Lots of kit equals great value; handsome inside and out; spacious and practical
Lugging 1565kgs asks a lot of the 115kW/240Nm 1.6-litre
Good news for Peugeot, the seven-seat 5008 has survived the ultimate test – a family weekend road trip. Good news from Peugeot, the excellent 5008 (petrol model) we tested is priced at $36,990 and in terms of its quality interior and standard equipment leaves some rivals looking decidedly under-cooked.
Peugeot 5008 Overview
Hooray! At last a simple model lineup – Peugeot offering its mid-size Crossover in just one comprehensively equipped grade. Makes for easy decision-making during the purchase process.
The options list contains just two items – metallic paint or leather seats (our test car ran the standard cloth trim seats which looked great).
So, priced at $36,990 our Peugeot 5008 (petrol) packed-in as standard items like a rear-view camera (image displayed on the rear-view mirror), satellite navigation (on a neat centre-dashboard screen which folds away when parked), twin rear-seat DVD entertainment screens, hill-start assist, cruise control and speed limiter and a massive panoramic glass roof.
The diesel-powered Peugeot 5008 will set you back $40,490.
Nicely styled inside and out, genuinely spacious and with third row seats with reasonable leg-room, the Peugeot 5008 simply must be on your shopping list if a Crossover is on your mind. Sure it’s not the cheapest seven-seater on the market but the extra coin buys a lot of goodies.
Like a croissant with the lot Monsieur and Mademoiselles?
Peugeot 5008 Engine
CarShowroom.com.au tested the Peugeot 5008 powered by the turbocharged Euro-5 compliant 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine – a familiar powerplant across the Peugeot passenger car range.
Maximum power is 115kW at 6000rpm and peak torque of 240Nm is delivered from 1400rpm.
Drive is to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission, zero to 100km/h clicks by in 11.1 seconds and fuel consumption is rated at 7.6l/100kms (combined cycle).
Peugeot also offers the 5008 with its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel which delivers 120kW/340Nm and combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.3l/100kms.
Peugeot 5008 The Interior
Surprise number one – we reckon Peugeot’s interior stylists have delivered one of the best-looking seven-seaters on the market. Lots of Peugeot cues (steering wheel, cruise control stalk etc) distinguish the 5008 from Japanese and Korean rivals and nice high-gloss black trim highlights add just the right amount of European class.
We liked the high-rising centre console around the gear lever and the front seats were very comfortable (unlike some rivals which are a tad harsh). Rake/reach adjustment for the leather-wrapped steering wheel delivered a top-notch driving position and the large glasshouse afforded excellent all-round visibility.
We also liked the fold-down centre arm-rests for the driver and front-seat passenger but cup holders were a bit short in numbers. Ditto for the second row tables which fold from the rear of the front seats – a report from the CarShowroom.com.au juniors points to tables with no cup holders. Sacre Bleu!
Instruments are a nicely–styled conventional layout – but with a typical French-flair touch. The speedometer has increments in odd numbers instead of even. That’s smart when you consider many Australian suburban backstreets now have 50km/h limits (not 60km/h or 40km/h).
Audio is a six-speaker CD system with the usual connectivity features.
The three second row seats have individual slide/fold functions for cargo versatility and ‘theatre-fold’ for access to the two third row seats (which have reasonable leg-room even for adults).
“Massive” is the only world for the Peugeot 5008’s cargo area (and that alone ranks it in-front of many rivals who unsuccessfully trade-off seats for luggage). Aided by the low-opening tailgate, our weekend road-trip paraphernalia (including golf clubs and bed linen for four people) was easily swallowed. That would be 679-litres with the third-row seats in-place or 1754-litres when folded
Peugeot 5008 Exterior & Styling
Surprise numbers two - we hadn’t actually laid eyes on a Peugeot 5008 until we collected our test car and we must say photos sell it short. In the metal, this seven-seater is very nicely penned and oozes European style (we shouldn’t be surprised, this is the company which gives us the RCZ, unquestionably one of the very best styling jobs of the current era).
At 4529mm in overall length, the Peugeot 5008 doesn’t dwarf others in this segment and its proportions are very nicely balanced.
We liked the curved bonnet with the scalloped headlights, we liked the large side glass area and we liked the waist-mounted rear lights. All very modern and all very European.
The Peugeot 5008 sits on nicely-styled 17-inch alloy wheels.
Peugeot 5008 On The Road
Surprise number three – genuine European driving dynamics meant even our family road trip in the Peugeot 5008 wasn’t a chore. Sure if you’re planning on hitching a chain to the back of the Peugeot 5008 to yank the Eiffel Tower out of the ground, the 1.6-litre petrol engine isn’t you buddy…but for most who buy these sorts of vehicles it’s more than adequate, quiet and refined.
Underneath the 5008 runs a MacPherson strut front suspension and a rear set-up described as a “Deformable U-shaped cross member located by two arms and a hollow anti-roll bar”. Call it what you like, the Peugeot 5008 is slick and poised (in a Crossover way) with nice turn-in and balance and surprising compliance for a European car when crashing into those king-size Aussie pot-holes.
The 11.1-metre turning circle also puts a lot of rivals in the shade for maneuverability.
Peugeot 5008 Issues
Overall our extended road trip in the Peugeot 5008 left us very impressed. But all that equipment adds-up to a not-inconsiderable 1565kgs which on steep climbs tested the 115kW/240Nm 1.6-litre petrol engine.
Peugeot 5008 Verdict
When you can have classy European styling combined with family-friendly space, practicality and versatility everyone is happy. Like the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, the Peugeot 5008 delivers on this premise.
We like the looks, the interior is a standout and highway cruising is refined and tranquil.
Best of all, you get the feeling (unlike some in this segment) the youngsters could mush a melted Drumstick into the seats of the Peugeot 5008 and a quick wipe would have them back to new in no time flat.
We suspect the diesel with its 5.0 extra kilowatts and 100 extra Newton-metres is the pick of the two Peugeot 5008 models.
Peugeot 5008 The Competition
Citroen’s C4 Grand Picasso, like the Peugeot 5008 brings genuine French style to the table and there’s lots of kit to justify its $37,490 sticker.
Fiat has the Freemont very sharply priced from $25,990 to $30,300 and the equipment list is massive. Not the newest design in this league but family-friendly strength and practicality are the Freemont’s strong points (as they were for the Dodge Journey).
Honda Odyssey remains one of Honda’s best products. Maybe a tad short of the Peugeot 5008 on interior space, the Odyssey looks the part and is certainly at the pointy end of the field for driving dynamics.
We like the looks of Kia’s new Rondo and it drives very well. As always Kia has the Rondo nicely equipped and sharply priced from $29,990 to $38,990.
