2022 Peugeot 5008 Review (With Video)

Peugeot Philippines is currently undergoing a renaissance in our market. Now on its third distributor–which is Astara, the French automaker is making another reboot in a bid to make itself known amid the noise of the Philippine automotive industry. This is the 2022 Peugeot 5008, and to make it competitively priced, this seven-seater crossover SUV isn’t made in France. Instead, it’s assembled in Malaysia, and this opens up an opportunity for Peugeot to finally grow its presence in the Philippines. But will it?

Exterior

From a styling standpoint, the 2022 Peugeot 5008 is a looker. Receiving a facelift just a year ago, the new 5008 has been given a revised front fascia that’s composed of a new, frameless grille, along with fang-like LED daytime running lights. Of course, the headlights themselves are LEDs, and these elements all give the 5008 a very unique road presence–especially due to its tall, vertically-stacked LED daytime running lights.

The side and rear profile also look very distinct, thanks to its unique chrome lining for its roofline that gives it a standout silhouette. The LED taillights have also been redesigned to feature clear lenses. When the engine isn’t running, the taillights simply look clear, while its LED turn signals feature a sweeping animation. They’re probably the most distinct taillights in its segment, and it gives the 5008 a unique lighting signature. Overall, the facelift has done wonders to the Peugeot 5008, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you want to own this SUV solely because of how it looks.

Interior

If there’s one area where the 2022 Peugeot 5008 looks truly distinct, that would be in its interior design. Peugeot calls this their i-Cockpit, and it’s a common design theme wherein the digital gauges are placed above an oval steering wheel and the 10-inch infotainment system perched on top of the dash. The layout can be a problem for certain body types, because depending on how tall (or short) you are, the steering wheel can obscure your view of the digital gauges.

Everywhere else, material quality is excellent, with a generous serving of soft-touch surfaces and textiles on the dash and doors. The shape of the dash is also pure eye candy, as it looks distinct compared to other interiors in its segment. There’s also subtle blue ambient lighting at night, and this surrounds the dash, doors, and even the panoramic sunroof. It’s one of the most stylish interiors out there, but it does come at a price, which we’ll talk about next.

Features and Infotainment

Ergonomically speaking, there’s a learning curve when it comes to manipulating the 5008’s electronics. It took me a while to figure out how to adjust the trip computer, but once mastered, it becomes second nature. Likewise, the 10-inch infotainment system responds well enough to your touch inputs, but the menu structure takes some getting used to. Again, it also becomes second nature once you’ve understood its logic.

What I am not a fan of is having the climate controls buried into the touch screen. I was never a fan of this in the older generation Honda Civic, and I don’t like its execution in the Peugeot 5008 even more. Changing the fan speed or temperature is two or three steps too many as opposed to having physical knobs and switches. Yes, there are piano-style keys that are nice to use, but these are simply shortcut toggles to frequently-accessed menus.

Climate control woes aside, at least you have Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, as well as wireless charging. You also get dedicated USB ports and aircon controls for the rear occupants.

Space and Practicality

The 2022 Peugeot 5008 is a three-row crossover SUV, but at a little over 4.6 meters long, it’s nearly the same size as a CR-V. This puts it in the midst of the compact segment, but you’d be surprised at how well the engineers managed to extract so much space with such a compact footprint. There’s excellent space in the first and especially the second rows. Likewise, the third row is also very spacious, though, for an adult to fit back there, this requires a bit of bargaining for the second-row occupants to slide their seats forward. Once adjusted for, the third row is surprisingly liveable for tall adults.

Open the hands-free powered tailgate, and you’ll see that its cargo carrying capacity is pretty good–at least for the most part. With the third-row seats in place, you only have 167 liters of space, which is tiny by any measure. Fold the third-row seats down, and you’re left with a flat cargo area that’s good for an impressive 952 liters, which is significantly larger than what a CR-V, CX-5, or Forester offers. This grows to an even more impressive 2,150 liters when the second-row seats are finally folded, making it one of the roomiest in the compact crossover SUV segment.

Driving Experience

Powering the 2022 Peugeot 5008 is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 165 hp at 6,000 rpm and 240 Nm at 1,400 rpm. These numbers are strong for a 1.6-liter turbo engine, and it feels linear when it comes to its power delivery. Its torque curve is broad enough to make it feel gutsy when overtaking as well. The 6-speed automatic that’s supplied by Japanese company Aisin is also pretty good, delivering responsive shifts when overtaking power is needed.

Refinement is also pretty good, with the 5008 remaining quiet and stable even at high speeds. The suspension deals with bumps pretty well for the most part, though there’s a degree of firmness at its rear torsion beam suspension. This is to compensate for its ability to carry seven people, though as a whole, the Mazda CX-8 feels like a more well-tuned SUV in terms of ride.

Bring the 5008 through a set of twisty roads, and don’t expect this SUV to be sporty. The steering is light, and then it weights up as you gain speed, but it’s devoid of any feedback that lets you know what’s happening to its front wheels. It’s also not as sharp as let’s say a Mazda CX-5 or even the CX-8, and it’s also pretty easy to reach its handling limits compared to its competitors. Drive it as any other normal individual probably does, and you’ll enjoy the comfort-oriented nature of the 5008.

This is also a good segway to talk about the 2022 Peugeot 5008’s suite of advanced driver-assistance tech, which is okay but not comprehensive enough for its price tag. This ranges from lane keeping assist–which is surprisingly not as sensitive or as reactive as I would like, as well as blind spot warning and driver attention warning. Oddly enough, you don’t get rear cross traffic alert, which in other vehicles would simply utilize the same rear-facing radar for the blind spot warning tech.

Lastly, as for fuel economy, the Peugeot 5008 under my hands achieved a figure of 10.1 to 10.5 km/l, which is good for a turbocharged gasoline crossover SUV.

Verdict

The 2022 Peugeot 5008 is a well-rounded three-row SUV that manages to be comfortable, practical, and very stylish. It doesn’t set any form of benchmarks in terms of tech or driving dynamics, but it’s a fundamentally great SUV, to begin with. The problem, however, is its price. At P2,260,000, it’s within the same ballpark as a bigger Mazda CX-8 2WD Signature and top-of-the-line 4×2 variants of its midsize body-on-frame SUV competitors like the Fortuner LTD or Mu-X LS-E.

Yes, at that price, it significantly costs less than when it was sourced from France, but the problem is that it doesn’t offer anything that stands out in its segment apart from its style (which is subjective, to begin with). There’s no denying the fact that the 5008 is a very distinct choice in a sea of Asian competitors, but most Filipinos probably won’t pay extra solely for French quirkiness. Perhaps at a lower price tag, the Peugeot 5008 will become a more compelling choice for it to hit mainstream status.

More Photos

Pricing and Rating

Exterior Design: ★★★★☆
Interior Design: ★★★★★
Space and Practicality: ★★★★★
Features: ★★★★☆
Safety: ★★★★☆
Acceleration: ★★★★☆
Handling: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Fuel Efficiency: ★★★★☆
Value For Money: ★★★☆☆

Price: P2,260,000*

Overall: 4.1 out of 5

*Pricing is correct and accurate as of this article’s time of writing.