As SUVs becoming the dominant species of the automotive world, surpassing minivans and tourers across the globe, the Peugeot that was once a minivan in the past, the 5008, has been transformed into a crossover utility vehicle in same way what happened to the Renault Espace. Because this is now a SUV, you won't be taking it to your nearest minivan society with your mates anymore because this is no longer a minivan anymore but in terms of making the grade, the new 5008 is a worthy contender in the war of seven-seaters.
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| 2017 Peugeot 5008 |
No, you're not seeing things, ladies and gentlemen. This really is the new 5008, the 5008 that was used to be a minivan is now a crossover and this new model serves as the flagship SUV of the Peugeot family, whatever the heck it is. Peugeot says that the new 5008 promises to pursue the brand's move up-market strategy, to be an international success, and to become the leading benchmark C-segment large seven-seater SUV, although this crossover expects competition from other seven-seater SUVs from Asia, America, and Europe, so to try to up the game, the new 5008 comes ready with a wide-array of features that will swoon drivers and breadwinners alike.
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| 2017 Peugeot 5008 |
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| 2017 Peugeot 5008 interior |
Back when it was a minivan, the previous 5008 looks nice to look at but now as an SUV, the new 5008 looks more like an enlarged 3008 or so they say. Either way, it's a great thing both the old and the new one had in common; they don't have sliding doors so who cares about it. Besides, van men who want a Peugeot with sliding door should go for the Traveller, the Combi range, and the Tepee range. Easier said than done, but this is getting off-topic right now because this is the Nouvelle SUV 5008 I'm talking about and let's investigate more about this new model because like I said, the new model is more like an extra-large version of the latest 3008 by the looks of it but on the plus side, the side view isn't as a letdown on the sidelines as the new 3008, so that's okay.
Inside, the new 5008 is all about technologically advanced and practical for drivers and breadwinners alike and with this new interior, it's almost enough to forget every seven-seater SUV you've been into, although being a seven seater gives you a lot of pros and cons based on personal experience. One for instance, the second-row seats which gives you plenty of sweet spots to be into until child seats would ruin them, forcing you to slip into the third row or not riding shotgun at all in case of situations like carrying stuff in the back, even if the back is now more spacious than the previous model and comes with a power liftgate inspired by the Ford Escape, which involves footwork under the rear bumper. Sounds more like personal experience to me but there is a chance that they might let you ride on the new 5008 just to flicker on the tech stuff offered on the dashboard or sticking on the sweet spot you know in the hopes of not landing you to the dreaded third-row seating but let's leave it anyway and move on.
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| 2017 Peugeot 5008 |
Thanks to the new platform, the Peugeot 5008, despite its size, handles like a sedan. It can be either comfortable or enjoyable at the same time and this is a major improvement compared to the dynamics felt from the time the 5008 used to be a minivan, which is biblically awful by today's standards. That sounds positive for the new model but even though it's classified as a sport utility vehicle, there is no four-wheel drive present and its main excuse is its Advanced Grip Control feature that allows this car to handle tarmac, gravel, mud, sand, or snow, at the flick of the knob as well as the Hill Assist Descent Control.
Under the hood, the new 5008 SUV offers a choice of 1.2L PureTech, 1.6L THP (the most powerful in the normal range), 1.6L BlueHDi (the most fuel efficient in the range, mated with either a 6-speed manual or automatic), and a 2.0L BlueHDi (the most torque in the normal range). All of those engines are EURO 6 compliant.
One thing you should be aware of is the Driver Sport Pack that comes with a wide array of improvements to make the handling even sharper than before because while this makes the 5008 slightly more enjoyable, handling on a day-to-day basis is even more stressful than your desk job. It maybe the least of your problems but the GT version, powered by a 2.0L BlueHDi engine with 180 PS of power while mated to a 6-speed automatic, is what should you be worrying right now. While it promises to be a crossover that was designed for families and drivers alike, its sporty handling is what going to upset you in terms of comfort and even if you take advantage of all the luxury features in both the GT and the GT-Line variants, courtesy of the i-cockpit Amplify, you still feel like you're living in a motel rather than a fancy hotel downtown. The GT maybe the ultimate 5008 for now but don't get use to its title because things can get messy with this one, though.
To deal with today's traffic conditions, the new 5008 comes ready with a wide array of safety features such as Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEBS) and Distance Alert, Active Lane Departure warning system, Driver attention warning system, Peugeot Smartbeam Assistance, Speed sign recognition and speed suggestion, Adaptive Cruise Control with stop feature (ACC Stop), Active Blind Spot Monitoring system, Park Assist, and Visiopark 1 and 2.
Should you buy one? The new Peugeot 5008 starts at 26,700 Euros plus on-road costs, making one of the most competitively priced seven-seater SUVs in the market and you can really make a deal getting your hands on this new one. It's surprisingly ten grand less than its model crossover, the Renault Espace, the one that used to be an MPV until it becomes a crossover SUV.
Turning an MPV into an SUV is the harshest thing to do for most carmakers for numerous reasons we don't know and the 5008 is no exception to today's trends but despite being an SUV, its status of being a people-mover is still here and its handling is slightly even better than the old one, well save it on GT models. It really is a worthy contender in the crossover market.
Photo: Groupe PSA
