2018 Peugeot 5008 Review
It’s a bit bigger than the 3008. No literally.
By Shahzad Sheikh
Click below now to watch my 2018 Peugeot 5008 Review
This is the all-new Peugeot 5008 and the main thing you need to know about it is that it’s the bigger brother to the 3008 I reviewed late last year – click here to read and watch.
In many ways – actually in most ways – it’s virtually identical. It has the same highly equipped and incredibly futuristic interior. The same engine and the same drivetrain, which is a 1.6 Turbo four-cylinder putting out 165bhp and 177lb ft from just 1400rpm, feeding the front wheels only through a 6-speed automatic.
The 5008 is 194mm longer with pretty much the same width and height and about 65kg heavier. As such its 0-100kph acceleration time of 9.2 is three-tenths slower than the 3008’s 8.9 seconds. But the top speed is identical at 206kph.
It’s a little pricier too of course at 99,900 ($27k) for the Active trim, 114,900 ($31k) for the Allure and 134,900 ($38k) for the GT Line. If you’re wondering, that puts it at AED5000, 10,000 and 12,000 higher than the 3008 respectively. Just like the 3008 though, it’s very well equipped with even the Active getting 17-inch alloy wheels, a digital instrument panel, cruise control, 8-inch touchscreen and 6-speaker stereo with a multi-function leather-covered wheel.
This GT-Line range-topper gets 18-inch wheels, panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control, Nappa leather upholstery, massage seats (yep that’s right), wireless charger, park assist, 10-speaker sound system, navigation, a 360-degree camera, blind-spot assist, lane keep and an emergency braking system.
The 5008 has a third row of seats of course compared to the 3008. Open the book and you see a deep, wide and tall cargo area. But no seats. Ah but then you fold back the floor – in three magnetised parts – and underneath are pull-out chairs, easy to raise and drop. And whilst the middle row of seats can by slid forward, the awkward positioning and temporary nature of the two third row seats limits them strictly to use by children and that only for short distances.
The second row of seats are comfortable enough, but you have to recline the seats if you’re looking for extra headroom. Admittedly though I’m on the tall side and sat behind a driver’s seat set for me. Up front there are no issues with space.
Once you get used to the oddly low-placed steering wheel with the flat top as well as the flat bottom so that it’s more of an oval shape rather than round. It has the lovely toggle switches and the cloth on the dashboard – the same look and style of the 3008. And you get fragrance dispenser and cabin ambience settings.
It’s extraordinarily well equipped – where’s the compromise then? Well even the ride is good, and the handling is excellent for this type of vehicle. The brakes are good and the steering – once you get used to the shape of the ‘wheel’ not bad at all. Performance isn’t the quickest, but it’s adequate for daily driving – just don’t go street racing other SUVs.
It does have a terrain-select system, like the 3008, which is odd and rather misleading because this is not four- or all-wheel drive, so don’t anticipate selecting sand mode and going dune-bashing! In addition to that, I’d hesitate to recommend the 5008 for two reasons – the third row, which is why you’d buy this over the 3008, isn’t really that usable, and considering the price differential, frankly I’d say just get the 3008. And if you really need the extra space, look elsewhere.
