Peugeot E-5008 review

Is the Peugeot E-5008 a good car?

The appeal of the Peugeot E-5008 goes way beyond being one of the few electric cars available with seven seats. It balances style and substance very well, offering big space for passengers and their bags, decent range and a refined, comfortable personality. It’s not an especially exciting car to drive, but you’ll quite quickly forgive that.

Despite its size, the entry-level E-5008 can cover up to 310 miles on a single charge, and it impressed us with its efficiency during our own testing. If that still isn’t enough, a long-range version will be introduced soon that’ll do 415 miles in one go – significantly farther than any current EV with seven seats.

How much does the Peugeot E-5008 cost?

There are plenty of seven-seater family cars available with petrol, diesel or even hybrid power – the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda Kodiaq all spring immediately to mind. However, there are very few electric cars capable of ferrying an entire netball team to and from a match.

For a while, the only choices for an electric seven-seater were the circa-£100k Tesla Model X – no longer offered in right-hand drive – or ‘vans with windows’ like the Citroen e-Berlingo, Peugeot E-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric. Then the Mercedes EQB arrived, followed by the colossal Kia EV9, the retro Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB and, finally, the Peugeot E-5008.

The E-5008 is the zero-emissions version of the third-generation Peugeot 5008. Under the striking bodywork is the brand-new STLA Medium platform that allows for a selection of petrol-powered hybrid and pure-electric powertrains. It’s the same running gear used by its Peugeot 3008 and Peugeot E-3008 siblings, which aren’t as practical with their coupe-SUV shapes.

Three versions of the E-5008 will be offered. The first to arrive is the ‘Electric 210’ which features a 73kWh battery and 210bhp front-mounted motor. A long-range variant, called the ‘Electric 230’, will go on sale later this year. It features a whopping 98kWh battery that offers up to 415 miles of range. Arriving in 2025 is dual-motor, all-wheel-drive ‘Electric 320’ with 315bhp. 

Prices for the Peugeot E-5008 start from £48,550 - £2,700 more than the equivalent E-3008. That’s also nearly £11,000 cheaper than the VW ID. Buzz LWB, and more than £16k less than the most basic Kia EV9.

With such a small price bump over the E-3008, we think many potential buyers will skip right past its smaller stablemate and go straight for its more practical E-5008. Peugeot thinks so too, because the brand’s UK boss has confirmed to Auto Express that it will be introducing a five-seat option for customers who know the third-row seats will never see any use.

For now, every E-5008 will come with seven seats as standard, along with a 21-inch curved HD screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ambient lighting, a wireless smartphone charger, keyless entry and start, three-zone climate control, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors. Upgrading from Allure to GT trim – the only specs available – adds a hands-free powered tailgate, heated front seats and steering wheel, Alcantara upholstery, adaptive Pixel LED headlights, and adaptive cruise control.

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So far, the only Peugeot E-5008 we’ve tried is the ‘Electric 210’ version. Power delivery from the 210bhp e-motor is smooth and much more progressive than in some EVs. It doesn’t have the rapid acceleration some have come to expect of EVs, even if you mash the accelerator in Sport mode. Still, the 9.7 second 0-62mph time of this 2.2-tonne SUV compares well with entry-level versions of the Kia EV9, and there’s enough still on tap in the E-5008 for overtaking and keeping pace with motorway traffic. 

Despite its size, the E-5008 doesn’t feel like an especially large car to drive, even around town and tight car parks, and visibility is good. The ride is well damped and takes the edge off small imperfections, but it’s also a little fidgety. On the motorway, we noticed some tyre roar – possibly a side effect of our test car’s 20-inch rims – and wind noise, but that’s not surprising for a car this bag and boxy. By and large it’s not too bad and we certainly prefer the driving experience in the EV compared to hybrid versions of the 5008.

Like all modern Peugeots, the E-5008 features a small, squared-off steering wheel that you need to look over to read the driver’s display. We’ve frequently found this unconventional set-up creates awkward, uncomfortable driving positions, and sometimes prevents us seeing the dials clearly at a glance.

But thankfully it feels much more natural sitting at the helm of the E-5008, due in part to the naturally tall driving position and where the panoramic screen is mounted on the dashboard. Even so, we’d still strongly recommend taking the car for a test drive to make sure you can get along with it.

The paddles on the steering wheel allow the driver to toggle between the three levels for the regenerative braking system, with the strongest setting very nearly capable of full one-pedal driving.

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The entry-level Peugeot E-5008 offers an official range of up to 310 miles from its 73kWh battery. Based on the 3.6 miles per kWh we averaged during our own testing, the real-world figure is closer to 260 miles, which is still impressive for an EV of this size. However, that was with just two people in the car. On a road trip, and fully loaded with seven people onboard, that figure is going to drop. 

The dual-motor version uses the same 73kWh battery and will also offer a range of 310 miles. If you want to go even farther without stopping, then a long-range E-5008 will go on sale later this year with an enormous 98kWh powerpack that allows it to cover up to 415 miles on a single charge. However we haven’t had a chance to test them for ourselves yet.

The E-5008 has a 160kW maximum charging speed, which can’t match any Tesla’s or a Hyundai Ioniq 5’s, but allows models with the smaller battery to be recharged from 20 to 80 per cent in exactly half an hour. Meanwhile a typical 7.4kW home wallbox will fully replenish the 73kWh unit in just under seven hours. 

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Boil it down, and the Peugeot 5008 has always been little more than a stretched, seven-seat version of the Peugeot 3008. This goes back to when the pair were first introduced as MPVs in the late 2000s, before evolving into stylish yet still practical SUVs for their respective second-generation versions. 

The 3008 was recently reinvented as more of a coupe-SUV, sporting a dramatic, sloped roofline, but the 5008 isn’t as vain, and has stuck with a boxier silhouette to maximise cabin space. Although it does inherit the three-claw light motif, graduated grille pattern and unconventional wheel designs from its more rakish sibling.

Inside, the E-5008 features the latest evolution of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit design and it’s simply stunning. The heavily curved 21-inch HD display and spine that connects the dashboard and centre console cocoons the driver, but the cabin still feels spacious. We really like the swathes of grey fabric that create a cool, Scandinavian living-room vibe, and the large pools of ambient lighting throughout the cabin. The overall cabin quality is pretty good, but not exceptional because some surfaces are made of hard black plastic.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The floating 21-inch screen is incredibly clear and responsive, but the built-in infotainment system isn’t quite as slick or intuitive as Renault or Hyundai’s latest software. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard-fit thankfully, and fill the half of the screen used for media and navigation almost entirely.

The ‘i-Toggles’ panel below offers a handy bank of customisable shortcut buttons, though it does mean you have to adjust safety settings or the climate controls via the touchscreen. Alternatively, you can try your luck with the voice assistant that’s activated when you say ‘OK Peugeot’.

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Compared to other seven-seat SUVs, the latest Peugeot 5008/E-5008 is slightly larger than the Skoda Kodiaq, but not as gargantuan as the Kia EV9. 

The second-row bench consists of two larger outer seats, each with a set of ISOFIX child seat mounting points, and a slightly narrower middle seat. Those in the middle row are treated to a generous amount of head and legroom – enough for six-footers to be happy – plus space under the front seats for their feet.

The middle row can also slide forward by up to 15cm, and the seats tip forward to make accessing the rearmost seats nice and easy. It’s simple to do as well; one handle takes care of the whole process. 

The third row is really meant for occasional use, and only for small children or, at a push, teenagers. If you slide the middle-row bench forward, there’s just enough space for adults to squeeze in for short journeys, but they may find their knees touching the bench in front. What’s more, the only amenities they’ll find back there are two small cup holders.

Including the large underfloor storage, which stretches underneath the third-row seats, there’s 348 litres of boot space on offer with all seven seats in place. The third-row seats fold down completely flat, opening up 916 litres of space, or a huge 2,232 litres with just the front seats in place. We like that you can stow the parcel shelf under the floor, but the boot release is awkwardly located between the tailgate and bumper. 

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The Peugeot 5008 and E-5008 haven’t been put through Euro NCAP’s battery of crash safety tests yet, and neither has the Mk3 3008 they’re related to. 

The Peugeot E-5008 is available with up to 40 driver assistance and safety features, including the French firm’s ‘Highway Assist 2.0’ system, which combines adaptive cruise control, lane positioning assist, semi-automatic lane changing and advanced speed recommendations. 

Every E-5008 will be fitted with a reversing camera, and rear parking sensors. Lane keep assist, driver attention alert, and an advanced emergency braking that’ll help avoid or mitigate low-speed collisions with pedestrians and other vehicles are among the standard safety equipment list.

Peugeot provides a three-year/60,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty as standard, which is competitive with Volkswagen, but a long way off the five or seven years of coverage provided by brands like Hyundai and Kia. Drivers have the opportunity to extend the cover for the battery and electric drive system (the electric motor, charging system, etc) by two years or 16,000 miles at a time, up to a maximum of eight years/100,000 miles (whichever comes first), simply by getting their car serviced at an approved aftersales location.

Peugeot E-5008 alternatives

The Peugeot E-5008 will be an ideal choice for anyone with a keen sense of style who needs a large SUV that can seat seven people or just offers a huge amount of space. This is a genuine seven-seater that offers a comfortable, refined driving experience, with a stunning and spacious interior. Yet it will cost similar money to other electric family cars like the Skoda Enyaq, Ford Explorer and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

As we’ve mentioned, there are very few electric cars available with seven seats to rival the E-5008. There’s the Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB, Mercedes EQB and Kia EV9, but all of them are more expensive than the Peugeot.

Admittedly, the E-5008 starting price of £48,550 will still put it out of reach for some families. If that’s the case, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the 5008 are also available to order now, and cost considerably less, priced from £37,360. Or if you just want a very capable, practical family SUV, the Skoda Kodiaq is our Large SUV of the Year for 2024 and starts from around £37,000.