Peugeot 5008
Stylish, comfortable and inexpensive to run, this has been our favourite large SUV for three years running
Our pick Puretech 130 Allure
List price £30,375 Target Price £28,170
Target PCP £330 MPG 46.0 CO2 136g/km
For Quiet cruiser with a comfortable ride, a practical and plush interior and a big boot.
Against Optional glass roof harms rear head room, while infotainment system is ddly.
WHAT CAR? SAYS
THINK OF THE Peugeot 5008 as being the automotive equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, because no matter what situation you’re in, the chances are it will have you well covered.
Need to transport seven people? The 5008 has reasonable space in the third row, even for adults, plus three individual middle-row seats that slide and recline for maximum versatility. Need to move an industrial amount of luggage from A to B? The 5008 can carry more in its boot than rivals such as Skoda Kodiaq and Mazda CX-5, with space for 10 carry-on suitcases.
Need an engine that’s peppy enough but won’t break the bank on running costs? Our recommended 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol has more than enough grunt to haul the 5008 along, even if all seven seats are lled, yet it also returned 36mpg in our True MPG real-world fuel economy test.
With such a broad skill set, then, it should come as little surprise that the 5008 is annually adding more and more What Car? awards to the trophy cabinet at Peugeot HQ. In fact, ever since this 5008 arrived in 2018, it’s been our champion in the large SUV market. When you consider that this year it faced competition from brilliant new cars such as the revised, ve-star Land Rover Discovery Sport, the 5008’s achievements are all the more impressive.
There’s a 5008 to suit most tastes, too. If you need more pulling power than the 128bhp 1.2-litre engine can provide, there’s a larger 1.6-litre petrol with 179bhp that can get you up to motorway speeds a lot faster, although it will also cost you more to run. Or, if you’ll be covering a lot of miles, there are 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre diesel options to choose from. The 1.5-litre Bluehdi 130 model is the most economical in the 5008 range, returning upwards of 45mpg.
Our preferred Allure trim gives you niceties such as dual-zone climate control, 18in alloy wheels and fold-down tables for rear passengers while keeping costs sensible. It also comes with important safety kit such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and blindspot monitors, as well as auto-dipping headlights.