Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 121

M

ost car reviewers head for
the driver’s seat when a
new model arrives.
With the seven-seat Peugeot
5008, however, you’re best to start
your test drive at the tailgate.
You might be wowed by the
dealer opening the rear hatch with
a deft swing of their foot near a
sensor hidden under the bumper.
Each of the back two seats
can be removed in about 15
seconds, creating a large, deep
load area or, if you play with the
Meccano-like plastic support
planks, a fl at cargo space with a
cubby underneath.
Adding to its fl exibility, each of
the three seats in the second row
can slide forward or back, or be
folded fl at individually, enabling
you to fi nd the right balance
between carrying kids and cargo.
The fi nal fl ourish: each of the
three seats in the second row
also has ISOFIX child restraint
mounting points, making it
one of the few SUVs that can
fi t three child restraint seats
across one row.

As a parent, this is about as

exciting as cars get. And you’ve

not even left the showroom.

The widescreen digital dash

will keep parents and kids

amused as they switch between

screens; it’s best to practise

toggling through the menus

before you join the traffi c, though.

The central touchscreen

looks great but, to be frank,

it’s an ergonomic disaster.

Whoever designed and tested

this system did so while they

were sitting at a desk, not trying

to operate a motor vehicle.

Most touchscreen tasks take

several annoying steps, so you

must take your eyes off the road

for far too long.

A 360-degree camera is

standard on all models, but

Peugeot has cut corners by fi tting

either low-quality cameras or

low-quality screens — or both —

because the picture is not very

good, especially at night.

There are three models in the

range and a choice of two engines.

Allure, priced at $44,490,

and GT, at $48,490, are both

powered by a 1.6-litre turbo

four-cylinder petrol engine.

The fl agship GT-Line, at

$54,490, comes with a 2.0-litre

turbodiesel. All three are

matched to a six-speed auto

that drives the front wheels.

“Terrain response” software

that aims to give the 5008 some

modest off-road ability is a

$200 option on what is already a

premium-priced car.

For now, you can’t mix and

match model grades; however,

the petrol variants are the sweet

spots in the range given they’re

signifi cantly cheaper than the

diesel and relatively effi cient.

The diesel really only makes

sense for those doing a lot of

highway driving. Perversely,

though, it’s matched to a

noisier 19-inch wheel and tyre

combination, which also makes

you feel the bumps more than

you do in the petrol-powered

variants on 18s.

Peugeot’s signature small

steering wheel is an advantage

in tight city streets but can feel

too direct on a winding back

road, especially given the size

and weight of the car.

It will feel good on a test drive

around the block, but try to fi nd

a stretch of freeway and/or a

winding road to make sure you

can live with the directness of the

small steering wheel.

The Peugeot 5008 deserves a

look but, while you’re daring to

be different, be sure to sample

a Mazda CX-8/CX-9, Škoda

Kodiaq or Hyundai Santa Fe, all

of which have sharper prices and

more competitive running costs.

By Joshua Dowling

S PEUGEOT^5008 FROM $44,490

Safety

Euro NCAP

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

THINGS WE LIKE

Spacious, versatile cabin

An A-grade kid carrier

Punchy, effi cient engines

Strong safety credentials

Clever removable rear seats

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

It’s expensive

Peugeot’s reliability record isn’t

great

Weak resale values

Central touchscreen is diffi cult to

navigate

Some interior and exterior trim

on test cars didn’t align

No spare tyre in the diesel

SPEX (Allure)

Made in France

1.6-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol/

six-speed automatic/front-wheel

drive

121kW of power at 6000rpm/240Nm

of torque at 1400rpm

0-100km/h in 10.5 seconds (claimed)

5.3L/100km highway; 9.8L/100km

city; premium unleaded; CO2

emissions are 156g/km; fuel tank is

56 litres

Warranty: Five years/unlimited

kilometres

Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, automatic emergency

braking, adaptive cruise, lane

departure warning, 360-degree

camera, parking sensors,

automatic parking, dual-zone air,

rear window sunblinds, Bluetooth,

digital radio, wireless smartphone

charging, navigation, 18-inch alloys

Redbook future values: 3yr: 40%;

5yr: 27%

compare with ...

Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9,

Škoda Kodiaq, VW Tiguan Allspace