Peugeot 5008 2018 Car Review

As you’ll have guessed from that mix, it’s a soft-roader, with a hefty dollop of edgy and attractive styling – perhaps to distract you from the fact that a fair bit was filched from the smaller 3008, including the platform and powertrains.

But you might not guess that there’s MPV in that mash-up: the original 5008 – which never sold here – shared its underpinnings with the Citroën Grand Picasso.

But the 5008 is an MPV no longer, hence its arrival here, in a market which eschews the sensible people-mover for something with at least a whiff of off-road about it.

We sampled the top-spec 2.0-litre turbo-diesel GT, with its 133kW power and 400Nm torque hit to deliver more than enough punch for most people most of the time.

As for ride and handling, obviously we weren’t making like Greg Murphy with the 5008, given that’s not the market it’s aimed at, but we did drive it briskly along bumpy, hilly Waitakere roads and found the suspension firm and well controlled without being hard, and ride comfy enough to suit most buyers.

Our tester loved the innovative look of the cabin design and dash, the seat squab with its adjustable length, the premium feel from the materials, and the quality of fit and finish. And any kids sitting in the outer two seats of row two will love the fact they have a fold-down tray table in front of them, and can pull up a window blind if the sun’s too much. There are two hidden storage spaces in the floor, too, though one carries the tyre inflator pump and a repair kit. The child between them – all three row-two seats are equal in width, and fold separately — can reach buttons to increase or reduce the airflow back there, and all three can independently slide their seat to and fro, and recline the backrest.

As for the two third-row seats, either or both pull easily out of the boot floor, but the space they allow is better suited to short trips or the school commute than permanent occupation for long. We’re told you can also remove them to expand boot space from 702 litres to 780 litres, if required, though we didn’t try it.

As for all the other guff, the list is extensive, including the usual suite of safety aids plus trailer stability control, active blind spot detection and lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, Isofix and child seat tether fitments on all three row-two seats. The ‘cockpit’ features a 12.5-inch high-definition instrument screen and an eight-inch touch screen, satin chrome toggle switches for controls and, believe it or not, a choice of three fragrances, including ‘Cosmic Cuir, for a vibrant and sensory perfume.’ Sadly, our tester didn’t have a sense of smell that week, so we can’t report on its efficacy!

But wait, there’s more. Bluetooth hands-free for your phone with voice-activated dialing, auto wipers and headlights with a cornering feature plus auto high beam, a Lion spotlight in the wing mirrors, aluminium roof rails and 19-inch alloy wheels.

The GT also includes the safety pack that costs $1750 on the base model 1.6 petrol, which brings with it adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, advanced emergency braking at up to 140kph, park assist and a 360-degree camera to help avoid parking snafus.

Perhaps oddly given the nominally SUV looks, it doesn’t get the Grip control of the base car, but then again, who buys a 5008, or indeed any vehicle that feels this classy, to tackle slippery stuff?

Mind you some of the car’s aura came from cost options – the Nappa leather seats ($3500) with its interesting stitch design (though that pattern will catch biscuit crumbs) and eight-way adjustment for the driver, the five-mode seat massage and heating, plus the sunroof ($2500) and the pearl white paint option ($750).

MPVs may be automotive tranquilisers while SUVs are sexy, but look closely and you’ll see the 5008’s design features mask a body that’s more tall wagon (or low MPV) than off-roader in outline, which may explain why the 5008 is not available as an AWD. But that does make this Peugeot a spacious, practical family car with a premium feel, even if the edgy design won’t suit everyone.