2024 Peugeot 5008 Review

Peugeot is on a roll at the moment. Its range of cars have alluring styling, eye-catching interiors and efficient powertrains – something you couldn’t say 10 years ago. Peugeot isn’t slowing down with its electric offerings, either.

“Now is not the time to row back on our [EV] commitments” said Peugeot’s managing director in a recent press briefing. An interesting nugget considering Fiat and Jeep have both added petrol power to their small EVs in light of slowing sales – and both are related to Peugeot. But Peugeot is forging ahead and, by the end of this year, will have an electric version of every model in its range bar the 508.

So its big-boy SUV, the 5008, gains electric power for the first time. Even the standard e-5008 achieves over 300 miles to a charge, while a 415-mile big-battery version is on the way. Very impressive. In fact, the entire engine range has been flipped on its head – out go the old petrol and diesel engines, in come two hybrid engines to replace them.

With the electrification and the extra interior tech come higher prices. When the last-shape 5008 launched in 2017, it started from roughly £25,000 – about £32,500 in today’s money. The entry-level 5008 is now approaching £37,500, and you’ll need to pay an extra £11,000 to drive the equivalent e-5008. Even with lower running costs, it’ll take private buyers of the e-5008 quite a few years to start saving money against the hybrid version.

We keep flipping between feeling like a £50,000 Peugeot is expensive or good value. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but the e-5008 is essentially in a class of one. If an electric car with 7 seats is a must-have, you might also consider the Mercedes EQB, which is roughly the same price but much less practical and with less range, or more expensive cars like the Kia EV9. Plug-in-hybrid versions of the Skoda Kodiaq and Kia Sorento are within spitting distance of the e-5008’s price, too.

Like the Peugeot 3008 it’s based on, the 5008 has a truly showstopping interior. The digital instrument cluster and touchscreen come in one huge 21-inch curved display, which appears to float above the dashboard. There’s a secondary touchscreen panel beneath that contains configurable shortcut icons to make the screen work for you, and the whole dashboard is draped in an appealing grey fabric that helps to make the 5008’s cabin feel quite upmarket.

Standard equipment is strong. All that we’ve just mentioned comes as standard, along with three-zone climate control, keyless entry, a reversing camera and wireless phone charging. There’s the usual assortment of safety stuff, like lane-keep assist and auto emergency braking.

The 5008 has grown in every dimension compared to its predecessor, with the important stat being a 6cm increase between the front and rear wheels. Combined with the clever slide-and-fold middle seats, the extra wheelbase length makes it easier to clamber into the third row of seats.

Adults can just about fit in the back seats, but the high floor means their knees will be at chest level – so it won’t be comfortable for long journeys. Further forwards, the middle row of seats offers generous head and legroom and more sculpted seats than the outgoing 5008, for increased passenger comfort.

But the new outer middle-row seats come at the expense of a third set of Isofix points, and there isn’t even an option to have a set fitted on the front passenger seat. That’s disappointing given how family-friendly the last-shape 5008 was.

Peugeot quotes a 348-litre boot space figure with all seats up, but with a very odd layout. That figure includes a useful under-seat storage area – well, useful until you inevitably lose something under there. With the third-row seats folded, the available space increases to a whopping 916 litres.

Under the 5008’s shapely bonnet, you’re guaranteed to find an electric motor and a battery. There’s no place for conventional petrol or diesel engines – in the new 5008 you’ve a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric options. That means manual gearboxes are in the rear-view mirror, too, though most family SUV buyers won’t miss them.

All promise to be efficient, at least on paper. The entry-level hybrid is said to manage 52mpg – we achieved 44mpg on our test route, albeit with only two people on board – while the plug-in hybrid offers a 48-mile electric range from a full charge. Full-electric e-5008s come with either 73kWh or 98kWh batteries, with the former giving you 310 miles from a freshly charged battery. The long-range version is confirmed to offer up to 415 miles – which is on par with petrol rivals.

Neither the hybrid nor the e-5008 are very fast, although we know that a 320hp dual-motor version is coming for some reason. The suspension set up is soft, giving a comfy and forgiving ride over big impacts and potholes. The hybrid remains fairly flat through corners, while the e-5008’s extra mass makes itself felt with some body lean. Generally, the 5008 drives well – you’d have no complaints if you bought this car and didn’t expect it to feel like a sports car.