Peugeot 5008 (2017 - ) Review

The latest Peugeot 5008 combines dynamic good looks with the practicality of seven-seat versatility. The designers have cleverly created a vehicle that looks like a neatly styled SUV rather than a boxy people carrier and the interior is just as impressive.

Customers can choose from a range of trim levels along with a wide selection of petrol and diesel powertrains, plus manual or automatic transmissions.

If you loved the award-winning Peugeot 3008 but need a little more room, then this is the beefed-up version with all the trimmings. And it needs to impress with so many seven-seat competitors out there nowadays, such as the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and all-new Toyota Highlander vying for sales.

The Peugeot 5008 is available in trim levels called Active Premium, Allure, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium with prices ranging from £30,010 to £41,340

We opted for the 1.2-litre petrol-driven 5008 in Allure guise costing £33,035. This three-cylinder engine was matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission and could complete the 0-62mph dash in 10.2 seconds, topping out at 117mph.

It would be easy to assume that a little three-pot engine would struggle to power such a large vehicle, but it does exceptionally well cruising at 70mph on motorways and delivers ample bite to zip along country lanes too. 

The compact flat-top and flat-bottom steering wheel is a Peugeot invention that’s been around for some time now. It can take time to get used to, but the steering is nicely weighted with paddles to change gears manually, and the driver can flick through drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport that alter the mannerisms of the car considerably.

Due to its fairly high-sided design, tighter bends do need to be given a little respect, but generally the road holding is nicely confident with little sign of body sway. And that upright driving position is great to look over the hedgerows when stuck behind a tractor so it’s easy to spot a safe space up ahead to overtake.

Comfort is an area that Peugeot prides itself on and the 5008 is no exception. It delivers a cushioned and nicely controlled ride for all occupants - even those sitting right at the back.

It’s worth remembering that the 5008 aims to deliver comfort above dynamism so it tends to cruise down the B roads rather than blast a path. But with that in mind, it’s no slouch either and accelerates nicely though the automatic gearbox. A model powered by the same engine but with a six-speed manual transmission is available for anyone who prefers to avoid automatics.

The 5008 is a deceptively agile car with an excellent turning circle, which is good news if you plan on doing lots of town centre driving, school drops or, if like me, simply prefer to ignore sat nav directions until proven wrong! 

Unlike many rivals, there is no four-wheel drive feature for the Peugeot 5008, but there is the option of Grip Control which is an electric traction set-up and capable of keeping the car moving in more adverse driving conditions.

It’s also worth thinking carefully about the size of the wheels. While larger alloys may look the business, they are often detrimental to the ride quality and fuel efficiency.

The latest five-door 5008 is certainly a great looking car with dynamic styling both inside and out. There is a chrome grille, chrome front wing trim, black window trims, a body-coloured rear spoiler, roof rails and door handles, plus gloss black front bumper air scoops and connecting strip between the rear lights. The 18-inch Detroit Storm Grey alloys, plus smart light clusters including claw-effect rear lights, complete the look.

Moving inside, the interior is clutter-free with a nice combination of textile and leather-effect upholstery throughout. There is blue ambient lighting and a carbon effect finish to the dashboard and door panels. The digital instrumentation and satin chrome dashboard trim look really premium in their design.

The 18-inch wheels on the test model perfectly suited the car and, along with the impressive suspension set-up, helped deliver a comfortable ride for occupants with most bumps and dips ironed out along the way.

In addition, the highly effective insulation keeps any engine, road surface, or wind noise to a minimum. You will hear a little screech from the three-pot engine under really heavy insulation, but generally it’s all nice and calm beneath the bonnet.

My only slight gripe was the auto stop/start system which was a tad jumpy at lights.

With its upright, elevated seating, along with plenty of steering wheel and seat adjustment, getting a comfortable driving position inside the Peugeot 5008 is a simple process. These adjustments were manual on out Allure trim car, but you will see powered seats and even massage functions on higher specced versions.

Peugeot adopted its i-Cockpit dashboard layout some time ago now and part of that is a tiny square-like steering wheel with the instrumentation panel viewed above the rim. You may resemble a nodding dog initially as you look through and then over the wheel, but it does work well once you have become accustomed to it.

All the instrumentation is clear to see and can be personalised to taste with a huge navigation map across the 12.3 TFT screen or simply the current speed.

Elsewhere, most functions are operated via a 10-inch high-definition touchscreen with fast key access to music, climate control, navigation, the car settings and phone functions. My gripe here would be how over-complicated it is to simply change the temperature on the fly.

On-board technology is impressive though with a six-speaker sound system, Mirror Screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, navigation, a DAB radio, voice recognition, front and rear parking sensors, plus smart ambient lighting.

The driver visibility is generally good although wide B pillars rather obscure the over-the-shoulder view.

The Peugeot 5008 is all about practicality with room for seven without impacting upon style. In fact, from the outside, it’s hard to believe just how roomy the vehicle is with its Tardis-like cabin.

Measuring 4,641mm in length, 1,844mm in width and 1,646mm in height, Peugeot has carefully planned the interior layout to maximise space for passengers while still offering ample storage options.

Up front, the two occupants have bags of room to stretch out and those occupying the trio of individual second row seats are also treated to ample leg, head and shoulder room. If the optional panoramic sunroof is included this does reduce head room considerably so it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons.

The duo of rear seats lay completely flat to the boot floor when not in use which is handy as it doesn’t compromise the storage area. However, there is quite a gap at the back of the second row of seats and I did find on more than one occasion bits and pieces rolled down there.

The boot can swallow 702 litres of kit with the second row of seats in an upright position – a limit that increases to 1,940 litres when they are dropped flat.

And there are plenty of additional storage areas scattered throughout the cabin too, including a really deep cubby beneath the front armrest, practical door bins, a small glovebox, seat back pockets and cup holders. 

The Peugeot 5008 is priced from £30,010 to £41,340 and all models are well equipped as standard. Customers can choose from a number of optional packs and can also personalise their vehicle with different colour and material designs along with an array of alloy wheel styles.

Our test car was £33,035 and the only extra cost was for non-standard metallic paint that added £575 to the price-tag.

Buyers can select from a wide range of petrol or diesel-powered models with the diesel variants offering excellent fuel efficiency of up to 50.2mpg.

The official fuel economy on our 5008, powered by the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine was a combined 38.7mpg with carbon emissions of 151g/km.

This CO2 figure would result in a first year Vehicle Excise Duty charge of £555 dropping to the standard rate of £155 after the first 12 months. Opt for the 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel engine and a carbon emissions figure is as low as 133g/km and you will see a first year VED bill of £220.

There is a really clever cost-saving function if the petrol-powered car is running in ECO mode and twinned with the EAT8 gearbox (as ours was). The PureTech engine automatically switches to freewheeling mode and, this function, working between 15mph and 80mph, eases internal friction in the gearbox and reduces fuel consumption by around three per cent.

The Peugeot 5008 Allure 1.2 PureTech 130 EAT8 S&S is in insurance group 20.

Peugeot frequently scores well in customer satisfaction surveys and the 5008 should deliver thousands of problem-free miles for its owners.

The latest car looks and feels like it will survive the test of time with high quality fixtures and fittings throughout. The half leather-effect, half-textile upholstery is not only comfortable, but looks and feels durable too.

All the switchgear, including the piano keys for fast access to on-board systems, look sturdy in their design and, although the touchscreen is susceptible to fingerprints it can easily be wiped clean.

A slight criticism would be the large amount of hard plastic inside the cabin. While our model was almost new and looked in mint condition, these surfaces may start to look a tad jaded and scratched over time.

The 5008 comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. But it’s worth noting Kia, Toyota and Hyundai offer better warranty packages.

Peugeot also offers some attractive plans to ensure servicing costs are covered. For example, a 36-month, 30,000-mile plan costs £16.28 per month, a 48-month, 40,000-mile plan costs £20.30 a month and a 60-month, 50,000-mile package is £20.00 per month. It is also possible to extend the Peugeot Assist breakdown cover for an additional fee.

The Peugeot 5008 SUV gained a maximum five-star safety score when it was tested for its Euro NCAP rating and it’s loaded with kit to protect occupants and other road users alike.

Features on our supposedly low-spec trim were extensive and included anti-lock brakes with electronic braking distribution, emergency braking assistance, automatic door locking, speed limit recognition and recommendation, Isofix child seat fittings across the three second-row seats, dynamic stability control, an electronic anti-skid system, cruise control with speed limiter and a full suite of airbags.

Also included as standard was a Safety Plus Pack that introduced an advanced emergency braking system, front collision warning, lane keeping assist with road edge warning, driver attention alert, high beam assist and active blind spot detection.

All versions of the 5008 get Peugeot Connect SOS & Assistance which can be activated manually via a dedicated SOS button or automatically if the airbags are deployed. The exact position of the car is detected and the emergency services are alerted immediately for a rapid response.

The car is equipped with a high-end alarm system and immobiliser to keep uninvited attention at bay.