AT A GLANCE

PEUGEOT 5008 ALLURE PRICE From $45,180 as tested WARRANTY/SERVICING

5 years/unlimited km, $1745 for 3 years

ENGINE 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo, 121kW/ 240Nm SAFETY Not tested, 6 airbags, AEB, active blindspot and lane-keeping, driver attention alert, active cruise control

THIRST 7.0L/100km

SPARE Space-saver

BOOT 952L

It makes me feel like a race car driver and, as I’m a smaller person, it makes driving a pleasant experience — I even offer to be the designated driver and that never happens.

DRIVING FOR THE SENSES

My kids pick up on the in-cabin scent. I initially put it down to the new car smell but it isn’t. Aiming to provide a new sensory experience with the 5008, Peugeot has come up with this subtle and cool feature.

My kids aren’t fans of the scent but the ambient lighting is a big hit, as evidenced by their collective gasps when we first drive at night. Tracks in the doors give off a subtle blue light that almost makes you feel you’re in an airliner. As for the tray tables in the back of the seats — whoever thought of that is a genius.

IT’S A GREAT FIVE-PLUS-TWO SEATER

The 5008’s design is sleek and attractive and it feels like a smaller SUV to drive. The middle row impresses with three seats of the same size — there’s no cramped middle seat — and each one slides separately and has an Isofix child seat fitting.

The third row ... not so much. There are two short and hard chairs with very limited space for feet. My 10-year-old son is uncomfortable on the school run when we test it out.

The convenience of those extra two seats is a bonus as they can be removed and even used as picnic seats. They aren’t the best for daily use — it’s best to consider the 5008 as a five-seater with potentially another pair at a pinch.

It works fine for our family of five. We rarely use the third row in our regular seven-seater but it’s certainly handy when you need to bring a friend home from school or take the grandparents out to dinner.

There is an upside to the limited third row — the boot space is huge. I can easily fit a bulky pram in there plus several shopping bags.

Yet another thoughtful touch: the boot opens and closes at the push of a button — which is both convenient for Mum and a novelty for the kids who are always more than happy to help out and shut the boot after me.

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