• Peugeot’s i-Cockpit set-up for the Rifter
• Works surprisingly well and remains airy
• Some may find it takes a while to get used to

How is the quality and layout?

Like all Peugeots, the Rifter features i-Cockpit. This mixes a tiny, low-mounted steering wheel with a gauge display mounted high up on the dashboard. It works surprisingly well in the Rifter as its tall driving position leaves enough adjustment in the seat to not leave you feeling hemmed in by the steering wheel.

Still, some of our testers found the conventional setup of the Citroen Berlingo easier to live with. So, if you’re in the market for this sort of vehicle, we suggest you organise a test drive in both to make sure you can live with the driving position before handing over your cash.

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Quality will seem a little disappointing if you’re stepping out of premium SUV. There are plenty of hard-wearing commercial vehicle plastics – and about the only squishy bit in the Rifter’s cabin is a small patch of padding on the door card’s armrest. At least the cabin is easy to clean. We reckon it’ll wear its years well.

We also appreciate how Peugeot retained Rifter’s physical dials and toggle switches for the heater controls. They’re far safer to use on the move.

Infotainment and technology

Not every Rifter had an infotainment system. The most basic models had an old-fashioned radio panel, while plusher variants received an 8.0-inch touchscreen. It works okay, but it already looks dated and you don’t get many connectivity features for your phone.

Peugeot gave the facelifted e-Rifter a new infotainment screen as part of its update. It has a 10.0-inch screen with much sharper graphics, more logical menus and standard support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Despite this, it’s still not as easy to use as Skoda’s infotainment setup. It doesn’t have quite as much processing power, which makes it painfully slow to swap between menus. We’re not stuck on the colour scheme, either. There’s very little contrast.

Comfort

• Rifter’s ride is comfort-focused
• Deals with worst roads well
• Refinement is also impressive

The Rifter’s suspension is unapologetically biased towards comfort. That means it’s a joy to drive on even rougher roads and speed humps. It deals with imperfections in the road well, with only huge holes in the road sending shudders through to the occupants.

The ride on top-spec GT Line versions can feel a little busy with the largest 17-inch alloy wheels. This could improve under the added weight of passengers and cargo, but it never really settles down on bumpy roads. However, if you opt for Advanced Grip Control to maximise low-grip conditions, these go down to smaller 16-inch ones.

Where the Rifter didn’t move the game on was in refinement. The engine is hushed, but the resonance in its vast interior means road and wind noise is ever present inside.

To be fair to Peugeot, the Rifter’s refinement was always better than its van-based rivals, but you can’t escape the wind noise due to the upright windscreen and large door mirrors. The larger wheels on the GT Line didn’t help minimise road noise either, so longer journeys could prove wearisome.