Peugeot Bipper Tepee (09 on) - Review

Two engines are available in the Bipper Tepee and both offer low running costs. The petrol is a 1.4-litre with 75bhp which is fine for urban driving and usefully economical with an average of 43mpg. However, it needs to be revved hard to get decent performance and can feel sluggish. The more expensive HDi engine is also a 1.4-litre that has slightly less power with 68bhp. However, it makes up for this with considerably more pulling power, especially at low revs. As a result, it feels quicker in every day driving, for instance when joining fast flowing traffic. On paper it's actually slower than the petrol from 0-62mph, taking a leisurely 18.7 seconds (around 2.0 seconds longer) but feels more willing with decent in-gear acceleration. The biggest difference is fuel economy, with the HDi able to average 63mpg while CO2 emissions of 119g/km mean it's cheap to tax. Both models come with an adequate five-speed manual gearbox as standard, while an automatic is available with the HDi. Called 2-Tronic it's useful in city traffic and delivers smooth shifts while also allowing you to change gear manually. Unlike many automatics, choosing it doesn't have any impact on economy or emissions, while acceleration actually improves slightly.

Thanks to light steering and a small turning circle, the Bipper Tepee is easy to drive, particularly in town, while slotting it into narrow supermarket car parking spaces is simple. It's also very competent on the motorway where it cruises happily and will keep up with fast flowing traffic. It's not quiet as impressive on more demanding routes, hampered by a lack of feel in the steering which isn't especially responsive either. There's also a fair amount of body roll in tight corners which can be unpleasant for passengers in the back. The ride isn't great either, especially on rough or potholed roads where it tends to fidget as the suspension struggles to cope.