Head to Head

When it comes to bringing the extended family out on a road trip, there is perhaps no better vehicle than a van. With the ability to carry both people and cargo in comfort, vans have always been a popular choice given our family-oriented culture.

Vans are popular in Europe too and giving us a sample of that is the Peugeot Expert Tepee. This European offering offers a healthy dose of space plus a chic and uniquely French flavor to family transport. Over to the East, Ssangyong has returned to the Philippine market and has hit the ground running with the all-new Rodius. Like the Expert Tepee, the Rodius promises to blend style, comfort and practicality all in one package. Pack your bags and hit the road, it's time to look at vans for this week's head to head.

On this episode of head to head puts the spotlight on two unique vans, the Peugeot Expert Tepee and the Ssangyong Rodius. Let's see how the two stack up against each other.

The SsangyonG Rodius is powered by a 2.0 liter, inline-four turbo-diesel engine that puts out 155 PS and 360 Nm of torque. The Rodius has the distinction of being the only van in its segment to offer both two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive with low range. The Peugeot Expert Tepee meanwhile is also powered by a diesel engine. Under the hood of the Expert Tepee is a 2.0 liter, inline-four turbo-diesel with 163 PS and 340 Nm of torque. Unlike most vans of this size sold in the country, the Peugeot is front-wheel drive, a layout usually seen in passenger cars.

The Peugeot Expert Tepee shifts via a six-speed automatic transmission. Moving on the Ssangyong Rodius, it is available with either a five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.

On to their suspension systems, the Ssangyong Rodius rides on double wishbones in front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The Peugeot Expert Tepee utilizes a MacPherson strut with lower wishbone in front and a unique semi-deformable twist beam with Panhard rods and coil springs.

Stepping inside the Peugeot Expert Tepee, it offers three rows of benches and seating for nine. Seats can be moved, dropped or lowered and the bench seat can be folded and has individual seat backs . On to the front, it features overhead storage for light items and Peugeot has made the driving position more carlike for better long-haul comfort. Overhead airconditioning is standard for second and third-row occupants.

The Rodius one the other hand has three seating options available, namely seven, nine and eleven passenger capacity. In the seven and nine seater models, it has three rows of seats while the eleven seater models boast four rows. Like the Peugeot, the driver's seat is made to be more car-like for better comfort and air-conditioning for three rows.

Being road trip vehicles, entertainment systems were not overlooked. In the Ssangyong, it is equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen in front with HD, DVD, MPX, Bluetooth, USB, auxiliary input and smartphone mirrorlinking. Sound is then channeled through six speakers throughout the cabin.

The Peugeot Expert Tepee's entertainment system meanwhile consists of a seven-inch touchscreen in front and headrest mounted seven-inch screens for the second row passengers. The entertainment system supports DVD, Navigation, USB and Bluetooth.

After a tour of their interiors, let's take a look at their exteriors, starting with the Peugeot. The Expert Tepee follows the common European van format with its upright profile and tall roof. Upswept headlights and unique front fascia treatment give it a distinct look and staying true to its van roots, a pair of tall side mirrors round up the Expert Tepee. For added convenience, the Expert Tepee is equipped with dual sliding doors. Moving on to the Rodius, it is more rounded than its French competitor but still features a tall roof. The front fascia follows Ssangyong's family look with its large headlights and bold grill. Unlike most vans, the Roduis has conventional doors instead of sliding doors. Two character lines define the sides of the Rodius and the upright rear end is complemented by trapezoidal tail lights.

Moving on to safety, the Ssangyong Rodius comes standard with dual airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and parking sensors (ABS + EBD). For the top of the line models, it gets stability and traction control standard, as well as a reverse camera. In the Peugeot Expert Tepee, it gets dual airbags, anti-lock brakes with EBD, parking sensors, traction control and stability control standard.

Prices for the Ssangyong Rodius starts at Php 1,290,000 for the eleven-seater with manual transmission all the way to Php 1,590,000 for the seven-seater 4WD model. There is only one variant for the Peugeot Expert Tepee and it starts at Php 2,200,000.

And that wraps up our head to head for our people carriers. As you have just seen, these vans meet the demands of the modern Filipino family who want and need a comfortable, well-equipped, safe and stylish long-haul van. Visit your nearest dealership to see which one suits you and your family's needs. One thing is for sure, you will not go wrong with either one.