those even further back. All of this results in an open and airy ambience, conducive to a pleasant motoring experience.
Access to the second and third rows is via a sliding door on each side of the vehicle, with a tilt/fold mechanism for the 60:40 split ensuring easy access to the third row from either side.
The Tepee is a first-class people carrier and because people invariably come with luggage, there’s plenty of space for that. There is 761 litres of storage space when loaded to window level and a giant 1 195 litres up to the roof. And that’s before a single seat has been removed.
In addition to a high level of dynamic ability from a chassis which behaves with decorum seldom associated with people-carriers, the Tepee benefits from Peugeot’s deep-seated belief in occupant safety as a core of vehicle design. For example, the engine compartment has been designed with upper and lower impact absorption structures that spread the energy – irrespective of the type of accident the vehicle is involved in – and prevent the powertrain from intruding into the front of the passenger compartment. Then there are retention pins fitted into the front doors to help keep them located in the door aperture, which along with the reinforcing bars in the doors themselves results in enhanced side impact protection. At the rear, an aluminium impact beam with deformable crash boxes is fitted to control energy absorption in the length of the luggage compartment, once again leaving the passenger compartment undamaged.
The Tepee model sold in South Africa also has driver and passenger airbags and disc brakes all round enhanced by anti-lock and electronic pressure distribution systems. It is a child-friendly vehicle and the passenger airbag can be disarmed while the outer seats in the second row have ISOFIX child seat tethers.
Finally, the Tepee boasts the levels of refinement expected in a passenger vehicle, underpinned by the inherent smoothness of the DW10 engine. A major source of noise into a large single-box vehicle comes from the floor area and the Tepee has a special underbody treatment to negate this. In addition, acoustic insulators and extra sound proofing has been fitted in the engine compartment. As a result, whatever happens to be playing on the tuner or in the CD slot will be received loud and clear.
The Tepee, as part of Peugeot Motors SA’s increasingly broad-based offering, is expected to play an important role in the brand reaching a new segments of the market. With the sector for people-movers expected to be a dynamic one in the next year, the Lion is well-placed to meet the expected demand in a safe, comfortable and stylish package.
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