Peugeot e-5008 review

Peugeot has shifted itself steadily more upmarket over recent years, so gone are the scratchy pale grey plastics of yore. It’s not particularly plush inside, but the French carmaker is at least being more imaginative with its materials.

Up front there’s decent storage in the central bin, an extra little cubby in front of the cupholders and a shelf to charge your phone wirelessly. It all adds up to a practical everyday family car. There’s decent space for everyone in the back, too, though it’s a shame that you don’t get three individual seats and Isofix points in the middle row.

What a fancy looking cockpit…

Peugeot’s tiny steering wheel approach has been divisive ever since it was introduced, but it suits the 5008 more than most cars in the line-up thanks to the large SUV’s more upright driving position.

The digital display sits high on the dashboard, flowing seamlessly into the touchscreen infotainment setup. Your view of the instrument panel and the road is great, but the drive control toggle is a little hidden behind the left hand side of the wheel. You’ll find yourself reaching for the PNDR control by your arm, but it’s hidden up on the dashboard. Perhaps there was nowhere else to fit it in.

Will it actually fit seven?

The e-5008 is surprisingly spacious considering how well its disguises its bulk on the outside. Adults won’t want to be back there for too long, but you can fit seven of them inside for short journeys. There’s decent access to the back, too, which can be a bit of a squeeze on some cars. Sigh, we miss having MPVs around.

Is it practical?

Even with all the seats up you’ve still got 350 litres of space in the boot (including an area underneath the dummy floor, useful for cables and the loadbay cover), expanding to a cavernous 916 litres with only five seats up and then 2,232 litres with both middle and back rows folded flat.

An electric tailgate comes as standard on the GT trim (with a hands free function that actually works) and there’s a lovely wide aperture for getting things in and out, plus a flat bay thanks to that removable board that sits in the boot. With five onboard you might even manage to avoid having to fit a roof box for your family trips.

What’s the quality like?

The interior of the e-5008 is very well judged – the ambient lighting is classy, the dashboard and centre stack are all tastefully kitted out in a mixture of glossy plastic and fabric. It’s not premium as such, but it's certainly lifted itself up a notch or two from what we’ve seen before.