2017 Peugeot 5008 review: more MPV than SUV

Peugeot has forsaken the dowdy MPV segment and is going for striking-looking SUVs instead. The 5008 is the largest of Peugeot’s SUV family cars, and comes complete with seven seats as standard. It’s touting great space and practicality, generous standard equipment and those sharp looks as chief reasons you’d opt for it over its key rival, the Skoda Kodiaq, as well as other seven-seat SUV offerings like the Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and even the smaller, more expensive Land Rover Discovery Sport.

Did you know? The 5008 has three individual seats in the middle row, and three sets of Isofix fittings, rather than the two that most rivals offer.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Verdict

8.0 / 10

The Peugeot 5008 is a great family car. Sure, we’d like it to be a bit more cohesive to drive – the ride comfort and steering response could be better, and, critically, there’s no four-wheel drive option. But excellent seat versatility and neat touches like a boot floor liner that folds out to stops your knees getting dirty against the bumper, are welcome features that any family motorist will appreciate. Plus, when you factor in class-leading equipment levels, it’s really convincing value however you’re paying for the car. It's just not for those who tow or value four-wheel drive versatility.

Design

8/10

Comfort

9/10

Technology & Connectivity

8/10

Performance & Handling

6/10

Safety

8/10

Spec & Trim Levels

8/10

Fuel Economy

8/10

Pricing

9/10

We Like

We Don't Like

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Design

8/10

The 5008 is cut from the same cloth as the smaller Peugeot 3008, wearing the same bold, angular lines. Spec a higher trim model and you even get a contrasting black roof, so it’s certainly a more striking-looking, design-lead car than the clean, or some might say dull-looking Skoda Kodiaq.

Of course, being a full-sized seven-seater the 5008 is a big car and there are some notable blind sports to the rear three-quarters, but visibility is good enough that parking and maneuvering in busy traffic isn’t going to be an issue. Plus, rear parking sensors are standard, or from mid-spec Allure trim and up, you get front and rear sensors and a reversing camera. 

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Comfort

9/10

The first thing that you notice when you slide into the 5008 is its array of screens. The dials are fully digital and are ensconced in a 12-inch screen above the steering wheel, and an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen dominates the central dash.

The dials are generally easy to read, although sometimes it’s hard to figure out which mode you have to toggle to in order to get something as straightforward as a rev counter; it just feels like the funky graphics and colours take precedence slightly over the basic info that a driver will want. Still, once you’ve played about with it you’ll quickly find the dial setup and look that you favour.

Then you notice that the steering wheel is unusually small, and then you proceed to look around and appreciate the variety of gloss or metal-finish materials, and even the lovely, tactile fabric finish available on some trims. It’s a properly smart interior, and while the dials and the air-con controls – which are accessed via the touchscreen – might annoy occasionally, it’s otherwise quite easy to control everything and it has real style flair that none of its rivals offer.

Lumbar adjustment isn’t available on base Allure trim, though, which is likely to bother on a long journey, but otherwise the driver’s seat is adjustable and comfortable enough.

Practicality 

This is the 5008’s trump card. Its middle row is split into three equal-sized seats, each with its own Isofix fittings, meaning that this car should be one of your top options if you’re looking to get three child seats, or a combination of booster and child seats, in the middle row – something that used to be the reserve solely of ‘proper’ MPVs like the Ford S-Max. Still, be sure to take your seats into the showroom to check that they do all fit in a row, as bulky child seats might be too wide to sit side-by-side.

Even so, the middle row of sliding seats is a great feature, and there’s plenty of room to keep three kids happy whether they’re in seats or not. If you spec the panoramic glass roof it can eat into headroom in the middle row quite a bit – a Kodiaq is better on that front, which is something to consider if you’re more worried about accommodating the grandparents than the kids.

Those two fold-up seats in the boot are pretty good in the 5008. You get a little armrest and bottle holder, and while the high floor forces an adult to have their knees uncomfortably high, and headroom will be tight for a taller adult, the 5008 is no worse on that front than any of its rivals. Plus, the rear seats rise and fold really easily and can even be removed altogether. 

The boot is a good size – about on a par with the Skoda Kodiaq – and has an upright bootlid and very squared-off aperture that’ll help if you’ve got a mammoth load of stuff to squeeze into the car. There’s also space to throw a lightweight buggy in the boot, even when you’ve got all seven seats in use.

The clever floor liner also means that you can slide the middle seats forwards for a longer loadbay without leaving a cavern for that annoying loose tin to fall into and never be seen again. The same floor liner also folds out and drops down to cover the rear bumper so you don’t muddy your knees when you’re leaning into the boot. There’s also a place to stow the loadbay cover under the floor if you want to get that out of the way, and there’s lots of cubby space around the cabin including underfloor storage in the middle row (which are compatible with Isofix base legs).

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Technology & Connectivity

8/10

Every Peugeot 5008 comes with an 8-inch touchscreen complete with digital radio, a USB input, Bluetooth, six speaker and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink. Allure is the next trim and adds sat-nav and voice control, while GT Line introduces wireless phone charging.

The system itself is certainly comprehensive, but it’s not the easiest system to use – particularly because you sometimes have to swipe through menus which is a fairly precise action that’s hard to execute on the move. The screen is sometimes a little slow to respond, too.

At least the main sat-nav functions are where you expect them to be and once you’ve got your radio presets sorted there’s not much to complain about.

Various rotary buttons on the steering wheel control the digital driver’s display, which is another thing that you’re likely to spend the first few days of ownership faffing about with and playing with the different colours and settings, before settling on a favourite mode and dial layout, and leaving it there.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Performance & Handling

6/10

Performance

Petrol offerings start with a 128bhp, 1.2-litre turbocharged PureTech petrol engine, which sounds like it’d be impossibly weedy in such a big car, but in fact it does a good job. We drove the manual version (a six-speed auto is available), and it’s quiet and punchy-feeling from low revs, and is within its comfort zone even on country roads and the motorway. It should be your first engine choice if you’re looking at mostly low-mileage school run stuff with the occasional long distance weekend run. We haven’t driven the automatic-only 1.6 petrol, but it seems a hard one to justify given how good the cheaper 1.2 is.

The diesel range is more confusing. A 98bhp 1.6 diesel is the cheapest option, and a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel the core choice. But a new 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel is on the way at the beginning of 2018 (and will replace the manual 118bhp 1.6 BlueHDI), which could well be worth waiting for – especially if you’re a company car buyer. We’ll report back when we’ve driven it.

Oddly, you can’t have any of those engines if you want an automatic gearbox. If you want an auto you have to go for a 118bhp 1.6-litre diesel, or jump up to the auto-only 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel. To add further confusion, the six-speed automatic currently fitted to the 2.0-litre is due to be replaced with a new eight-speed auto in spring 2018.

Anyway, we drove the 2.0 BlueHDi 180 with soon to be defunct six-speed auto, and we’d say you’re wise to wait for the eight speed. It’ll be more efficient and we suspect will be a bit smoother, although the engine itself is refined enough and certainly pokey enough to satisfy even if you’re doing big commuter miles.

Company car buyers would also be wise to wait for the 1.5 diesel if possible, as it’s likely to be the best balance of low emissions and performance, although specifications are yet to be confirmed.

Four-wheel drive isn’t offered, but you can have a clever traction control system that works well in mud and slippery conditions. It won’t help with towing, though, and the front-wheel drive 5008 has a fairly low towing capacity (1800kg max on the 2.0 150 diesel, and much lower on all other models) for a car of this size, so anyone with a trailer or caravan fetish should look elsewhere.

Handling and comfort

This is a weak point with the 5008. It’s not a bad drive, it’s just a very mundane one. The small steering wheel emphasis a slightly inconsistent and unnatural-feeling steering response, and the ride is fidgety and choppy over normal urban and country roads – even if it does settle well on the motorway.

Honestly, the 5008 feels more like a high-riding MPV than the sporty SUV you might be hoping for given the stand-out looks. Having said that, if you’re just after something that’s easy and inoffensive to drive then the 5008 is absolutely fine, and even that ride comfort – while a bit bothersome at times – isn’t bad enough to be a deal breaker.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail are similarly rather underwhelming to drive and a bit lumpy over town roads, so if you want something that’s got real driver satisfaction to it in this class and price range, you’re looking at a Land Rover Discovery Sport. And that’s more expensive to buy and less roomy inside – particularly in the rearmost seats.

Recommended engine: 1.2 130 PureTech

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Safety

8/10

The 5008 gets decent safety kit, including a standard space saver tyre (which we prefer since the tyre inflation gunk often offered as standard is hopeless in most flat tyre situations.) You get six airbags, buttons on the drivers door that lets you lock the rear windows and doors to stop the kids doing anything stupid, plus it’ll brake for you from town speeds if it senses a need to, and lane departure warning is also thrown in.

An alarm and immobiliser are standard across the range, and all but entry-level Active trim cars will call the emergency services automatically if you have an accident and informs them of the car’s location. The only black mark is that there’s no driver’s knee airbag.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Spec & Trim Levels

8/10

Colours

You’re good for almost any colour you want on the 5008 as long as it’s grey. Be it Cumulus, Amozonite or Nimbus, Peugeot has an exciting name for the boring colour of choice, and you’ll have to pay for them because they’re metallic. White is the only no-cost option on lower trims, or black is available on higher trims. The only exciting colours are a metallic green or gold, and you can have a black contrast roof on higher trims.   

Trim Levels

The range kicks off with Active trim, which gets essentials like rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers and the touchscreen audio system. We’d suggest going for the next trim up; Allure adds front parking sensors and reversing camera, sat-nav, that fabric trim we mentioned, plus window blinds and picnic trays in the back. GT Line improves that with full LED headlights and sportier styling features including twin exhausts and the black contrast roof. GT gets the panoramic, opening sunroof and keyless go, amongst other extras.

Size and Dimensions

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Fuel Economy

8/10

If economy is a priority then it’s wise to go for one of the diesels – preferably the 2.0-litre, as the small diesels can be misleadingly clean on paper and then need working quite hard in the real world so return relatively poor economy. However, if your mileage isn’t huge then do seriously think about the 1.2 PureTech engine – it’ll still do around 40mpg in the real world, costs usefully less to buy than the big diesels, and has good official CO2 emissions that’ll ensure decent road tax or company car costs. Plus, with diesel on the industry’s naughty step at the moment, it’s a bit uncertain how residual values of diesel cars will fare over the next few years as demand drops, so petrol is a better shout than ever even in this class.

Insurance costs will be comparable to those of its immediate rivals.

Reliability and servicing

All Peugeot’s come with a three-year, 60,000 mile warranty and one year’s roadside assistance, but if you opt for one of the fixed price servicing packages - £13 per month for a three year package, or £14 per month for four or five years – you get AA roadside assistance included for the length of the contract.

The engines and parts of the 5008 are all fairly familiar and are likely to be pretty durable. Issues with the touchscreen and other electrical ancillaries seem to be the most common gremlins that’ll have you spending time at the dealership.

 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Pricing

9/10

The Peugeot 5008 is competitively priced against all of its core rivals, particularly given how well equipped it is. PCP and contract hire finance deals haven’t been confirmed yet but Peugeot is typically very competitive and also offers its ‘Just Add Fuel’ deal to most models, where you can pay one monthly amount to cover the cost of the car, insurance, tax, servicing and all sundry and maintenance costs apart from fuel.

Emissions are low enough that company car users will find the 5008 very tempting, and don’t discount that 1.2 PureTech petrol, since it falls into the same BIK tax bracket as the 2.0 BlueHDi 150 diesel and has a lower list price. That means it’ll cost less on company car tax - £205 per month (in 2017/2018) for the petrol next to £258 for the diesel, with both specced in GT Line trim for a 40% tax payer.

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