Review of the new Peugeot 5008 1.6 THP

Peugeot's first entry into the compact MPV market sector is remarkably successful, but then it did have the considerable knowhow of MPV-specialist sister company Citroen to call upon. The 5008 adopts a sporty approach and is one of the better seven seat vehicles to drive with the lively 1.6 THP petrol engine installed but it still fills the family car role with aplomb thanks to a comfortable ride and a flexible seating system.

Some people are predisposed towards people carriers and others have people carriers thrust upon them. No matter how much a person might yearn for a nimble roadster or a powerful sports saloon, as the family expands and the domestic commitments mount, the motoring future inevitably starts to look increasingly MPV-shaped. Peugeot claims to have the car that can salve this desire for sportiness in motorists who should be more concerned with seven seats and storage solutions. It's called the 5008 and with a feisty turbocharged petrol engine installed, it might be on to something.

The compact MPV is big business across Europe but before the 5008 came along, Peugeot didn't have one. By contrast, its sister company Citroen has built its range around people carrying vehicles of all descriptions with its C4 Picasso established as a class leader in the very sector that the 5008 looks to muscle in on.

Citroen's MPV success makes the slow emergence of a Peugeot compact MPV seem surprising but it actually explains both the delay and the sporty approach of the 5008 now that it has arrived. Playing the dynamic card gives Peugeot a way into this well developed market that avoids treading on the toes of its PSA Group partner. Though built on the same platform as the C4 Picasso, the 5008 is very different in its design and set-up. The 1.6-litre THP engine developed in conjunction with BMW only adds weight to its claims of being an MPV with a fun side.

In no way could the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso be called sporty, so the fact that the Peugeot 5008 rides on the same basic chassis as that car just shows what some new tyres, a wider track and various tweaks to the suspension components can do. The 5008 really is a dab hand on a twisty road and there aren't too many seven seat vehicles you can say that about.

"An MPV with a fun side."

For something of its size and weight, the car resists body roll well and feels planted on the road. It steers and stops in a way that inspires confidence and only the clunky manual gearbox on our car served as a major disappointment. More importantly, in what is still a people carrier, the 5008 serves up a comfortable ride and excellent refinement, the 1.6-litre THP petrol engine staying as quiet as a sulking teenager unless you're particularly boisterous with the throttle. At 1,837mm wide without its wing mirrors, the 5008 is a large vehicle and can feel like it in traffic. Its short overhangs do help when manoeuvring, however, and so does the high driving position.

With a 0-62mph time of 9.7s, the 156bhp 1.6 THP engine is faster than the 150bhp 2.0-litre HDi diesel option on paper and shares that unit's muscular characteristics on the road without quite matching its strength. The turbocharger helps the THP produce its 240Nm maximum torque from just 1,400rpm which gives the 5008 a sprightly feel off the line and when accelerating out of bends.

The 5008 looks wide and low to the road, underlining its sporting bent. The lines are clean, simple and cohesive in a manner that too many Peugeot products of the last few years have failed to replicate. Inside, Peugeot has been clever in creating a car that elevates its driver for a better view but retains the steeply-angled steering wheel and laid-back seating position that you'd get in a conventional hatch.

The high centre console splits the front seats to create a cockpit effect around the driver. There's even a head-up display on high spec models to continue the aeronautical theme but the kids won't thank you for taking this to its logical conclusion by donning a leather flying helmet, goggles and a wire-supported scarf for the school run.

While the front seat occupants are living out their fighter pilot fantasies, the rear of the 5008 should be well capable of accommodating up to five embarrassed offspring. The 5008 sensibly borrows its rear seating system from the Citroen C4 Picasso and it's one of the most versatile on the market. All five rear seats (three in the second row and two in the rear) are individual affairs which fold down flat relatively easily. Legroom is tight for adults in the rearmost berths and luggage space behind them is very limited but with just the second row in use, the 5008 can carry five people plus 579 litres of luggage below its parcel shelf. The middle seats can slide back and forth individually to increase luggage or leg room as required. It's one of the best seating systems on the market.

Diesel tends to be the most popular engine choice with compact MPVs but the extra sporting flavour of the 5008 might attract the kind of buyers to whom a zesty turbocharged petrol engine will appeal. The 1.6 THP unit is available in the upmarket Sport and Exclusive trim levels, so customers get 16" alloy wheels, front fog lights and body-coloured exterior trim. All 5008 models have ESP stability control and six airbags, including a curtain airbag that extends to all three rows of seating. On the range-topping Exclusive models, some of the more desirable features come into play such as the head-up display and the panoramic glass sunroof. There's also climate control and rear parking sensors.

Given these high equipment levels, the 5008 pricing looks very reasonable. The 1.6 THP petrol engine is £700 less than the 110bhp 1.6 HDi diesel and should be a popular choice as a result - especially with the kind of buyer attracted by Peugeot's driver-focused marketing campaign. The manufacturer would like to see the 5008 muscling in alongside the Citroen C4 Picasso, Renault Scenic, Vauxhall Zafira and Volkswagen Touran at the top end of the compact MPV market. Tackling these established names won't be easy but Peugeot has assembled a package that's well capable of denting some reputations.

This is the fastest 5008 engine and, predictably, the least economical. Don't let that put you off though because 40mpg economy and 167g/km CO2 emissions aren't half bad for a 156bhp engine in a seven-seat MPV. The problem is that for £700 more, customers can secure a 63mpg diesel engine with 140g/km emissions. The diesel would be the sensible choice but if you cover lower mileages and buy into the 5008's sporty image, the THP will still have strong appeal.

Can a compact MPV really be sporty? Many have claimed to combine practicality and dynamism but few have succeeded and fewer still have done so with a full quota of seven seats. In the end, much depends on your expectations but there's no doubt that the Peugeot 5008 is a more enjoyable car to drive than we've come to expect in this sector of the market. It's also practical, well-built and stylish enough to compete with the leading compact MPV lights. What's not to like?

The 1.6-litre THP petrol engine helps the 5008 deliver on its dynamic image. It's a fine unit with unusually strong low-end torque and a smooth power delivery. The running costs are higher than the diesel alternatives but this engine has the upper hand on performance and price.

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