Car manufacturers love initials. You have SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), EV (Electric Vehicle), GT (Grand Tourer), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), AWD (All-Wheel Drive), BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), FWD and RWD (Front and Rear Wheel Drive). Some even use SW, mainly for the American market (Station Wagon), whereas we call them Estates.

But one set of initials seems to have steadily disappeared - MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle.)

You could probably include MPV candidates like the Dacia Jogger, Volkswagen’s Touran and ID Buzz, and the Mercedes V-Class, but things have largely reverted to 5 and 7-seat SUVs.

And a 7-seat SUV is precisely what you see here - the Peugeot 5008.

A 7-seater 3008

It’s essentially a 7-seater version of the slightly smaller, and equally good, Peugeot 3008. Both Pugs share the same powertrains, same hybrid set-up and a lot of the interior gubbins. Their exterior styling is much the same too, with a dramatic body-coloured front grille which looks pretty good. The rear of the car is more bluff than the 3008, but that’s to accommodate the extra row of seats and ensure sufficient headroom.

As with most 7-seater cars, the third row can cater for a couple of average sized adults. Kids will be fine, and to be honest, a lot of them prefer it (mine do anyway) because it feels like they have their own space.

Flop the third row into the floor and you end up with a vast load area of over 900 litres. Your knotted-pine chest of drawers will easily slide in.

Powertrain options

Five powertrains are available. You have a 100% electric version with a choice of either 210bhp or 228bhp outputs or, purely for the dual motor launch edition, a thumping 321bhp.

You can also go for hybrid or PHEV power options. Under the bonnet of the self-charging hybrid, you’ll find a 1.2 litre petrol engine which develops 143bhp. The PHEV ups the ante with a 1.6 litre engine and 192bhp. The advantage of the PHEV is that you can get close to 50 miles using battery power alone. Do some sums and work out which one works best for you. The self-charging hybrid kicks off at £39,890 (July 25), followed by the PHEV at £43,560 and the first of the electric models coming in at £48,760.

Trim levels

Three trims are available: Allure, GT and Launch Edition, although Launch Edition is limited purely to the top electric motor. I reckon Allure will be ideal for most people and save you a few pennies. You get a really smart 21-inch curved infotainment and driver display, which has certainly got a bit of a wow factor to it. There’s sat nav, wireless charging, three-zone climate control, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, LED headlights and DAB radio, so I’m not sure you need much else really.

GT trim, if you must know, gives you stuff like front parking sensors, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, bigger alloys, rear window blinds, powered tailgate and Pixel LED headlights.

Interior

The interior is a smart looking place with an upmarket look and feel. I’m pleased to report that climbing into the rear third row doesn’t require some sort of complicated circus act. Tug a lever on the top of the second row of seats and they tilt and slide forward, providing a decent amount of space for clambering into the back.

As with all modern Peugeots, the driver’s display is set fairly high, which means you look at it over the steering wheel rather than through it. It works well, although you need to get used to it. The infotainment system is easy to understand and navigate, and it’s good to see some haptic buttons on a lower down panel.

And before I move on to how it is to drive, I must give brief shout out to the small go-kart-like steering wheel which most Peugeots now feature.

Out on the road

I like the self-charging hybrid, and for what is a pretty big car - 1.7 tonnes - it’s quiet, handles nicely and is comfy too. Pushing down on the accelerator will get you from 0-60mph in a shade over 11 seconds, although it does feel quicker and you’ll be maxing out at 123mph. Peugeot reckons you can manage up to 52mpg, which seemed pretty accurate when I had the car. The 6-speed auto gearbox is selected by a slider on the dashboard and can be a bit slow to engage. You can also drive for a short distance using the hybrid battery. I wouldn’t go too quickly, though.

A realistic 7-seater

This is a terrific people carrier and it will make holiday jaunts a doddle. It’s also a realistic 7-seater with loads of room, but probably best enjoyed for those under 6 feet.

As a big 7-seater SUV, it’s one of the best.

You could even call it an MPV.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Peugeot

Peugeot 5008 - Initial thoughts are positive for this SUV