Three years after the introduction of the 5008, Peugeot has provided its most spacious model with a new nose, of course with the LED tusks that belong to the current family face. That works out well: he can immediately show those teeth in a test.
The second generation of the 5008 is a real hit for Peugeot. Not surprising, because the model is slightly different from its competitors. That’s the way it is: when the SUV finally won the MPV, many car manufacturers started to completely reinvent the ‘seven-seater’ phenomenon. If not Peugeot. That took the strong features of the first 5008 – a real midi MPV – and then molded a tougher SUV carriage around it. That is why the second 5008 also has a whole arsenal of folding tables and storage compartments as well as seven individually folding chairs. In the back he treats the kids each to a chair of the same width and he also has a completely flat floor with some ‘secret’ compartments for loose items underneath. Still, not everything is fantastic in the back of the 5008. The choice of three separate seats forces the outer seats into positions tight against the doors, making the seat here less pleasant. Moreover, the floor is a bit high, which can result in raised legs. What is worse is that the folding tables – standard on the 5008 Blue Lease Allure – are placed incomprehensibly awkwardly. When opened they are emphatically at child height, but also in the folded position they are exactly at the height of an adult knee. Therefore, in practice it is hardly possible to slide the seat in the second row forward to generate more legroom for the rear passengers, while that is a pure necessity to make it all the way in the back bearable for those who have left primary school. However, the 5008 can take a lot of luggage. With all seats flat, you have 1,940 liters at your disposal. Behind the second row of seats and with the seats folded on board, the car offers about 700 liters. The 5008 has a colorful collection of levers, flaps and hinges for folding chairs and sofas up and down.
Widescreen display
Although space and availability are of course very important with this car, that is not where the news can be found this time. In addition to a new nose with LED headlights and tusks and a wider grille, the Peugeot also has a larger infotainment screen. The more rounded 8-inch screen of the past is now reserved for the simpler variants, while the more richly equipped 5008s have a new 10-inch widescreen display. That looks more modern and it works more pleasantly due to the larger format. Other than that, little has changed in the system. The existing complaints about the rather slow response to touch and the quite illogical layout of the whole thus persist, even if the design is well done. It also remains annoying that the operation of the climate control is hidden in a separate menu on the screen, while you would still want such functions to always be immediately accessible. Also elsewhere in the interior, the operation of the Peugeot sometimes takes some getting used to. What he lacks in that area is made up for by the design. Despite its daring drawing style, the 5008 interior proves to have a good shelf life and still looks fresh and modern. Beautiful details, such as the now standard ‘piano keys’ under the screen and the piece of fabric halfway between the dashboard and door panels give the whole a high-quality appearance.
Live it up
It remains special how the driver in the 5008 is encapsulated by what Peugeot calls the i-Cockpit. This car is clearly very different from the MPVs of yesteryear, which also offered a very spacious feeling in the front. The high center tunnel and the driver-oriented layout make the 5008 feel smaller from behind the wheel than it actually is. That feeling remains intact while driving. The steering wheel can be turned almost without resistance, the car can be positioned precisely and feels relatively light. He is, by the way, because over 1,400 kg is really very neat for a seven-seater of this size. That also explains why the basic engine, actually the only sensible option for Dutch buyers, is perfectly adequate. Nothing changed on the PureTech three-cylinder engine with 130 hp, but that was not necessary either. The block brings apparently without much effort into the car and is helped by a smoothly shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. It is a pity that the shift moments clearly require a break in the gear.