PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

Peugeot is taking MPVs seriously again. Steve Walker takes a look at the 5008.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

There are some cars that the man or woman in the street will tell you they'd love to own despite never having driven or even sat behind the wheel. Coupes, sports saloons, convertibles, even cute city cars or commanding 4x4s, you could imagine any of these yanking on the heart strings of an individual, depending on their personal taste. With the MPV, things are a bit different. It's hard to lust after something so overwhelmingly functional but ask the thousands of MPV owners up and down the country and they'll tell you that life wouldn't be the same without theirs. Peugeot will be hoping its 5008 forms just such a strong bond with its owners but to achieve this, it will have to do the basics well.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

Peugeot's MPV offering looks a whole lot stronger with the 5008 installed. This is a compact MPV based on the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso but it's quite a size with seven roomy seats and a big luggage area. The seats slide and fold flat of course, then there's a panoramic sunroof, lots of storage space and some economical engines. Even the styling has taken on a classier dimension than some of Peugeot's recent efforts.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

The MPV or Multi-Purpose Vehicle has become big business in today's car market. More than any other category of car, they're fashioned specifically around the needs of the family and they've proven popular enough to prompt most of the big car brands to dip at least one toe in the water. Peugeot has had MPVs but compared to its mainstream rivals, it's always appeared strangely reticent when it came to expanding its people carrier offering, especially in the profitable compact MPV sector. With its PSA partner company Citroen having MPVs coming out of its ears (including the successful Picasso compact MPV models) this may well have been a conscious decision but today things have changed. The 5008 is part of a more concerted effort on Peugeot's part to tap into a market where many felt it should have been all along. Based on Citroen's Grand C4 Picasso, it gets off to a promising start.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

A familiar crop of engines power the 5008 in a range that leans heavily on Peugeot's impressive HDi diesels. The 1.6-litre HDi has 110bhp and is offered with a choice of six-speed manual or the 6-speed robotised automatic. With the 2.0-litre HDi, there's a conventional automatic option supplementing the manual but the two gearboxes come with different power outputs. Manual customers have to make do with 150bhp while the auto model's engine is upgraded to 163bhp. On the petrol front, there's a 1.6-litre VTi unit with 120bhp or the 156bhp 1.6-litre THP which uses a turbocharger to boost performance.

The suspension is tuned for comfort but Peugeot claims that it will still deliver an engaging drive in what is a substantial vehicle. The front suspension features an anti-roll bar to maintain stability and the set-up at the back uses a conventional torsion beam. Ease of manoeuvrability is vital in a big family vehicle like the 5008 and Peugeot is offering a series of driver aids to make things easier. Front and rear parking sensors are supplemented by a system that measures roadside parking spaces and gives an indication of whether the 5008 will fit.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

Some of Peugeot's recent efforts have been hit and miss from a styling perspective, the main bone of contention being the enormous frontal air-intake that the marque insisted on applying to all its new models for a while. The 5008 departs from this controversial theme with a more conservative and classy look that should appeal to a wider audience. Huge front light clusters sweep back up the sides of the bonnet and the chrome bar that splits the horizontal grille is mirrored by three more that run across the trio of air-intakes below. The square rear is designed for practicality first and foremost with a low loading lip and a wide tailgate. Carrying capacity will be a major selling point for the 5008 as the vehicle is able to take 758 litres of cargo with five of its seven seats occupied. Fold all of the seats down and up to 2,506 litres can be squeezed in.

Peugeot boasts that the vehicle has a total glazed area of 5.77m3 to aid visibility and increase light levels in the cabin. This is achieved through the large windscreen and deep side windows as well as by the full-length sunroof. All of the seats fold flat to create a practical load floor and access to the third row is aided by a clever mechanism on the outermost seats in the second row. In one movement, the seat cushion lifts and the seat back moves forward to create enough space for passengers to enter through the side door without and clambering. Storage capacity is plentiful in all models thanks to large door pockets, a glovebox and an air-conditioned centre console storage bin to keep drinks cool.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

There are three trim levels for 5008 - Active, Sport and Exclusive - that all feature the characteristic Multiflex interior with seven seats. Standard across the range are ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), an automatic electric parking brake with Hill Assist, Energy Saver tyres and air conditioning. The mid-range 5008 Sport models that most will choose are equipped with 17" alloy wheels, the Aluminium pack (trim for front grille, front fog lights and chrome detailing), cruise control with speed limiter, a lighting pack with removable torch, a Storage pack (under seat and footwell storage), a colour coded exterior and front fog lights.

There are a number of safety innovations also present in the 5008. The vehicle can be ordered with a heads-up display that projects vital driving information onto the inside of the windscreen so drivers can keep their eyes on the road. A Distance Alert function informs the driver if they move within a pre-set distance of the car in front and seven-seat models are available with a full-length curtain airbag covering all three rows. The standard safety kit includes six airbags, ESP stability control with a hill start assist function, seatbelt warning lights for all seven seats and tyre pressure monitors.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

Citroen's diesel engines do a grand job in terms of fuel economy. The 1.6-litre HDi manual car returns 52.3mpg and 143g/km emissions but the star performer is the model using that engine and the robotised self-shifting gearbox. This 5008 gets over 54mpg on the combined cycle and emits just 135g/km. Both of the petrol engines and the 2.0-litre HDi diesels are compliant with Euro5 emissions standards and all of the diesel engines are fitted with the FAP diesel particulate filter.

PEUGEOT 5008 ESTATE 1.6 VTI ACTIVE II 5DR

The MPV sector hasn't been a particularly strong area for Peugeot in the past but the 5008 is aiming to put that right. Borrowing technology from Peugeot's PSA partner and certified MPV expert, Citroen, the 5008 looks like a useful addition at the larger end of the compact MPV market. Seven seats, classy looks and a versatile cabin should see it alright.