The new Peugeot 5008
Ever since the pandemic restrictions eased up, more and more people have hit the road with family or friends to get out of the metro and get some well-deserved time off and some fresh air. Our friends from Peugeot felt the same and thought a road trip to Nature Venture Camp in their new 5008 seven-seater SUV would be the perfect balm.
The 44-km road trip was also perfect to see how the new 5008 does on the road, with a mix of city driving, some traffic, winding country roads and very light off-roading.
The new Peugeot 5008 is wide and low slung, with decent ground clearance that’s more than adequate for going off the beaten path.
Up front, you’ll notice its frameless grille which sweeps up into the redesigned, LED headlights. The Peugeot lion is front and center and the model designation is on the front edge of the bonnet. The day-time running lights look like fangs and extend down from the outer edge of the headlights down into the bumper, emphasizing Peugeot’s current design language and is easily identifiable at any distance. At the rear, all lights are LED including the reverse lights. The brake lights represent lion claws in 3D, also making it easily recognizable. Turn signals scroll outward and are covered in smoked glass, blending with the rear hatch garnish.
Under the hood is a DOHC 16-Valve Twin Scroll Turbo High Pressure 1.6L 4- cylinder gasoline engine that puts out 165-Hp at 6,000 rpm with 240-Nm of torque at 1,400 rpm. This is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with Sport Mode that drives the front wheels.
Interior
Once you get in, everything positioned around you makes sense. The interior is luxurious with leather seats for all three rows. Within reach of the driver is Peugeot’s i-Cockpit. The first thing you’ll notice is the compact steering wheel with its small, hexagonal shape. The instrument cluster is a 12.3-inch digital panel that displays all information you need. Along with the smaller steering wheel, it allows you to concentrate on the road without needing to look all the way down for information. To the right is the 10-inch touchscreen where all controls for navigation, entertainment and comfort controls, with intuitive controls of the vehicle’s equipment and information.
Air conditioning is dual zone and second row passengers have their own air con vents, the rearview mirror is electrochromic (it dims automatically when it detects bright light from the rear), anti-trap power windows, the center console doubles as an armrest and large storage area, the glove compartment has LED lighting, and there are two 12V power sockets, one near the wireless charging pad and one for the third row passengers.
Safety
The 5008 is feature-packed when it comes to safety. There are seatbelts with pretensioners, force limiters for all passengers and with non-fastened indicators for the first and second rows, and there are ISOFIX anchor points. The driver and front passenger have airbags along with side and curtain airbags. The 5008 is equipped with Anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). Electronic Stability Program (ESP) is standard with traction control and Hill Assist Descent Control (HADC).
It has Advanced Grip Control, similar to terrain response in other brands, with 4 modes for different surfaces – Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand. It also has Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), active safety features like Lane Keeping Assist and Correction, Active Blind Spot Monitoring, Driver Attention Warning and Cruise Control. And last but not least, parking sensors.
Impressions
An SUV is always an ideal vehicle for an out-of-town drive, and the New Peugeot 5008 SUV made it fun. The drive to Nature Venture from my house took me through different scenarios, some morning Saturday traffic on Marcos Highway on the way to Cogeo, and once past there and the roads opened up, the winding Marilaque Highway was ideal to test the 5008’s handling, and it did quite well on the twisties, the low and wide stance helped keep it stable even at speed.
The compact steering wheel was actually pretty good. It was meaty, nice to hold, and its hexagonal shape made it easy to keep a good grip going around sweeping turns. Paddle shifters added to the fun of the drive allowing you to quickly downshift especially when passing slower cars. The twin-scroll turbocharged engine delivered power almost on demand. It had no trouble keeping up with my needs even without engaging Sport mode.
The road leading to Nature Venture Camp, was off Marilaque Highway and some of it was unpaved dirt road.
It’s near enough to Metro Manila for a convenient quick getaway for some fresh air, a nice cool breeze with lots of trees and a nice view of the surrounding mountains.
The new Peugeot 5008 might not look like something you’d want to get dirty in the mountains, but it can, and it did, without any fuss and in style. So If you’re in the market for something that seats more than five, is comfortable, and different from the mainstream, with a certain “je nais se quois”, perhaps it’s the ideal voiture tous le jours (daily driver). It can also be your capable weekend voiture eu voyage (roadtrip car). Give it some thought mon ami, and vive la France!
The new Peugeot 5008 comes in one variant and is priced at P2,260,000. The Peugeot 5008 is designed from the ground up as an SUV on a monocoque chassis, not a body on frame, giving it better ride and handling characteristics.