Here, the 5008 must deliver on all the buzzwords: spaciousness, practicality, technology and hard-wearing materials.
Generally speaking, it delivers on each of those. Let’s start with the third row, where you find two generously sized seats, just enough head room for adults under 6ft tall and a decent amount of leg room if the second row isn’t reclined all the way back.
What’s more, because the second row is mounted quite high, there’s enough room to stretch your feet under them, making it more comfortable.
It would be better if the third row had a more extensive provision of creature comforts such as USB-C phone chargers or air conditioning vents, however.
Moving to the second row and you will find that one of the three Isofix child-seat mounting points has been removed in favour of wider seat bases in the outermost seats. Peugeot says this was done in the name of comfort, and it has largely paid off.
What you lose in practicality you gain in long-distance comfort: these are some of the most cushioning, pliant seats in the class. Leg room is more than enough for children and adults, and head room isn’t an issue either, even with the optional panoramic sunroof fitted.
Notably, you sit higher in the middle than in the front, which means you get a decent forward view out, making you less likely to become carsick.
We have a couple of gripes with the 5008’s front seat accommodation, however. There isn’t as much space in the pedal box as the Skoda Kodiaq and the brake pedal is mounted significantly higher than the accelerator pedal, which means your right foot can tire quite quickly.
Generally, however, the materials here are attractive and feel like they will stand up to the test of family life. The grey, carpet-like material mounted on the dashboard feels almost as nice as it looks and the ‘floating’ infotainment touchscreen really is something to behold.
Peugeot’s trademark small steering wheel has always divided opinion, but in this tester’s eyes, it helps to make the car feel more manoeuvrable and responsive.
Boot space is excellent for the class. With the third row in place, you get 348 litres of boot space, and with it folded away, you get 916 litres – in either case, more than in the Hyundai Santa Fe, Dacia Jogger or Kodiaq.
Peugeot 5008 infotainment
All 5008s get a 21in curved infotainment and instrumentation display that’s generally fine to use, being clear and responsive, if initially a little cluttered with multiple menus and functions.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both fitted as standard if you don’t want to use the native software interface.
There’s a useful row of shortcut buttons beneath it for important functions such as the sat-nav, air-con, vehicle settings and ADAS settings. But overall, you have to take your eyes off the road for far too long as you’re getting used to its functionality.
Elsewhere you get tri-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a reversing camera and interior pre-conditioning, making the 5008 better equipped than many of its rivals.
