28/06/2024 We took the new Peugeot E-5008 on a Scandinavian road trip to see the changes to Peugeot’s seven-seater first-hand. First up the E-5008 now comes in multi-fuel guises. Our E-5008 test car was a BEV all-electric model. (Two single-motor and one dual-motor AWD variants feature in the new electrified E-5008 range alongside a 1.2 litre, 136hp, Hybrid and 1.6 litre, 195hp, PHEV.) The 4.79m long car’s exterior has been refined with the most obvious changes to the front end. This is thanks to a new light signature, badging and grille.
Side-on the car is still blocky but in no way SUV-agressive looking. There is nice use of satin/matt metal finishing – chrome trim apparently is soooo last year! While at the rear of the boxy car its new tailgate looks to have been pushed out further – and it has! The big news is the work done to make the 5 plus 2 seater more spacious and accommodating in the rear underfloor and boot area. You can now access more storage space under the rear two seats. With all the seats in place, there is still room for some modest shopping or kid’s schoolbags in the boot.
Inside the dash gets Peugeot’s latest stylised layout with a large dominant 21-inch digital display sitting high on the dash. The driver gets a lovely position with everything close to hand. Switches and controls have been reworked and the already classy cabin has moved even further upmarket. The front occupants get premium treatment. Elsewhere in the cabin the middle seats are fully adjustable and can slide. The rear two seats fold flat to the floor making the E-5008 a five-seat car with a massive 748 up to 916-litre boot (depending on the middle row’s position).
Our test route took us from Copenhagen under, and over the famous Öresund straight via ‘The Bridge’ to Malmo in Sweden. Then we took a right turn and hugged the coast. We travelled all the way up to the coastal town of Ahus to overnight, before doing the return trip via an alternate route the following day. As always on car launches the clever organisers tried their best to provide us with a stunning route that could easily distract from any of the car’s frailties – the reality was there were little issues with the E-5008 to be critical of.
The car proved to be a super smooth and economical companion. The driving position is high and commanding. The car has all the latest ADAS (40+) driving aids available – exact pricing and trim details for Ireland will be announced towards the end of the year and are currently under negotiation. The car itself while Peugoet describes E-5008 as a large SUV is relatively compact in its class and effortless to use on the open road or in the small villages on the Baltic coast that we passed through. We averaged circa 16kW/100km which is excellent in a car this size. Peugeot says it will soon produce the E-5008’s battery in France.
The new 5008 and particularly the E-5008 will serve families well and depending on the model chosen you can have a maximum battery range of circa 660km from a full (98kWh) battery – more than enough for an urban family’s weekly school runs. The standard battery is a 73kWh unit. The BEV E-5008 will come with a choice of power outputs with the lowest being 210hp, then 230hp up to the AWD dual-motor’s 320hp.
We expect E-5008 to undercut seven-seat EV rivals like the KIA EV9 and Mercedes-Benz EQB on price when it arrives later this year for 2025 deliveries. Parents should note with the new car there are only two ISOFIX mountings for the middle seats – there were three. We look forward to testing the E-5008 on Irish roads later this year. Michael Sheridan
