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Peugeot 5008 Exclusive HDi 150
Model/Engine size: Exclusive HDi 150
Fuel: Diesel
Fuel economy combined: 48.6 mpg
Green-Car-Guide rating: 8/10
Seven-seat MPVs aren’t renowned for being the greenest , the most desirable or the most exciting cars to drive, so can the new Peugeot 5008 re-write the rules?
To cover green issues first, the lowest emitting model in the range is the HDi 110 which produces 135 g/km CO2, and this can manage 55.4 mpg, in semi-automatic EGC gearbox guise. This is excellent for a seven-seater car, and it puts it in first place in our Green Car Guide in the seven-seat MPV category. The Renault Grand Scenic has identical emissions but the 5008 is a larger car with more space so it wins.
However the model on test with us was the HDi 150 which has emissions of 151 g/km CO2, equating to 48.6 mpg, which is not as good as the 110, but it’s still an excellent combination of emissions, economy, power and size.
There are also two 1.6-litre petrol versions, but for this size of car we’d definitely recommend diesel for better economy and pulling power, and there is no downside in terms of refinement.
The HDi 150 is an excellent engine that’s smooth and powerful, and mated to the six-speed gearbox it performs well in all driving environments from city use to motorway, and on long journeys it’s a quiet, relaxing place to be. There’s even a slightly more powerful version with 161bhp that comes with an automatic gearbox, but the economy isn’t as good.
Beyond the engine, the rest of the driving experience is equally impressive. The whole car has a high quality and refined feel, from the well-weighted steering to the competent chassis. It has a comfortable ride yet the car doesn’t roll in corners as you’d expect a large MPV to do. This is certainly helped by the ‘dynamic roll control’ that’s standard on 2.0-litre diesel versions. In normal driving, levels of grip are fine, but there’s always the danger of the front wheels scrabbling for traction when pulling out of junctions.
The whole point of this car is to accommodate families in a comfortable way, and the 5008 certainly achieves this. There’s lots of space for five people, and even the quality of life for seven people in the 5008 is acceptable. The middle row of seats offers plenty of space for three people, and of course there is a wide variety of seat combinations. The rear two seats can be folded flat to give a decent-sized boot, up to 823 litres in size, and all five middle and rear seats can be folded flat to result in an interior area of 2506 litres, resulting in a space that rivals a van. Even the front passenger seat can play along in the folding-flat party.
Not only does the 5008 score top marks in the practicality test, it even looks good, and its styling is certainly more classy than the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso to which it’s closely related. On the outside, the recent Peugeot design trademark of a large gaping grille has gone, and the car’s overall visual effect is one of pleasing aesthetics and a high quality product.
The interior design is also excellent and the main impression is of high quality, with soft touch materials. However some controls on the left of the dash are hard to reach and the seat back adjustment is not the easiest to operate. There are many family-friendly features such as various underfloor storage compartments and a panoramic glass roof. Visibility is good overall but the door pillars can obstruct the view at junctions.
The 5008 has another trick up its sleeve, in terms of the equipment on offer. A range of goodies and latest technology is expected in the MPV class, and the 5008 doesn’t disappoint. The 5008 has a three-trim range starting with Active, which does without alloy wheels, followed by Sport, and then the range-topping Exclusive which comes with lots of kit such as parking sensors, Bluetooth and climate control. There’s also a range of options that can be specified.
Our car had a head-up display which is a translucent panel that rises up from the top of the instrument panel and provides information about speed, cruise control/speed limiter and distance alert to the car in front. Compared to cars that have information in the centre of the dashboard rather than directly in front of the driver, we think this is a good innovation to avoid drivers having to take their eyes off the road.
The distance alert informs the driver if they are driving too close to the car in front, and there’s also front and rear park assist. More debatable from a safety point of view is the electric handbrake, which doesn’t actually have to be released before the car can be driven off.
Our car came with DVD screens on the rear of the front headrests, but it wasn’t immediately clear how to get them to display the Ice Age 2 DVD that was playing to the driver from the front screen. External devices can be connected to the in-car system, which even comes with its own two Bluetooth wireless headsets.
In terms of safety, the 5008 comes with six airbags including side curtain, and a Euro NCAP 5 Star Rating, so it’s a relatively safe place to put your family.
The 5008 is competitively priced and affordable to run, however our test car came with a basic cost of £22,945, but then with the extras – metallic paint £410, Peugeot Connect 3-D Media Navigation (NG4) with Colour Navigation, Bluetooth, 30G & 10G Music Hard Drive £1,430, Video Pack £510 and Vision Pack (Xenon Directional Headlights) £510.00 – the total for the car rises to £25,805.
We’re almost at the end of the review of the 5008; have you noticed anything missing? The fact is, virtually everything about the 5008 is good, so we haven’t got a list of things we don’t like. In fact, there was really only one small problem with our car, but it’s a problem that is also potentially significant.
Without any provocation whatsoever, a couple of days into the test, the armrest on the front passenger seat just fell off. No-one touched it, it simply fell out of the side of the seat. Although this may seem trivial, and it may be a one-off, this is a brand new car costing upwards of £20,000. The interior gives the impression of being high quality, but this would suggest the build quality is not what it should be.
Most significantly, the concern is that the 5008 has lots of technology, and this makes you think how many years will it be before elements of the technology stop working. You can easily imagine that the piece of plastic onto which the head-up display is projected, that magically rises up from the dash, will one day decide to stay put. Maybe the door mirrors that electrically retract and extend will also suffer the same fate, and you’ll be left without any mirrors. It just doesn’t inspire confidence that all the technology will stand the test of time.
Let’s hope that we’re wrong about our concerns about long-term durability of techie things. Take that issue out of the equation and you’re certainly left with an MPV that could convince people who would never consider buying an MPV to change their minds. The Ford S-Max may give the 5008 a good run for its money in terms of driving dynamics, but if you throw in the green factor, then the vote goes to the Peugeot.
The Peugeot 5008 offers seven seats in a good-looking, modern, efficient and refined package. It gets a Green Car Guide rating of 8/10
, only really losing marks because at the end of the day, any MPV of this size will not be the greenest choice, and this model isn’t the greenest in the 5008 range, and we do have concerns about bits ceasing to work and falling off over time.
As a final thought, the Peugeot 5008 is the spiritual successor to the 1980s Peugeot 505 seven-seater estate which carved a reputation for surviving well in hostile environments such as Africa, so maybe all will be well if the 5008 does inherit those genes.
Fuel economy extra urban: 58.8 mpg
Fuel economy urban: 37.6 mpg
CO2 emissions: 151 g/km
Green rating: VED band G – £150
Weight: 1638 Kg
Company car tax liability (2009/10): 21%
Price: £22,945 (From £17,345 to £24,145)
Insurance group: 22
Power: 148 bhp
Max speed: 121 mph
0-62mph: 10.0 seconds
DPF: Yes
