Peugeot 5008 review - Interior, design and technology

This second-generation 5008 is radically different from its predecessor, with Peugeot repositioning the car as a full-sized seven-seat SUV to meet the growing demand of buyers for off-roaders.

As part of that transition, the car has moved on to the scalable EMP2 platform that underpins the smaller 3008 and cars from sister brand Citroen, such as the Grand C4 SpaceTourer MPV.

The upright grille, detailed headlights and tail-lights, the steep windscreen, raised ride height and hidden C-pillars all give the 5008 a distinctive look, and it’s a similar design to the closely-related 3008. Cars like the Skoda Kodiaq have a more traditional look, but the 5008 certainly has a distinctive style, and a facelift in 2020 brought further stylistic tweaks to help freshen things up.

On the inside, it’s all good news, as the 5008 has the same top-quality interior as the 3008, making it one of the best cars in its class to sit in. The dashboard wraps around the driver, incorporating Peugeot’s infotainment system - an 8.0-inch touchscreen for entry Active Premium versions, and a larger 10-inch screen for all other specifications.

The small steering wheel and high-mounted instrument cluster remain as well, and you get Peugeot’s latest 'i-Cockpit' display, with a 12.3-inch digital screen behind the wheel. Like Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, it means you can change the layout of the dials, choose what is displayed (and how) or show the sat-nav instructions in front of you.

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Apart from some lower-quality materials lower down in the cabin, and the fiddly touchscreen controls for the air-con, the 5008’s interior is one of the best in its class. It’s great-looking, high quality and functional. What more could you ask for in a seven-seater car?

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Peugeot’s 12.3-inch dash display and infotainment touchscreen deliver plenty of tech. All models get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while Allure trim upwards features sat-nav with three years of live updates. This adds features such as traffic info, local search and weather forecasts.

The facelifted 5008 introduced a larger 10-inch touchscreen – the previous eight-inch unit is now only fitted to base Active Premium trim. The new set-up uses much of the same interface, but it’s displayed on a larger, sharper screen. It’s fairly responsive to touches, but doesn’t load quite as rapidly as we'd like.

We feel the 5008’s setup is let down in a few key areas: Peugeot’s resistance to using physical climate controls seems like a poor solution, with large panels on either side of the screen reserved for temperature settings. These can never be minimised, so the size of the rear-view camera display is not as clear as it could be, and it also makes the system feel cheap in an otherwise special cabin. There’s a USB socket in the front, but middle-row passengers only get an extra pair in GT and GT Premium trims.