ONE glance in the direction of the Peugeot Partner Tepee will tell you that that this is no car for pure driving enthusiasts or speed freaks, but it does offer plenty of practicality and that's exactly what it was designed to do.

And again it's not particularly easy on the eye, but that upright, boxy design serves a purpose.

For example, the rear sliding doors offer easy access for anyone with mobility issues or for parents transporting children in child seats.

Then there is the storage. It seems everywhere you turn in the Partner Tepee there is another cubby hole or overhead shelf to tuck knick knacks away.

I feel I may be doing the vehicle a little bit of a disservice as the Peugeot isn't ugly, it's simply not that attractive.

It does feature roof rails, smart 16-inch alloys, underbody engine protection, plenty of bumper trim, tinted windows, follow-me-home headlights, automatic lights and wipers, plus daytime running lights.

The interior is bright and breezy too with light flooding into the cabin and comfort levels are good all round with plenty of room in the back for three adults who benefit from the trio of individual seats.

On-board technology is plentiful with a touchscreen digital radio with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB socket. There is automatic dual zone air conditioning, front and rear parking sensors, one-touch electric windows and the test car featured a reversing camera plus sat nav as optional extras.

The Partner Tepee is powered by a 1.6-litre 120hp diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Priced at £20,295 (£22,345 with options) the vehicle in range-topping Outdoor specification could reach 62mph from a standing start in 11.4 seconds and maxed out at 108mph.

According to official figures, it can deliver combined fuel economy of 64.2mpg with carbon emissions of 115g/km.

Thanks to the elevated and upright driving position, there is excellent all-round visibility and all the dials, controls and readouts are perfectly positioned for ease of use. I also liked the individual armrests for the driver and front seat passenger.

But it's really on the practicality front that this vehicle excels. Start loading the boot and you will be there all day before it's full! It has a storage capacity of 675 litres that increases to 2,650 litres with the rear seats dropped flat or a whopping 3,000 litres with the rear seats removed.

If you still want more storage there are plenty of options throughout the car, including a standard glovebox and a second one on top of the dashboard behind the steering wheel, a full width overhead shelf, door bins, two rear lidded underfloor boxes and lots of trays. There are two shallow, but grippy cup holders, along with hooks and nets to prevent shopping bags and other items rolling around.

Entering and exiting the back seats is made simple thanks to the sliding rear doors - this can prove invaluable in a narrow parking bay when trying to get a child out of or into the vehicle.

When it comes to performance the Partner Tepee is quite good fun to drive and is comfortable along country lanes and motorways where it easily keeps pace with traffic.

The acceleration through the manual gearbox is smooth and there is plenty of power on tap for overtaking.

In town centres, the great visibility is a bonus as are the sensors when squeezing into a tight parking space.

Safety features are comprehensive too with the likes of anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce assist and emergency brake assist, electronic stability programme, a front impact bar and numerous airbags.