Peugeot 5008 2.0 HDi Exclusive

Meet the latest family friendly Peugeot! The 5008 joined the line-up at the start of the year, and is a stylish choice. Its dimensions work well, as it achieves these good looks despite having a shorter wheelbase and longer overhangs than the new Grand C-MAX. 

Step inside, and the packaging isn’t such a success. In the middle row, passengers get full-size, independently sliding seats, but legroom is much tighter than in either rival. Plus, the tray tables in the front seatbacks are perfectly placed to catch your knees. 

To compound the cramped feel, the rearmost seats are too tight to accommodate adults comfortably. But shoulder and headroom is good throughout, while Peugeot has incorporated clever detailing into the design.

Access to the rear row is well thought out – the squabs of the outer chairs in the middle row flip up, and the whole lot concertinas forwards. All the chairs fold flat, plus you get underfloor cubbies. Yet there’s no escaping the fact the 5008 trails in terms of passenger space. 

Up front is a decent driving position, and dominating the dash is the big centre console and high-mounted gearlever. 

We just wish the pedals weren’t so close to the driver, and some of the switchgear is fiddly, too. Gearchanges feel slack when compared to the Ford’s, which is a pity as the smooth diesel runs the C-MAX TDCi close for pace and high-speed refinement. This is due to the 340Nm HDi unit’s 20Nm torque advantage. 

The chassis also lets the side down. Despite soft suspension, the Peugeot crashes over bumps, while in corners it relies on its intrusive stability control. So while the handling is safe and reassuring, there’s none of the feedback, agility and mechanical sparkle that make the Ford such a delight. And while the steering is sharp, it’s too light and artificial.