Take a look at these first photos of Peugeot’s new MPV. Do they remind you of the old Peugeot 505? Apparently they should, because Peugeot is reintroducing a new ‘5’ model, the 5008.
The people-carrier will appear at the September 2009 Frankfurt motor show and will go on sale in the UK in early 2010. The 5008 follows the usual format for a compact MPV – offering either five or seven seats, presenting a vast amount of storage space, and there’ll be lots of nooks and crannies to lose your belongings. It’s aimed at the likes of Citroen’s Grand Picasso, Vauxhall’s Zafira and Renault’s Scenic. Peugeot stresses it isn’t here to replace the 807.
The 5008 is pretty decent to look at. Peugeot has dramatically toned down the huge grille seen on its other models. So your children won’t cry when they see it – a good thing for a family wagon.
Where can I put my sunglasses in the new Peugeot 5008?
The new MPV gives you plenty of choice. With the third row of seats stowed, boot space ranges from 758 litres to 823 litres, depending where the sliding rear seats are. If you’re transporting boxes instead of people, fold away the middle seats and, hey presto, there’s an impressive 2506 litres.
In family friendly mode, the 5008 sports a mind-boggling array of storage solutions: there’s a storage area under the steering wheel, a cooled centre console for drinks and several underfloor storage areas. You might need a drink: the 5008 sports 5.77sq m of glazing, so it’ll get hot in the sun.
A new MPV… I guess you can play musical chairs?
The three second-row seats are identical and can be reclined, moved forwards and backwards. Each can also be folded individually into the floor to form a flat surface flush with the rear loading sill.
>> Click ‘Next’ for more on the Peugeot 5008
Inside sounds good, but what’s under the skin of the 5008?
There are six engines to choose from: two petrols and four diesels. The two petrol engines are both 1.6 units, offering either 120bhp (with a five-speed manual) or 156bhp (with a six-speed manual). Both claim to achieve 38.6mpg and 39.7mpg, respectively.
On the diesel side of things, there are two 110bhp powerplants (one a manual, the other robotised manual). There’s a manual offering 150bhp, and an auto supplying 163bhp. Economy ranges from 41.5mpg, for the most powerful engine, to 54.3mpg for the 110bhp unit.
Keeping the 5008 on the straight and narrow is a pseudo McPherson front suspension and torsion beam rear. It’s based on the PSA PF2 platform – the architecture which underpins the Citroen C4 Picasso.
Now, what about some tech?
Unusually for an MPV, there’s a head-up display. A translucent panel appears out of the dashboard and displays the important information – speed, cruise control/speed limiter and Distance Alert.
Distance Alert uses a radar hidden behind the lower front bumper panel to measure the distance between the 5008 and the car in front. The system warns the driver if they are driving too close to the vehicle in front, with the system giving the choice of maintaining a distance between 0.9 to 2.5 seconds.
The final notable tech on this car is the Snow Motion. This adds another function to the traditional traction control. Peugeot claims the system allows the driver to make effective progress on icy or snow-covered roads. It’s activated automatically and is more efficient with snow tyres.
It may be family-friendly, but will it be friendly to my wallet?
Peugeot hasn’t announced prices yet, nor any trim levels. However, expect it to be aimed competitively in the Picasso, Zafira and Scenic market – priced from around £15,000.
Expect the step-up cost from five- to seven-seater to be around £750.