FIRST DRIVE:Peugeot is getting better and cheaper, and its new 5008 stays true to that, says PADDY COMYN
KEEP AN eye on Peugeot. It is going through a renaissance and becoming one of the brands that has some of the most clever and noteworthy cars around.
While its mainstream models, such as the 207 and 308 are okay, it really starts to excel when it comes to niche solutions. The 3008 looks set to become a smash hit next year in the same way the Nissan Qashqai did and now those requiring a proper, family sized MPV should be drawn to its latest offering, the 5008.
Peugeot has had limited success with its MPVs before. The 807 was its last large one and before that the 806 also had limited appeal. These were people-carriers from an era when people seemed to think that a seven-seater needed to fit seven adults and the result was often a minibus of a different flavour. But the success of cars such as the Ford S-Max has shown that you don't necessarily need to produce an unwieldy bus to offer a proper family solution.
The 5008 has got many of the family features of the 3008 pseudo-SUV. It doesn't immediately look like a people carrier, more an estate car. Think of it as a taller version of the popular 307 and 308SW models and you are nearly there.
Car makers are learning that those who are almost forced to buy an MPV by virtue of their family situation don't necessarily want to look as if they are driving an SUV and that seems to have worked with the 5008. The exterior design is all well and good, and in this case very good, but an MPV lives and dies by its interior, where the driver needs good visibility, an easy to use cabin and flexibility. The MPV is your mobile playroom, creche, picnic area and, at times, diningroom and for that reason it has be durable and versatile. This is where the 5008 really scores.
We have tested all the main cars in this segment (twin tests of such we will bring you in coming issues of Motors) and suffice to say that the Peugeot has one of the best interiors we have come across in its class. The 5008 has space for seven and its three full-size middle-row seats slide and recline. Sure, the rear row of seats won't really suit six-footers but there is more room there than in some of the 5008's key rivals.
All of the five seats behind the front two fold away to leave a long, flat load area. This ranges from 758 litres to 823 litres under the parcel shelf with the third row of seats folded away. This increases to 1,247 litres when the 5008 is loaded to the roof and, if you fold the second row flat, then you are looking at 2,506 litres, which would put most small vans to shame.
The driver and front seat passenger aren't ignored either. Sure, there are quite a lot of buttons on the dashboard and some of them are a bit fiddly but there has been a dramatic improvement in Peugeot cabins and this 5008 has an Audi-like quality to the interior plastics.
The head-up display, which comes in at Level 3 in the range, works well and means that you don't have to take your eyes off the road to read many instruments (there is even the option of a multimedia system for the second row to keep children quiet so they won't distract you.
The engine being offered in Ireland is the 1.6-litre HDi 110bhp unit which, despite its small capacity, does more than an adequate job of hauling the 5008's bulk and passengers along and with CO2 emissions of 140g/km on the manual version it is frugal as well as reasonably powerful.
What is probably most surprising about the 5008 is the way it drives. This is one of the better of the large MPVs to drive by some degree. It never feels clumsy and the steering feedback is good. It leans on the side of comfort first and as a result the ride is very forgiving, but it doesn't pitch and roll as much as some of its key rivals.
Peugeot has been getting very competitive with its pricing and the 5008 is offered from €26,995 for the SE version. This gets you manual air conditioning, 16 steel wheels and front electric windows. For €28,995 you get the SX, which gets cruise control, front fogs, 16 alloys, blinds in row two, electric windows all round and a leather gear knob. The top of the range SV adds a panoramic glass roof, USB connection, tyre pressure sensors, head-up display, automatic headlamps and wipers, climate control air conditioning, 17 alloy wheels, electric folding door mirrors and an alarm for €30,995. The cheapest Ford S-Max is €32,365 and for a Zetec diesel one you are looking at €38,845. Possibly its more direct rival is the Renault Grand Scenic which starts at €26,290 for the cheapest diesel. With this new model alongside the excellent 3008, things might get a little better for Peugeot dealers in 2010.
Engine:1,560cc, four-cylinder turbo diesel putting out 110bhp @ 4,000rpm and 240Nm torque @ 1,750rpm
Maximum speed:183km/h
0-100km:12.3 seconds
Fuel economy:5.3 l/100km
CO2 emissions:140g/km