Alternative review of Peugeot 5008

People carriers are very popular these days. Like a badge of honour for stressed out and overworked parents, they're cars designed to make school runs, shopping trips and family holidays that bit more straightforward when you've a cluster of little ones in tow. Considering the MPV's popularity, it's quite surprising that Peugeot hasn't had more of them. There was the big 807 but if you wanted seven seats in a more compact package, all the French marque had historically been able to offer was an SW version of its 307 or 308 hatchbacks (basically a small estate car with two chairs in the boot) or its 4007 4x4. At over 4.5 meters long, the 5008 isn't particularly compact but it does have seven seats and the rear ones are big enough to be usable by human beings with the traditional array of limbs. If you find MPVs a little dull, Peugeot's effort might be of even more interest because it's been designed to look more svelte than most of its rivals and drive in a fashion that has more in common with a normal car than a Routemaster bus. I like the cut of Peugeot's jib where this MPV is concerned but I've also lost count of the number of people carriers that have claimed to offer sporty handling and thrusting looks but failed to deliver. Reserving judgement, I'll give the 5008 an initial thumbs up and take a closer look.

From the outside, the 5008 appears to have quite a high window line and that adds to its well proportioned looks but inside, there's still plenty of glass area to let the light in. The seats are mounted quite high in the vehicle with the rows getting progressively higher as you go back through the car. This gives a comfortably laid-back driving position and helps kids sat in the rear maintain a good view out. An even more airy feel can be gained via the full length glass sunroof that was fitted to the test vehicle. In terms of space, the 5008 does very nicely. The front and middle rows are extremely roomy, even for taller adults, and you could even squeeze a couple of grown-ups into the rear rows in an emergency. These back seats are better reserved for smaller children, however. They can be accessed with ease thanks to a clever system where the outer seats in the middle row fold up and slid forward in one movement. Every one of the rear seats folds down separately to create a flat load floor. The total load space ranges from 579-litres with all the seats in use to a vast 2506 litres with them all folded down. Because the seats fold and move independently, there's huge scope to adjust the cabin's layout. Build quality seems generally good on the 5008 and the layout of the controls is easy to fathom. 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.

With a 0-62mph time of 9.7s, the 156bhp 1.6 THP engine we tried is pretty racy for an MPV. 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. There's very little turbo lag, with the engine feeling like a big capacity normally-aspirated one. The fuel economy of 40mpg and 167g/km CO2 emissions isn't half bad for a 156bhp engine in a seven-seat MPV. But there are better returns to be had from the 5008's diesel engines. If performance isn't such a priority, the 1.6-litre HDi manual car returns 52.3mpg and 143g/km emissions. 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.

I'll have to recommend the 5008, there are no two ways about it. It mixes most of the practicality you get from today's top seven-seat MPVs with an enjoyable driving experience and sharper looks than we've come to expect in this sector. The interior is well thought out and even the build quality seems a cut above some of Peugeot's recent efforts. All in all, it's an impressive effort from a manufacturer without much of a record in this sector.

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