Peugeot 5008 Hybrid GT long-term test: spacious and stylish but far from flawless

Verdict

The past six months have given me a real insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the Peugeot 5008. It’s a big leap forward for the brand and an evolution from the previous model. It needs a bit of fine tuning but overall it’s a great contender in the large-SUV class.

• Mileage: 22,004 miles
• Efficiency: 45.5mpg

Peugeot is on a roll at the moment. The French firm has found a design language that people like, while competitive pricing means the company is doing well in a tough market. The 5008 Hybrid that I’ve been driving for the past six months sticks to this formula, and I have to say that it has performed exceptionally well.

The price of our GT-spec car is £43,470, which makes it one of the cheapest seven-seaters you can buy. True, the back row is only really for occasional use, but it adds versatility. When the car arrived, I was impressed by its styling. It’s difficult to make a large SUV not look like a big, square box, or end up copying a Range Rover, as some seem to do. 

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However, the Peugeot’s shape has evolved from its bland predecessor’s into a more angular design, while the trademark claw-effect daytime running lights seem to ‘tear’ into the front bumper, which to my eyes is a sleek addition. The extra space for the third row of seats means the back of the car is a bit boxy when compared with that of its 3008 sister car, but I think many buyers might be attracted to the larger model for exactly that reason. 

The big question around any car that I run is the same as it is for any buyer – does it fit the demands of my job? Not to mention the equally important task of coping with family life.

However, the demands of being a staff photographer on a busy car magazine are pretty individual. There’s nothing radical to consider, but size, comfort and practicality are the main priorities, while the response of the powertrain is also important. 

Thankfully, large SUVs are the flavour of the moment, so there’s a wide range of options. Given the number of miles I cover each year, an EV is a tough sell for me – diesel remains the best choice for running costs. 

However, a hybrid is close to becoming the preferred alternative – although I confess I was slightly concerned when I learned my 5008 would come with a 143bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine assisted by a 22bhp electric motor. After all, this is a seven-seat SUV that weighs in at 2,350kg when fully laden – which it would be close to once all my hefty camera gear was on board. 

Thankfully, the electrical part of the hybrid system covers most areas where the small petrol engine struggles. The 5008 is at its best on the motorway, where it’s quiet and efficient, and you can watch the predicted range increase as the petrol/electric system goes to work. 

However, it’s not great when pulling away from junctions, because the engine can’t hide the demands it’s under, and the electric motor can’t make up for the lack of response. It’s by no means a dealbreaker, but you have to balance your expectations. 

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One area where the 5008 excels is ride comfort. We often take moving images from car to car on a variety of surfaces, but the big Peugeot does a great job of giving a smooth platform to shoot from. In fact, the seven-seat layout is helpful here, but not in a way that you might expect. When we’re taking the pictures, I set myself up in the 5008’s boot with a harness on and the tailgate up. The step where the rearmost seats are folded means there’s a handy recess for me to sit. 

Spending so much time with the 5008 means I’ve figured out how you can adjust things to make it even better. The GT-spec model features all the kit you could imagine, but while the infotainment set-up looks the part, it takes a while to work through some of the menus. The two screens sitting on top of each other on the centre console are clear, but switching between them is distracting. 

The interior quality is high-end for a family car, though, and most passengers have commented on the Mercedes-like illuminated dash. The colour can be changed and, now I’m doing more night driving, I’ve gone for a clean white light and turned the brightness down. By default it’s a bright blue, which reflected in the windows and reduced visibility at night. Plus I worried that it looked like I was in a police car.

Another thing I’ve changed is the angle of the headlights. Thankfully, the adjustment means no more angry drivers thinking I’ve left my full-beam on. The car has high-beam assist, but I tend not to use it, because the lights are bright enough and it’s slow to cancel when oncoming traffic appears.

Peugeot 5008 Hybrid GT: second fleetwatch

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A recent twin-test with the E-5008 shows combustion still rules my routine

They say you wait ages for a bus, then three turn up at once, and that seems to be the case with our Peugeot 5008. Having spent two days with an Allure-spec car while my GT model was being serviced, I’ve now sampled the other end of the spectrum in the shape of the all-electric, four-wheel-drive E-5008 Dual Motor.

It was in for a twin test, so we lined up my identically coloured PureTech Hybrid next to it once we’d finished shooting. Technically the car we had in was in Launch Edition spec, which mirrors the recently announced top-line GT Premium trim, so there are larger 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a panoramic roof and electric seat adjustment, among other luxuries.

Overall, the E-5008 drives just like my petrol-powered model, but the issue I would have is with its range. I can currently cover several hundred miles a week on one or two stops for petrol, but with the E-5008 returning 2.8 miles per kWh on a chilly test for a range of 204 miles from its 73kWh battery, I’d have to stop more frequently and for longer to charge up. I’m not against running an electric car, but there’s still too much of a compromise for my needs.

Peugeot 5008 Hybrid GT: second report

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Our photographer decides which flavour of 5008 he prefers

• Mileage: 16,116 miles
• Efficiency: 45.5mpg

As Auto Express’s senior photographer, I cover a very high mileage for work. And as our regular readers will know, the result is that the long-term test cars I drive often require a pretty swift dealer service. 

The 5008 is no different and sure enough, the service symbol popped up on the screen recently; the odometer was showing 13,916 miles and gave me a one-week countdown to when the service was due.

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Normally, I would take the car along to a local dealer for the work, but on this occasion Peugeot sent me a replacement model because they wanted my car to go through their in-house service department. This is where it got interesting, because I thought I was seeing double: next to my 5008 hybrid an apparently identical 5008 was parked, in the same Ingaro Blue colour and with the same 19-inch Yari diamond-cut alloys. 

Apart from one letter on the number plate, it could have been a clone – or so I thought. In fact, there was a slight difference: my car is a GT trim, but the model delivered for the swap was in Allure spec – and it’s only when you start to look more closely that you find where Allure loses and GT gains.

My Peugeot, in GT spec and not including extras, costs £43,320. The Allure-spec car comes in at £39,890, excluding the optional Vision pack and a towbar. So the question is: would I recommend stumping up the extra or taking the more basic model? The latest 5008 already feels more premium than previous models, so will the extras be worth it?

The Allure and GT look nearly identical externally, but the former’s interior is less flash. Gone is the shiny aluminium front panel, which is replaced by a darker Graphine carbon-effect insert without any illumination. The 21-inch HD panoramic screen is the same in both cars, but with Allure trim, the head restraints have lost the embossed logo and the GT’s part-leather steering wheel is replaced by a standard one. 

However, the only thing that really stands out is the lack of alcove lighting; the Allure cabin still feels like a nice place to spend time, and as I said in my first report, Peugeot’s i-Cockpit set-up has improved since the 3008 I ran a few years ago.

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One more practical element that’s missing from the Allure model is a powered tailgate. Some people love this feature, but given the number of times I have to open and close the boot every day while I’m working, I prefer a manual release – it’s quicker and quieter.

Finally, the Allure’s front headlights are only Eco LEDs, not the all-singing and dancing Pixel LEDs with adaptive smart beam that come as standard with GT trim. I’ve tried both sets of lights, and found the adaptive smart beam can be effective on country lanes, but I was forced to adjust the height of the beam. That’s because, almost every time I drove the car at night, I was getting flashed by oncoming traffic, assuming that I had left the car’s main beam on.

It turns out the only way to realign the Peugeot’s headlights is by going under the bonnet and turning the adjuster – but after only a relatively small tweak, I’m glad to say I have had no more issues. The standard LED set-up that comes with Allure trim is still excellent for night driving, though. 

In the end, picking between the two models comes down to personal choice. They don’t look very different on the outside, but a less bling interior and a saving of £3,430 might tempt you to take the Allure spec. And I think that’s what I would do, not least because the driving experience, practicality and ride are the same. The cabin is still one of the best in its segment even when not fully blinged up.

Peugeot 5008 Hybrid GT: first fleetwatch

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Our 5008 handles daily life well, aside from a few display hiccups

The new Peugeot 5008 is doing a great job as a photography assistant, because it’s large, comfortable and easy to live with, although it hasn’t been entirely without issue. 

Unfortunately the driver’s display has gone totally blank while I’ve been driving on a couple of occasions. Thankfully the car still functions normally, but the only way to reset it is to stop and restart the car. An update message is showing on screen and I have a service coming up soon, so hopefully the glitch can be dealt with, because I really like the 5008 so far.

Peugeot 5008 Hybrid GT: first report

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Plush seven-seat hybrid has effortlessly slipped into family life, plus being a photographer’s workhorse

• Mileage: 9,253 miles
• Efficiency: 40.8mpg

My last long-term model, a Skoda Superb hatch, was pretty much the perfect car for my job, so any successor was going to have to be very special in comparison. As it turns out, the Peugeot 5008 I’m now running delivers the kind of luxury that is normally the reserve of plusher and far more expensive SUVs such as the BMW and Lotus seen above.

From first glance, the Peugeot’s evolution in design is obvious. The latest 5008 has a strong look that I think puts it ahead of the latest 3008 coupé-SUV. The sharp headlights and grille deliver cleaner lines than the previous 5008, while the squared-off rear end means there’s still enough space for a third row of seats. Overall, the brand has made the new model look high end, yet our GT-spec model only costs just over £43,000, which on looks alone seems very good value for money. 

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This isn’t the first Peugeot SUV I’ve taken custody of, because I also ran a previous-generation 3008 a couple of years ago. I thought that car was pretty plush, but it’s not a patch on the latest 5008. Not only does the newer model have more space, but the luxury materials and bold design give it added appeal. Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout isn’t to all tastes, but it’s a bold-looking thing with plenty of sharp graphics on display.

The 21-inch high-definition touchscreen looks fantastic in its position set high on the dash. It has a premium BMW look to it, while an LED lightbar illuminates a printed aluminium alcove on the passenger side of the fascia. This wraps around into the doors and feels very Mercedes-like in its execution, which to me isn’t a bad thing at all.

One highlight of the touchscreen system is the secondary control panel below the main display. This has shortcuts for all of the major functions – navigation, climate, phone and so on – which makes menu selection easy. But I think Peugeot has missed a trick, because while the lower display is used to pick different functions, you then have to move back to the main screen to operate them. It feels like the process could be simplified by having the lower screen switch to the option you’ve chosen, leaving the main display on another setting.  

The 5008’s overall cabin design is great, however you may still struggle to see all of the information on the i-Cockpit digital dials. As with the previous 3008 and 5008, your view of the high-set driver’s display is helped by a small steering wheel, but it still blocks a little section across the bottom of the screen. 

I’ve set my driving position higher, but I still can’t see some details. I’m only five feet eight inches in height, so taller people may not notice this issue, but others who have driven this 5008 say it’s a lot better than the previous model.

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The fact that the 5008 has a third row of seats could be helpful for family outings, but we’re yet to really use them. The two seats seem OK for space, but will probably be better for shorter runs or smaller people. Access is good, though, with the middle row of seats folding forward a long way to improve access. 

With the third row down, the boot capacity is very useful. My camera gear and cleaning kit take up plenty of space inside, but the Peugeot has a decent layout, plus a deeper section behind the rearmost row where you can store things away from prying eyes – it’s also very handy for me to sit in when we’re doing car-to-car photography. 

On the road, the 5008 has proved to be a comfortable cruiser. I had reservations about such a big car coming with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, but so far the hybrid system seems to be managing well. The car is really good on motorways, with strong refinement, but even under normal acceleration in town, there can be quite a bit of noise. 

There’s also a noticeable step when braking as the system swaps between energy recovery and the Peugeot’s physical discs and pads. The steering is very light, meanwhile, but that does mean the car is easy to manoeuvre.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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