Peugeot’s 5008 is number one

Lifting the crown for the Best Large Family SUV award is the new Peugeot 5008.

The first-generation 5008 was an MPV. Now, this moniker has been applied to a spacious seven-seat SUV.

Despite the switch, Peugeot won’t be offering it with 4WD, which won’t really help with the rough and ready market positioning. By way of compensation, an ‘Advanced Grip Control’ system is being offered for extra traction on slippery surfaces.

There’s also Hill Assist Descent Control to ease you down slippery slopes. The car is being offered with two petrol engines: a 130bhp 1.2-litre three cylinder PureTech unit with a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox and a more powerful 163bhp 1.6-litre powerplant, which will be offered only with auto transmission.

Most 5008 customers, though, will want a diesel, probably the 130bhp 1.5-litre BlueHDi unit; the older 1.6litre BlueHDi unit continues on, too, in 100 and 120bhp forms. If you want a bit more pulling power then 150bhp and 180bhp 2.0-litre BlueHDi diesel models are also available.

The 2.84m wheelbase and long 4.64-metre length should certainly make the car very spacious inside and the class-leading 1,060-litre boot capacity figure seems to bear that out. Three matching, separate, folding seats in the second row are provided, each adjustable in length and inclination. Plus there are two removable, separate, folding seats in the third row.

At the wheel, the driver gets the newest version of the innovative Peugeot ‘i-Cockpit’ instrument binnacle design. That means a very compact steering wheel, a large 8” touchscreen dashboard and an eye-catching 12.3” high-resolution digital head-up display.

Built in to the design is the option for owners to add innovative mobility solutions which can be integrated into the boot – the ‘e-Kick’, a very smart electrically-assisted folding scooter, and the ‘e-Bike eF01’, a new electrically-assisted portable bicycle.

The new Peugeot 5008 comes with a choice of petrol and diesel engines.