Peugeot 5008 is now an SUV, too

Three years ago, the 5008 was an MPV. The Philippines practically ignored it. Now, the 5008 is an SUV, and suddenly, everyone’s paying attention. Well, at least anyone buying in the P2-million price range and who doesn’t mind looking outside the mainstream. They’ll get to try a vehicle with more design flair and interior smarts than the price tag might suggest.

First, the looks. The 5008 has sharpened up its appearance considerably. The previous car’s body was unmistakably a family MPV. Only those who didn’t mind a “domesticated” look plastered all over his vehicle would even think of buying one.

With the second generation, Peugeot switched the 5008 to an SUV body. The new 5008 looks leaner and tauter, no longer the soccer mom but more marathon man. The 5008 shares much of the looks of the smaller 3008, from the upright grille, clam shell-type hood, and sculpted fenders. Think of the 5008 as a larger, seven-seat version. The 5008 stretches 4,670 mm long x 1,855 mm wide, with a long 2,840 mm wheelbase.

Technology fans will lap up the 5008’s cockpit. In place of the usual analog gauges is a 12.3-inch display screen. The screen can be reconfigured to show navigation, fuel economy, vehicle status, or indeed, a pair of virtual gauges. There’s a second touchscreen to control audio, aircon and other functions. Unfortunately, it sticks out like an afterthought, in the current design vein that many car makers are guilty of. The touchscreen interface is not as intuitive as we might have liked, as adjusting settings like aircon take a lot of prodding and looking away from the road. At least there’s still a volume knob.

Otherwise, the 5008 looks and plays successfully on the futuristic theme. Perhaps time spent as the new flying police car in Blade Runner 2049 rubbed off on the designers. There’s an impression that the designers carried the day here. The fabric panels in the dash (dubbed “Brumeo Compier”) look fantastic when framed by the matt chrome inserts. The driver is fenced off from the front passenger by the high center console, so that will limit any attempt at hand holding with your passenger. Other features that add spice to the cabin include a cabin-length moonroof and adjustable ambient lighting.

In any case, both hands should be on that rectangular steering wheel. If you’ve ever fantasized about holding a Formula 1-type steering on a real car, this would be your best bet. The shape looks sporty, but feels odd in a road car. When you have to switch your hands around frequently, a non-round shape isn’t best for the job. The shape does allow an unobstructed view of the display screen.

Wagons, particularly those carrying the Peugeot lion, have excelled at carrying big loads of luggage. The 5008 continues that tradition. With the third row folded, it has a huge 952 liter trunk space. Knee room in the second row is plentiful, thanks to the long wheelbase and flat floor.

The two third row seats folds individually into the trunk floor with a clever mechanism, so one-hand operation is easy. The third row is best reserved for kids or for short-distance transport only.

The 5008 is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine. It delivers 165 hp and 240Nm. The transmission is a six-speed automatic. Throttle response is mild in normal mode. Sport gives a little more oomph. The overall impression is that the 5008 isn’t really enthusiastic about going fast or cornering at high speeds.

For its SUV credentials, the 5008 has a tall 236-mm ground clearance, hill descent control, and a system called Advanced Grip Control. A wheel on the center console switches the drivetrain from normal to mud to sand mode, to better modulate the drivetrain for mild off road driving. Mild it will have to be, as the 5008 is front-wheel drive.

Safety and convenience features include the excellent Apple CarPlay/Android Auto interface, a 360-degree camera, blind spot detection, lane keeping assist, and driver attention alert. ABS, stability control, tire pressure monitoring, and six airbags are standard. There’s also park assist for parallel and perpendicular parking, although the 5008 is easily maneuverable with a reasonably tight turning circle.

From P2.190-million, the 5008 Allure gives you a European-designed car with a large interior space, seating for five plus two, interior design flair to spare, and adequate power from its turbo engine.