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Expert Review
Today I'm reviewing the Peugeot Boxer at the professional trim level. This trim means a lot more comfort in the cabin to go with all of that power under the bonnet. The first thing you may notice about this van is that it looks incredibly similar to the Citroen Relay. However, our Vanarama road test is going to show you that this van is, in fact, a completely different kettle of fish - (in a way)!
Exterior & Style
Let's get started where we always do - at the front. As I mentioned, it's quite familiar - the Citroen Relay and the Peugeot Boxer do look very alike, but that's because they platform share. The major difference is obviously the big Peugeot badge right at the front and the fact it has its name written on the top of the grill. This is also a new grill, specifically built for the Boxer. It sits on this 3-part front end which, as we discussed in the Citroen Relay review, is built like this to save you money. How does it do that, you ask? Well, if you damage one of the panels, you don't need to take the whole front of the vehicle off, you can just replace that one damaged panel. Neat!
I have to say, I do like the front end of this vehicle -Â the platform is very tough and durable and allows easy mounting of things like the headlight clusters. The big, bright halogen bulbs give you excellent visibility and I love how they sweep around the vehicle and go up to that little point - a nice feature from Peugeot.
The next thing you notice about this vehicle is the set of big, steely wheels - also very tough and durable which is definitely a running theme here! And nowhere is this durability more prevalent than on the wing mirrors made of tough black plastic and housing electrically adjustable indicators that are set into the sides.
When you take a step back, you can truly take in the scale of this vehicle. Whilst it's a large van, it's actually a little bit shorter than you'd expect. That's because it's an L3 H2 version, which means it's just under the highest version and just a little bit shorter than the longest version. This is actually the kind of size that most tradespeople prefer, because a shorter vehicle means a higher payload!
Inside The Peugeot Boxer
Stepping inside the Boxer and my first impressions are that all that tough durability from outside has been extended inside too. There's a lot of very tough, black plastic and the durable fabric all across the cabin. There's also some colour in here - a little bit of red and blue adds personality and breaks up the normal monotone interior.
So let's start at the steering wheel and yes, you've guessed it, it's tough and durable! Made from black plastic again, it has some basic controls on either side including your phone controls on the right hand side and your volume and voice controls on the left. There's great grip on the wheel too - I don't think that's going to be slipping out of your hands if you try to take a very tight corner. Behind the wheel, you've got some stalks including cruise control and your speed limiter. All very handy and easy to use.
Looking through the steering wheel, you'll find a very clear, basic dashboard which has a nice big driver information display in the middle. It uses simple orange text on a black background which makes it very clear and includes everything you'd expect to see.
One of my favourite features of this series of vans is the clipboard that pops out at the top of the infotainment system. This is a great feature if you've got some directions or you've got a digital device which you can have running whilst you're driving. Or, if you've got some order forms, you can just shove them in there and they won't be going anywhere. I like how it pops in and out and then sits back down flush on top of the radio - another nice touch.
Just below this, you'll notice a slot for a CD! How very '90s -Â it's very cool and very kitsch to have something like that in here. On the display there's also a TFT touchscreen where you can access all sorts of stuff. The Peugeot system is quite basic but it's very functional. Features include a radio, media and satellite navigation. You can also hook up your phone by USB or bluetooth, which is always handy.
Below this section you've got your defrost button and your climate controls. You can control fan speed, temperature, direction of airflow and how it's flowing - whether it's being circulated or it's just coming straight in. Below that you've got your hazard light which is a big flash of red and nice to see in a dark interior just like this.
Moving onto the gearstick, which is one of my favourites - it's very easy to use and I like that it's console-mounted so there's no awkward knee fondling. Below that you've got some of the best cup holders I've ever seen. And if you're a regular reader, you know how much I like a cup holder! This is something you only get at the professional trim level -Â it's called 'phone and drink storage' and can fit a 1-litre bottle in there nicely - that's not going anywhere. There is also a little pocket where you can stick your phone. Excellent!
Moving onto the other available storage and above the passenger seats there's some storage plus a flip-top up on the dash too. Because it has air conditioning as standard, it means that this little compartment stays very cool. You can stick your sandwich or your drink in there and it will stay very nice and cool while you're on the road.
There's also a nice little cubby with a lip - some vehicles I've seen these days don't have this lip at the end so when you put something in the cubby and take a tight corner it just slides out the side. With this one, nothing is going to come out of there! Below that you've got a very nice little glovebox. There's not a whole lot of room in there I've got to say, I'd expect to see something a little bit bigger in a vehicle of this size, but you'll be able to fit your manual, your locking wheel nuts and your AdBlue filler in there absolutely no problem.
The final thing I am loving about the interior on the Boxer is what you get just under the middle seat - it's sort of a mobile office. There's some cup holders and it's also got a little clip for holding documents in place. And it's nice to see something solid being used as a clip,in some vehicles these days you just get a kind of elastic bungee cord over the centre which they tend to come out of the sides whereas this I think is probably going to stay exactly where it is. There's also some coat hooks which just add to the very practical interior.
Loadspace and Exterior
When you get into the back of this vehicle the first thing you notice is the gigantic doors - they're 1.8 metres high and both of them open up to the standard 90 degrees. Just on the inside they've got these little convenient buttons to allow you to open them up to a full 180 degree which gives you full access - so that 1.6 metre wide aperture. In the L3 H2 version, the vehicle's loading bay is nearly 4 metres long and height wise just over 2 metres high. I've got lots of clearance above my head and at its widest, the vehicle is 1.8 metres wide and that sims to just about 1.4 metres between the arches.
There's also some lovely ply lining and lashing points on the floor and the sides and If we track round to the side sliding door, you'll see that these doors are around 0.7 metres high and 1.5 metres wide. This means you'll be able to get pallets in from the side door and the back doors too which is what makes this van very functional and really sets it apart from its competition!
Driving Experience & On The Road
So, let's see how this bad boy handles the tarmac! Just like the Citroen Relay, the driving position is very nice and high. The massive great big windscreen gives you superb visibility out the front of the vehicle too, which I like it a lot. Driving a large van is well, great - I've said it before and I'll say it again - driving a big van makes me feel like a big man! This shared platform is one of my favourites - very tough, very high-performing and very durable. The Peugeot is also capable of carrying very impressive payloads, especially with vehicles that are usually at the higher height and would not necessarily be able to take as much weight. It's funny actually, it's only when this vehicle gets longer that you really have to make any compromise on payload, whereas when you get a higher version of the vehicle, payload very much much stays the same
There's a significant amount of power available from this engine - it's a 2.2 litre Euro 6.2 10th diesel engine which returns excellent running costs. There's a lot of power, there's a lot of torque and the gearstick allows you access to this brilliant 6-speed gearbox which is mated to the engine and makes for a very nice drive. I mean, you need a lot of power when you're carrying 1,500 kilograms and when you're towing braked another 2,500 kilograms.
Driving the Peugeot round tight corners you will find a little bit of wobble, but it's nothing you're not really going to expect in a van of this size. When I drop it down a couple of gears, I have enough power to get around and get control. There is a bit of a hairy moment where it just felt like the vehicle was just tipping just that little bit too much, but to be fair, that was an exceptionally tight corner you don't often get. I've been taking this round roundabouts and round standard 90-degree corners and experiencing no real issues whatsoever. The only thing that I'm very conscious of every now and then I do get a little clunk from a tree branch just on the top of this vehicle, but that's what's bound to happen driving a vehicle like this, you'll be taking some foliage with you!
Whilst the interior may look a little bit bland, the seats themselves are very comfortable. I feel like they're hugging my bum quite nicely and I've got a nice little armrest making it quite a relaxing vehicle to drive. I've gone through a town centre, we've gone through country roads, we've gone through some A roads and B roads and now I am about to hit a dual carriageway, which will mean that I can open up the engine to see what this 2.2 litre is capable of.
When I took a very short slip road it meant getting my speed up very very fast, which is quite difficult in a vehicle of this size because you slow it down a bit to take those big corners. When you need to though, this van can, surprisingly, pick up speed fast. It handles the motorway very nicely. The one thing I noticed is that there is quite a lot of cabin noise, in fact probably more than I would remember from the Citroen Relay, but it's not too loud. And as I am coming to the end of my drive I get to test one of the great features - the reverse sensors and camera. With a van this size, especially when it's so long, a nice siren going off while you're parking always tells you exactly where you are.
You will typically find vans like the Peugeot Boxer and the Citroen Relay in fleets because they make very cheap to run, very durable fleet vehicles. Imagine you've got multiple people jumping in and out of vans every single day, you've got guys sharing the same spaces and you've got all sorts of people jumping in at any given moment, so you need something that's tough and hard wearing. When you look around at the cabin on the Boxer it's geared up for exactly that sort of lifecycle. The very tough rubber matting on the floor handles all the boots clambering in an d out, it's got the very tough very hard to scratch black plastic all over the interior to avoid being scuffed and scratched and it's also got a very tough and hard-wearing engine, so it can over miles and adapt to different driving styles.
So whether you have someone who's a bit heavy on the clutch or someone who's a bit heavy on the accelerator, these vehicles can handle it. So if you're an independent tradesperson and you're thinking about getting a large van which is tried and tested, toughly built and meant to outlast multiple drivers and multiple driving styles - this could be your perfect choice.
Comparisons
OK so let's do comparisons - we can draw some obvious conclusions when put up against the Ford Transit, for example. The Ford Transit is a big powerful van with a really good engine. The eco blue 2-litre Diesel that Ford put in all their commercial vehicles is a really good engine that returns very good running costs. However, this 2.2 litre engine in the Boxer is also capable of returning very similar miles per gallon. So, you have to start looking a bit more granular… Let's go for cabins - the Ford Transit probably has a better cabin, but this one is tougher and more durable and at the professional trim level you've got cup holders! I'd usually say go for the Transit if you want the cup holders and you won't be disappointed, but actually, going for the professional trim level Peugeot Boxer and you're not going to miss them at all! This is one large van that's hard to beat!
So how do we finish? Well, for anyone who watched my review of the Citroen Relay, this is probably going to come as absolutely no surprise… overall the Peugeot Boxer is tough, it's very durable and it returns great running cost thanks to that excellent engine beneath the bonnet. This is one pretty good large van that passes the Vanarama road test with flying colours!
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Customer reviews
Below are our customer reviews for the Peugeot Boxer. Want to have your say? Leave a review for the Peugeot Boxer now.
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Callum Irvine Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
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Samuel Hotten Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 30 2019
Decent van for the money
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Mohamed Dayib Jama Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 17 2019
good vehicle and reliable
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Katherine Keatley Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 10 2019
So far, so good!! As I have only had it for a few weeks, some of which were the Christmas period, then I can't really rate all these categories yet.
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Nigel Botting Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 06 2018
A real pleasure to drive but don't take it to a supermarket as their spaces don't cater for us van drivers !
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Sebastian Baranowski Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 30 2018
N/A
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Gavin Carrington Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 22 2018
Ideal for what the business needed
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Chris Eggleton Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 09 2018
excellent
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Matthew Ball Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 03 2018
great van. Uses more fuel than I expected but not a major issue. Very happy overall
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Robert Philip Ennis Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 03 2018
Amazing
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Michael Wilson Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 02 2018
Was recommended this van and it didn't disappoint. Reliable, economical and perfect for daily work.
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Nabil Homsi Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 02 2018
Good practical cheap van! Has aircon so really happy with that!
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Derek Fleming Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 23 2018
Great van
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Gary Mulligan Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 15 2018
great van, nice specification, runs well, reliable which is necessary for me and has all the space I need for my work.
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Mark O'neill Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 06 2018
Overall it’s a very nice van would have liked a proper locking glovebox instead of open trays on the passenger side not vanaramas fault just the way the manufacturer makes them . But overall it’s a nice drive no road noise their is a lot of extras The only thing I would get on my next van would be a reverse camera because the van is almost a meter longer than my last van but their is reverse sensors on the back so you do get used to it .
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Robert Sutton Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 19 2018
So far so good very pleased
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Anthony Jump Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 17 2018
Great van
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Paul Cromack Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 12 2018
Good
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Phelim O'neill Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 26 2018
As this is the second Peugeot Boxer van we have we had no problem in adding another to our fleet.
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Robert Mckinlay Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 03 2018
Good
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Clive Williams Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 01 2018
It’s good
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Brian Anderson Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
March 14 2018
I have only given this vehicle a quick test drive personally but it was good and feedback from drivers is positive.
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Anthony Whittle Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
March 06 2018
Good all round van with plenty of extras Received in bad weather , heater takes forever to warm up !
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Alex Buckingham Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 31 2018
Drives nicely , a bit boring , very flat power delivery . Everything does its job , good on fuel
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Jason Lodge Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 18 2018
Bit too early to say, but above based on Citroen Relays we had and just returned for the Boxers.
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Mohammad Latif Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
December 08 2017
Good and reliable vehicle.
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David Crick Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
December 06 2017
Well it managed 1731 miles before it's first major breakdown now back with Peugeot how advise me if it need part there on back order and they current have vans that have been waiting on part for 3 week of and no replacement van during repairs.
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John Bosworth Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 30 2017
Meets our needs.
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Tele Barros Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 31 2017
I know we have three Peugeots in our fleet. If all goes well, should be getting a fourth in the near future. I was skeptical at first as I've always had a Ford Transit or Mercedes Sprinter. But I would have to say the Peugeot Boxer is far superior to the Ford and the Mercedes. 1 carries more weight 2 more miles PL 3 more space between wheel arches - better for pallets. 4 comfort of the drive is also better than the other two.
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Ian Daubney Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 31 2017
This is my second van of this type its great.
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David Lawrence Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 15 2017
Impressed and happy with the delivery, very professional.
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Scott Niven Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 14 2017
First class.
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Martin Waxman Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 19 2017
At early stage but seems a decent work horse and economical. It's also comfy to drive.
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Steve Coney Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 18 2017
A decent van for an affordable price.
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Darren Harmon Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 10 2017
Great van!
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David Lavender Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 30 2017
Good.
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Ian Findlay Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 19 2017
The right vehicle for what we need.
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Richard Clive Cook Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 26 2017
Nice to drive. Very comfortable, plenty of room in the back.
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Kevin Lafferty Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 24 2017
So far it's met all my requirements.
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David Graves Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 21 2017
Slightly underpowered but may get better when run in.
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Terry Brooks Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
March 21 2017
Van very good value for money Load space on LWB is excellent. Sat nav/air con added bonus. Drives like a car would highly recommend.
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Christopher Davis Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
March 02 2017
Best deal.
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Craig Hunt Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
February 21 2017
Good van. Great value! Great spec.
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Donald Carlin Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 31 2017
Brilliant vehicle. Meets all my needs with both reliability and capacity. I'm able to both carry my tools comfortably and still have space for material if the need arises. It is also very comfortable to drive and economical.
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Troy Anthony Burley Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 24 2017
Great all round van, I have recommended to two other colleagues.
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Darren Davies Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 24 2017
The van is just what I was after for my building company and has so far become a daily asset while carrying out are day to day business.
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Ian Hargreaves Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 28 2016
I got a Citroen relay!
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Samuel Knott Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 15 2016
Very nice van! Everything and more we need.
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Michael Gilbert Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 10 2016
Does what we need it to do. Reliable and good value for money.
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Graham Finch Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 08 2016
Some of the questions above are not relevant, like running costs and reliability, we have only just got it!
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Brian Hilder Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 13 2016
Very spacious, well equipped, slightly slower than previous van but as its larger it was to be expected.
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Neil Smith Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
October 11 2016
Overall and a nice van and lot cheaper.
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Robert Walker Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
September 28 2016
Excellent van.
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Michael David Heasman Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 23 2016
Excellent van, so much more space.
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Gerry Devine Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
August 16 2016
I really rate the van, although I've only been driving it for only a couple of weeks. Any problems raised in other reviews (too few cup holders, handbrake in way, visibility of speedometer, etc) I disagree with.
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George Petrie Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 18 2016
Very nice, satisfied with the vehicle.
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James Wilkie Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 29 2016
Very pleased with the van and a lot bigger than I expected it to be.
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Emilia Koziol Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 22 2016
A great van, except for the fact that the handbrake is on the right hand side.
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Gabriel Nagy Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 13 2016
Exactly what I needed. Fits my demands.
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Barry Trainor Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 13 2016
Only had it for a week but so far a really great van for the money and well equipped.
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Graham Hughes Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 07 2016
I haven't done many miles yet but I'm very impressed with the Boxer so far, very easy to drive, comfortable, great spec with air-con, cruise control etc. Looks like it will be an economical van to run and looks smart. Very pleased so far.
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Steve Willcox Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 06 2016
Excellent van and ideal for my purpose.
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Scott Parsons Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
June 06 2016
Really nice van to drive and so practical for my job.
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Karl Williams Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 24 2016
Great van at a great price.
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Peter Kwapisz Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 19 2016
Beautiful van, just what I wanted.
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George Mulloy Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 17 2016
I've only had the vehicle for just over one week and used it infrequently due to circumstances, but initial thoughts are impressive with the only down side at present being the location of the hand break (at the right) which I'm sure I will get used to. Overall it appears good value for money and a big increase in size compared to similar prices for a Vauxhall Vivaro.
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Alan Brooks Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 17 2016
I used to have Renault Master and decided on this van because it had more comprehensive specs in the cab for a cheaper price. So far all seems good and I have to say that I'm happy with everything so far.
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Steven Woods Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 10 2016
I've been running it 4 weeks, it seems noisy on start up but after a minute or so it's ok. Initially I found the viewing of the speedometer impossible, you have to lean slightly to the right to see it so this has now become my driving position. The plastic flap under the steering column can sometimes be caught by your feet when operating the pedals and I feel like I'm missing something with only 1 drinks holder. Overall even with these findings I would order the van again, the space in the back is awesome, I really do like it.
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Heather Rawling Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
May 03 2016
I've only done 800 miles but its proving very good so far.
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Darren Stanley Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 28 2016
The van is good.
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Gary Chalmers Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 26 2016
My new van has given me the extra room I so badly needed. Having a built-in SatNav as well as Bluetooth has been very handy as my phone rings non-stop. I also had the pleasure of dealing with John Molloy, who organised the process of getting my new van.
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Ian walker Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 15 2016
We are using the van to move furniture, house clearances, car boots etc. and it is ideal for these jobs. Thank you for giving us a great deal.
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Phillip Ronald jones Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 15 2016
It's very practical and a joy to drive. The power steering makes it so easy to manoeuvre it's almost like driving a cloud, also the parking sensors are an added bonus in a van as you know how close you are to an obstacle behind. The space in the back is brilliant, as a plumber it's handy for me as I can fit full length pipes in the back. I've also been able to fit 4.4 meter lengths of wood in as it's got an over head bulk. All in all I think it's a great van.
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Darren Stanley Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 15 2016
I'm a plasterer so the van is ideal for 8x4 plaster boards plus it has loads of room for all the other kit and material we carry. Good bulk head for power tools and screws etc. You won't win a races with it, It's steady to drive. A great tool. Loads of cab bits I didn't expect too including a USB port, hands free, Sat-Nav, aircon, speed camera aware and rear parking sensors. The seats are comfy too. Overall a really good price for a really good van.
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Alan Brooks Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
April 15 2016
So far it seems all good, it has all the gadgets and extra's in the cab. It seems to have enough power even with a bit of weight in it.
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Emma Petter Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
March 08 2016
It seems good so far.
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Wayne Hopkins Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
January 05 2016
Used the van for two weeks and very good so far.
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Lee Prothero Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 19 2015
For a professional model I would expect more, fog lights, heated seats etc.
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Phillip Michael Lacey Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
March 27 2015
Great van, very well specified.
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Ben Hedison Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
February 09 2015
The van is a good size. Takes an 8x4 comfortably, and anything 3.6m long. It drives superb, Well balanced, all mod cons with blue tooth, sat nav, cruise control etc.
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Richard Coxshall Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
December 08 2014
Only received today but so far no problems, fit for our purpose.
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James Holden Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
November 04 2014
So far so good. It's nice to drive and loading space is better than our transits.
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Stuart Hunt Peugeot Peugeot Boxer
July 25 2014
Haven't driven it yet
Big load space made to work not to be a show van