Peugeot 5008: Ignore the small torque

What is it?

Simple.

Take an existing vehicle, extend the roofline, length and wheelbase to fit an extra pair of seats, and voila!

Peugeot’s 5008 is pretty much the extended version of the 3008 five-seat SUV, with the front half of the vehicles identical.

There are two models only, the GT Line and GT, with the latter diesel only — our GT Line has a petrol engine.

5008

What’s it cost?

It’s $55,990 driveaway, almost the same price as the gorgeous 508.

The major difference between the 3008 and 5008 is a more upright rear look, and an increase of wheelbase from 2675mm to 2840mm.

This allows for a small pair of third row seats, and they’re removable for extra cargo space — with more than 2000 litres in total.

The middle row is a little different too, with three independent seats, not the usual 60/40 split. Each slide and fold separately for extra flexibility.

All seats are leather covered and stitched in a diamond motif.

Comfort is high and the cabin is a nice place to be.

Light purple LED mood lighting, grey denim that contrasts with the black plastics, and sun catching alloy look tabs bring a mix of colours to this office space.

The tabs reflect light directly into the driver’s eyes, as does the alloy look strip on the forward section of the console.

As a result, the cloth screen above the passengers was kept fully extended, rather than rolled back to reveal the glass roof.

Naturally Peugeot’s cool looking and user friendly i-cockpit is fitted along with a punchy DAB audio system with some real presence and oomph.

The touchscreen is the familiar 8.0-inch item with multi-functional tabs underneath that integrate with the screen.

The centre console holds the pistol grip drive selector which rocks back and forth for Drive and Reverse, with Park a press of a P.

Ahead of this is an awkward nook for a smartphone charge pad and sole USB port.

There are no USB ports for the second and third row, but a 12 volt socket is available, along with centre row air vents.

Wheels are 19 inchers, rubber is from Michelin’s Premacy range at 205/55.

The triple claw rear lights are LED, as are the self-leveling headlights.

Safety-wise there are six airbags, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Autonomous Emergency Braking with radar and camera sensors.

Park assist and front and rear parking sensors are also standard.

5008

What’s it go like?

Bluntly, it needs the same power and torque as found in the 508 GT.

It’s the same 1.6-litre turbo four, but has the same numbers as the 3008.

That’s 121kW and 240Nm but with the extra mass of the larger vehicle, it really needs the 300Nm from 508 — really.

It’s also the EAT6 transmission, not the eight-speed, which curtails performance too.

But it’s frugal, with our final economy figure registering 6.7L/100km. That’s from a smaller than average tank of 56 litres.

For all that, it’s a decently enjoyable drive, with adequate rolling acceleration, adequate off the mark acceleration, and Peugeot’s superb stoppers.

Handling is neutral with barely a hint of understeer.

Damping is spot on with vertical movement from bumps and road conditions also beautifully controlled.

Just like the 3008 and 508, the steering is weighted perfectly and has a variable ratio for great control across slow to highway velocities.

5008

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What we like?

Extra room over the 3008
Subtle and appealing good looks
Superb ride and handling

5008

What we don’t like?

Sun catching trim is distracting
Torque dearth dulls performance for some drivers
Price perception against larger competition

5008

The bottom line?

Back to the price.

That’s a lot of coin for a vehicle that isn’t the first SUV to come to mind when shopping.

It’s a true “mid” sizer, sitting between SUVs such as Suzuki’s cool but fading Vitara, the Kia Sportage, and bigger vehicles such as Sorento, Santa Fe, or Pathfinder.

The engine is a good ‘un, but really could use the extra torque and cogs from the version fitted to the 508.

However, without having experienced the agility of that vehicle, the performance and ability of the 1.6-litre fitted will “do” otherwise for prospective buyers.

5008