► Peugeot’s new 5008 driven
► Aims for a more premium feel
► Available in mild-hybrid, hybrid and EV
You’re looking at the Peugeot 5008, the brand’s biggest and most luxurious people mover. It sits on the same STLA Medium template as the smaller 3008, but here it’s stretched to provide room for seven.
Peugeot’s suits have high hopes for the 5008; featuring a new design language it comes in three powertrain flavours; mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric flavours – and you can read about the latter here. Like a lot of the Peugeot line up right now, it’s aiming for premium feel at affordable (in this sector of the market) prices.
So just how good is it? To find out we drove the mild hybrid – and the electric e-5008 – in the Cotswolds on a mixture of urban and country roads. Keep reading for our full review of the new Peugeot 5008, in mild hybrid.
At a glance
Pros: Interior feels premium, starts under £40k, great ride
Cons: Back row a little cramped, plug-in hybrid on the way
What’s new?
Everything. The new 5008 is all about passenger space, and that means its STLA Medium platform has been stretched to 4790mm – making it 150mm longer than the previous model. 60mm goes into the wheelbase to increase legroom for the second row – and potentially third row passengers. It’s 50mm wider and 40mm higher too, because everything is bigger in 2024.
Despite the size the 5008 remains a good-looking car – at least to these eyes. Peugeot’s new shield sits pride of place on an intricate, geometric grille, and it’s flaked by squinty lights and three DLR stripes or talons either side. Unusually there’s not a huge difference in styling between the ICE 5008 and its electric e-5008 sibling.
At the rear, you’ll find a similar triple-talon light signature. Above that there’s a roof line designed for passenger and storage space – no fastback, dynamic slopes here thankfully.
What are the specs?
Like many other brands right now, Peugeot is keeping the consumer’s options open. With that in mind the 5008 is available with three types of powertrain; a mild hybrid driven here, plug-in hybrid and pure battery electric.
The mild hybrid uses a 1.2-litre petrol engine and combines it with a small 0.9 kWh battery underneath the passenger seat. All that then goes then through a six-speed dual clutch auto ‘box, before pushing power to the front axle.
We say power, but the hybrid makes just 138bhp and 170lb ft of torque. Top speed is 123mph, and it’ll get from 0 to 62mph in 11.3 seconds. Still, this is a family car and its mild hybrid is firmly geared towards efficiency, so expect a combined mpg figure of 44.5 – 52.5.
How does it drive?
It’s fast as you’d think from the specs above, but driving the 5008 can ultimately be a rewarding experience. The 5008 benefits from Peugeot’s fondness for small steering wheels, and it immediately gives the illusion you’re driving something considerably smaller. Response from the wheel is quick and predictable, and it makes guiding the 5008 through faster turns and doing manoeuvres around town a breeze.
The mild hybrid feels slower than the e-5008, but it’s more nimble too – and the ride is softer. The 5008 is less fidgety than the EV and delivers a particularly comfortable ride – especially when paired with the cushioned seats.
The only thing that really spoils the serenity? The brakes feel relatively spongy at the top of the pedal and the gearbox makes a crude mooing sound when you ask for power. It’s not as bad as a recent Nissan Juke we drove, but it’s a damper on a usually pleasant driving experience.
What about the interior?
The other part of the driving experience is an interior that’s full of interesting design – and usually quiet. There’s a high, commanding driving position and Peugeot’s i-Cockpit; a 21-inch floating swathe of tech that sits above the tiny wheel. The middle of it takes care of the usual infotainment bits, while the part above the wheel replaces traditional cockpit dials.
Below that there’s also the i-Toggle, a customisable touchscreen ‘dock’ that can house your shortcuts. Underneath that, you’ll find a physical buttons for all the key functions. Thank you, Peugeot.
The Peugeot comes with all the usual driving aids including lane-keeping, AEB, and traffic sign recognition. Top end GT models like the one we drove also get adaptive cruise.
Tech aside, the cabin deploys eye-catching design and fabric that wouldn’t be out of place on a high-end sofa. Peugeot’s designers were aiming for high-end lounge – and we think they succeed. While the 5008 may cut corners to keep the price down, it’s not really noticeable.
The Peugeot delivers in quantity as well as quality; there’s lots of space, but it’s backed up by some neat ideas: for example, deep grooves on the rear of the front seats provide extra space for knees. was able to comfortably sit behind myself, without my knees pushing on the seat in front. I didn’t even pull my seat all the way back to do this, either.
The third row is much smaller than the second. With the mini seats up, boot space is 348-litres. That’ll extend to a much more useful 916-litres with them down.
Before you buy
The mild hybrid 5008 is considerably cheaper than its electric e-5008 counterpart. For example, the base mild hybrid car starts at £37,360 – around £11,000 cheaper than the base EV, and £5000 less than the plug-in. Things ramp up to £40,860 for the GT spec example we drove, though.
GT gets you more as standard, such as the ambient lighting in the interior, arm rests on the second row, Alcantara, and other trinkets such as the handsfree boot.
Verdict
The Peugeot 5008 is designed to move people from A to B and do so in a package that’s both spacious and stylish. With that in mind it succeeds wholeheartedly and does so with a level of refinement you’d hope for from Peugeot’s top SUV.
The styling is a breath of fresh air, a clear step up over the previous design language for us, and it does the basics right too. Legroom is impressive, and there’s an extra row of seats at the back – which sets it apart from a lot of the competition.
Specs as follows for Peugeot 5008 GT mild hybrid