Actually, they're damn practical, maybe the most practical cars around: vans. Plenty of space, numerous seats on request and with many large windows and the practical box shape, despite its size, still quite clear. Nevertheless, they are on the collar. Customers in the car dealership increasingly scorn the rock-solid Pampers bombers and prefer to turn to the polished SUV. It also responds to it Peugeot with the new edition of the 5008, which will be rolling out to dealers next spring: the name is the old one, but the staid van has blossomed into a pretty high leg.
The housewife's tank stretches to 4,64 meters (eleven centimeters more than its predecessor), the front of which looks rather beefy: the radiator grille is vertical, the headlights have a modern design and the numerous chrome applications sparkle brightly when we first see the new 5008 See Parisian sunlight live. A coherent throw, at least from the front. At the rear, however, the spirits will differ: Apparently the designers could not completely separate from the box shape and flanged a backpack to the optically sloping D-pillar. Not quite as extroverted as SsangYong once on the Rodius, but quite striking in the side view. And if you take a closer look at the butt, you will inevitably get stuck on the rather bulky rear apron, which does not really want to match the otherwise coherent appearance.
But who knows, maybe these details are no longer noticeable in the city bustle. The 5008 is at home there, and will usually commute between supermarket, kindergarten and football field. Peugeot wanted to show us that he can do it differently the second time we met in French no man's land, a good hour west of Basel. The engineers test the off-road capability here on a lonely piece of forest and meadow. Correctly heard: Even if it will rarely have mud under its wheels, the optional Advanced Grip Control turns the 5008 into the right SUV - including various off-road driving programs. They work so talentedly and coordinate power distribution and ESP interventions on the front axle so skillfully that the unavailable all-wheel drive is hardly noticeable. Sure, the tires slip a little now and then, but thanks to its control technology, the 5008 also masters steep cross-country sections on slippery surfaces with flying colors.
Uphill is no problem, and down again? Neither: Peugeot has revised the downhill assistant and made it Hill Assist Descent Control. While most systems do not bring the car down the slope slower than with idle, as otherwise the engine would stall, the 5008 can crawl down the hill at only three km / h by pedaling the clutch and / or engaging idle. The control technology takes over braking, and the driver can concentrate fully on steering. The highlight: if you accelerate a little in neutral mode, the 5008 even accelerates by reducing the braking force. The new system is also available for the automatic models, but due to its design it is of course less appealing because you can roll it very slowly anyway.
Despite the lack of all-wheel drive, the Peugeot 5008 can rightly call itself an SUV, but the classic Van-Virtue space is also decent with a wheelbase of 2,84 meters: in the first row, the clearance is generous and thanks to the so-called i-cockpit, the Frenchman appears Airy: the driver only has a small steering wheel flattened at the top and bottom, behind it sits a large, digital instrument cluster; There is a modern infotainment system in the center console. In the second row, three not too long passengers can sit comfortably on individual armchairs; Those who take giant giants with them frequently should forego the panoramic roof, which noticeably reduces headroom. Behind it there are two additional seats that can be lowered into the loading floor and can also be removed. If the seats in the third row are not required, 1.060 liters of luggage can be loaded into the trunk, which is easy to pack thanks to the low loading edge, with full five-seater seating. The fact that the tailgate can be opened by swiveling the foot is now almost a standard in the equipment list, as is lane keeping assistant, speed limit detection, distance cruise control or parking assistant, which are also available for the 5008.
The question remains about the drives: At the market launch in March 2017, Peugeot plans only known gasoline and diesel engines for the 5008. The turbo petrol engines produce around 130 (1,2-liter three-cylinder) and 165 hp (1,6-liter four-cylinder), the three four-cylinder diesels with 1,6 and 2,0 liter cubic capacity develop around 120 to 180 hp , Depending on the engine, there is a five-speed or six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. When the French will submit a hybrid version is still open, as is the price. But it should be at least at the level of the predecessor, which currently costs at least 26.700 euros.