Summarize

So you want a proper family seven-seater SUV with decent room, all the bells and whistles and a slice of style but you just can’t bring yourself to drop the bar or more you need to, to get into the SUV that delivers? You are stuck. Think again — here’s a car that has all and then some. At basically half the price.

If you take a look at that trio of sport utes we tested two weeks back, you will notice that they averaged just under R1.3 million. Double this Peugeot 5008 1.6T GT Line. Now I hear you ask, 'but those are 4x4s?' Let me ask you, when will you ever go off-road in one of those? You are 90% likely to answer never. That's a fact. And you say it has leather seats and it lacks a bit of the spec in those cars. So what — this probably packs as much other spec than those don’t have anyway.

It’s not the best looking car either — but hey, tell me those 4x4s are pretty — and the Pug matches them in butch, no? For the rest it matches them blow for blow and betters the best in other ways too. Like cabin style — this car is quite simply head and shoulders above most anything in its bracket when it comes to that - simply brilliant. From the miniature wheel to the ski-fi switches on the console, Peugeots in general are another level. French chic at its finest.

It goes beyond just a pretty facia too — 5008 also rewrites the versatility rulebook at this price point — that second row of seats is universally and infinitely adjustable — you can shift each of the three pews fore and aft, adjust their backrest angles and even fold them right forward, individually or together, to create a cavernous cargo hold when needed. Even the front passenger seat back flips flat forward to make a space you can basically move half a house in.

The rearmost chairs are sweet too — they fold out of the floor to deliver a reasonable space for the third row passengers and you can also clip them out and leave them behind if you want a maxed out boot space. Versatility takes on a whole new definition in this Peugeot 

It’s not too shabby at all on the road either — in fact we were pleasantly surprised by its ride, feel and especially road holding and handling. Makes a cumbersome 4x4 feel like a block of flats, actually. Sprightly enough too, 5008 1.6T was considerably quicker than Peugeot promises it to be — never mind close enough to the laggard among those 4x4s, to be competitive too. 

Add ultra frugal fuel consumption for a petrol four pot that produces 121kW and the allied low emissions and the Peugeot 5008 really has it all. The little 1.6 turbo feels like a big two and a half litre on the road, except that its if far torquier and thereby easier to drive too. In fact the only thing many a South African has to get over to get their minds around brands like Peugeot, is themselves.

See this car has it all and then some. It now also has Peugeot itself back behind it, so all those parts and service issues are a thing of the past too — PSA had left the brand to a dealer body before, but happily the French are now back in charge now and if what we hear so far — that the deadwood is sifted out of its dealer body and a new, far more committed group is behind the brand, that new 5-year warranty and so much more. then it certainly all augurs very well for the future.

Not least of all, Peugeot is building brilliant cars these days and this 5008 is a case in point. Sound french horn — bravo Peugeot! - Michele Lupini.

ROAD TESTED: Peugeot 5008 1.6T GT Line

Engine: 121kW 240Nm 1.6-litre turbo petrol I4                

Drive: 6-speed auto FWD

TESTED:

0-60km/h:                 4.11 sec

0-100km/h:               9.29 sec                      

0-160km/h:               22.90 sec       

400m:                        16.5 sec @ 139km/h            

80-120km/h:             6.36 sec

120-160km/h:          10.16 sec          

CLAIMED:                                          

VMax:                        201km/h                               

Fuel:                           7 l/100km                         

CO2:                           156 g/km

Warranty/Service:    5y 100K/5y 100Kkm

LIST PRICE:                R579K           

RATED:                      8