We like Peugeot. Taste and opinions aside, we think that the French marque combines perfectly all the ingredients that make for a great car. These are Utility, Performance, Style, Prestige and Price. And throughout the years, most of their models just made sense. From the 205 to the 504, from the 106 to the 807.
You may remember our recent review of the Peugeot 3008, which was titled “All you need”. It is not an accident that the 5008 is, truly, all you want. Well, almost all you want. But more on that later.
The Napoleon Complex, well-fed…
Here is the thick of the matter. As much as people like to drive a bit higher up than the traditional sedan, i. e. SUV style, they still want to be able to park anywhere, load stuff, not need a ladder to climb on or step off, and most importantly, needing not to pawn family heirlooms every time they visit the pump.
The 5008 does all that perfectly. The french understand that, even if the car looks like an SUV, it is going to spend all of its life on the road. And and and all off-road activity is going to be restricted to a bit of snow, water or the occasional path to a nearby beach. That is to say, nothing you could not do with a Mustang.
Thus, the front is dominated by a 1.6l turbo engine that gives 174HP and 292Nm of torque. More than enough to move the meager 1,650Kg it hauls about. And this is one of the keys to the 5008’s outstanding performance. It’s light. Everything is light. The doors feel light, the suspension feels light, the body feels light. Everything is well put together.
Steering is surprisingly precise for a tall car, and the steering wheel, a central feature in all-new Peugeot’s, is small and dandy. Thick and ergonomic, but flat on the top and flat on the bottom.
-“Much like the French”
-“Don’t say that”
I am what I am, don’t change me…
However, it must be said that the 5008 is a car that does not enjoy being taken out of character. Meant to be sober and sedated, were you to demand sprightly acceleration, the engine would scream in agony and despair. So much so that you will tend to avoid it. Like an iPad and a 2019 model of a human kid. Just don’t take it away and all will be fine.
During my test drive, I had to visit the airport. Timely, as I did the same for the 3008. I find it a testament to utility, for you never know how many bags of unconventional shapes are coming on board. The 5008? Tiptop. Three people luggage without any drama. Mind you, a Ford Expedition, a Toyota Land Cruiser or a Range Rover Vogue do have more capacity, but we are talking reasonable space without squandering resources you will hardly need. A family of four does more than fine on this space.
Consistency on the inside
The interior is much that of the 3008, only a bit bigger. However, all the frills mentioned in the article apply here. Once more, a shout-out to Peugeot and Focal JMLab. The fantastic sound system that combined with the most rigid of chassis, superb sound insulation and a slightly larger interior make for a fabulous concert hall. Truly lovely and, probably, the most poignant reason I would buy this car. Do you know those crackling noises your car makes on every speed bump? Not the 5008. Total silence.
Alas, not all is perfect. And there are two reasons for it. One is fuel efficiency. A small engine with large torque demands does not make for an economical drive. And the 5008 promises 16.6 Km/lt and really delivers well over 11 km/lt per 100Km. That is high. The second is the hybrid. This is not one. A rather unfortunate fact that for as good as this car really is, the Peugeot is a car of yesterday. A car of today should be electric or, at the very least, hybrid.
Well, even Scarlett Johansson has a face mole…
(*) As of this writing, Peugeot has started taking orders for the upcoming hybrid version of the 5008. Good call.
| Specs | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.6 l L4 - Gasoline |
| Power | 240HP |
| 0-100KPH | 10.5s |
| Top Speed | 206KPH |
| Utility | |
| Seats | 7 |
| Doors | 5 |
| Boot | >1,200 litres |
| Real Estate | |
| Length | 4.64m |
| Width | 2.09m |
| Height | 1.64m |
| Weight | 1,632Kg |
| Price | ~24,500$ |