Peugeot 5008 review - Engines, drive & performance

One of our main criticisms of Peugeot’s latest crop of SUVs has been overly firm suspension, resulting in a rough ride. The petrol versions of the 5008 are a bit better in this respect, soaking up the sort of bumps and imperfections adorning British roads reasonably well. The 5008 still isn’t as calm or settled as some rivals, but this could improve with more passengers and luggage onboard. 

Is it good to drive in town?

Despite its size, the 5008 is pretty easy to get along with around town, where its light steering and commanding view out make it easy to position on the road and in car parks.

Is it good to drive on long journeys?

The Peugeot 5008 is pretty refined for the most part, with just small amounts of tyre roar and wind noise at speed on the motorway. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid can let in a gruff engine note when pushed hard, but the E-5008’s electric motor is much quieter. The 5008’s ride isn’t the most settled, and this can become evident on the motorway, where it feels fidgety.

Is it good to drive on B-roads?

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The Peugeot 5008 isn’t really a driver’s car, so it’s not the most rewarding option on a fast B-road. It’s potent enough, especially in plug-in hybrid and electric guises, but performance is adequate, rather than racy. Body roll is kept in check and it feels secure and stable, however.

Petrol models

The 5008 Hybrid comes with a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, a 21bhp electric motor and a six-speed automatic gearbox – a setup that’s becoming ubiquitous across cars from Stellantis-owned manufacturers, and can be bought in everything from a Vauxhall Corsa to this £40k, seven-seat Peugeot. 

Its electric motor doesn’t feel quite powerful enough to get the big SUV going off the line without the petrol engine chiming in, but once up and running, it does feel a bit quicker than its sluggish 0-62mph time would suggest. There’s a fairly gruff engine note under heavy acceleration, though, and of all the engines offered in the 5008 we’d be most worried the Hybrid could suffer if all seven seats are occupied and the car is loaded with luggage.

Plug-in hybrid models

We haven’t tested the PHEV version of the 5008 yet, but it has significantly more potent components. For a start, there’s now a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, backed up by an electric motor that itself makes 124bhp. Combined, the PHEV is rated at 192bhp and it can tick off the acceleration benchmark three seconds quicker than the Hybrid, so it should feel quite a bit more confident when you need to make an overtake and when fully loaded up.

Electric models 

We’ve spent time behind the wheel of the E-5008 210, and Peugeot has done a good job of giving its electric motor smooth responses. While it’s not as quick as some electric SUVs, its lack of gearchanges and instant response should make it feel fast enough for most family SUV drivers. A slightly more potent 230 is also available, though its performance is mostly the same and power is merely bumped up to cope with a larger, heavier battery.