New Peugeot 5008 2017 review ~ station of gear

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15 Feb, 2017 7:45pm Sam Naylor

The Peugeot 5008's new SUV look hides a car that's improved in almost every way

When the Peugeot 3008 arrived at the end of last year, we were impressed with the step up in quality over the previous model – with the new car offering improvements in almost every area. Now it’s the turn of the 5008 – the brand’s second attempt at transitioning from MPV to SUV.

It’s easy to see the connection just from the styling, as the 5008 wears a very similar face to its smaller brother, with the same high bonnet, wide grille and sharp-looking headlights.

The main changes come at the back, where the longer roofline - to accommodate the third row of seats - gives it a more upright look. You still get the distinctive triple LED taillights, though, and while the high shoulder lines look a bit awkward, it’s certainly more desirable than before.

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Get inside and you’ll find that the interior has had a complete overhaul, too - and it’s almost completely for the better. The quality of the materials is excellent, the design of the dash and centre console is superb, and the all-digital i-Cockpit display that replaces the dials is a big improvement.

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It’s the same interior you get on the 3008, and just like in that car it makes the 5008 feel very upmarket inside. The i-Cockpit display can show sat-nav maps in between the speedo and rev counter, while the central touchscreen display is clean and crisp.

There are buttons to access the main features - media, nav, climate control and so on - but this screen remains a source of frustration for the driver. Quickly switching the air-con temperature is a pain when you have to look away from the road for several seconds to see what you’re doing.

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Thanks partly to a wheelbase that’s 165mm longer than the 3008, there’s quite a bit more legroom inside for rear passengers, but space in the front is pretty much identical to the smaller car. Headroom in our car, which was fitted with a panoramic sunroof, was unfortunately not enough for a six-footer to sit in the back seats comfortably.

The third row of seats is particularly cramped, although they’re only really meant for kids. Access is pretty good, however, meaning clambering into the back is a more dignified affair than in Renault Grand Scenic - though that car has more space once you’re inside.

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You can remove the third row of seats to free up more boot space, which stands at 1,060 litres five seats in place. The second row is made up of three individual chairs that can slide back and forth to trade off between legroom and boot space, but there’s still plenty of knee room with them set forward.

You can fold them down to create a flat load bay, but the gap behind the seats is a pain and will surely result in the odd lost toy or mobile phone. Sliding something heavy into the boot could be frustrating as well, since the flaps covering the seats aren’t completely flush with the boot floor.

Where buyers might be pleasantly surprised, though, is when they get behind the wheel. Though we’ve only tried it on smooth Portuguese roads for now, the 5008 seems to ride very well, feeling composed on faster roads while also dealing with bumpy surfaces deftly. We barely noticed the bigger potholes on our route, though we’ll reserve final judgement for our UK road test.

It’s not the most dynamically-capable car, with quite a bit of body roll in corners and numb steering, but the new 5008 is much better than its predecessor in that regard. The steering is on the light side, but there’s a sport mode that adds weight – though it feels a bit artificial.

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The 2.0-litre diesel engine with 148bhp in our test car is a decent unit, with plenty of mid-range torque, but it’s gruff and isn’t likely to be the best choice in the range. The 1.6-litre diesel with 118bhp offers a better balance between performance and economy. The manual gearbox is on a par with rivals, although the chubby gearstick feels a bit unwieldy in the hand.

With no 4x4 version available – and no plans for one in the future – the 5008’s SUV looks aren’t matched by the available powertrains, especially as the car now counts the Land Rover Discovery Sport among its key rivals. The Nissan X-Trail and Skoda Kodiaq both offer four-wheel drive models too, although few buyers will realistically need that functionality.

Many car makers are going big on safety kit these days, and Peugeot is no exception: all cars get automatic emergency braking as well as a driver attention warning system and traffic sign recognition.

Peugeot’s 5008 has had a complete overhaul, with an all-new look, a significantly better interior and more space inside as well. In fact, since it’s also better to drive, it appears improved in almost every way. We’ll have to wait until we’ve got UK prices to give a definitive verdict, but if Peugeot gets the numbers right, then the 5008 could be a top choice for those after a practical seven-seat family car.

Model: Peugeot 5008 Allure 2.0 BlueHDi 150
Price: £27,300 (est)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel
Power: 148bhp
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive

0-62mph: 9.6 seconds
Top speed: 128mph
Economy: 61.4mpg
CO2: 118g/km
On sale: May

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