MOTORS: Peugeot 5008 was remarkably comfortable and superbly economical
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You can't depend on the weather or when the next downpour will arrive, so I was grateful when I spent a few days with one of the latest models from Peugeot. I admit I wasn't too keen on the Sunset Copper, or dirty brown, paintjob on the 5008 GT Hybrid but was delighted with its large hands-free electric tailgate which was a perfect cover when the heavens opened. That was a bonus and the car was a delight which is why I managed to clock up almost 1000 miles in it and was sorry to see it go at the end of an elongated test drive.
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It was remarkably comfortable and superbly economical thanks to the 136 hp 1.2-litre petrol self-charging hybrid powertrain which used electric power whenever that was all that was needed when starting off or around town. Often the only clue that the petrol engine had kicked in was the rise in the vertical rev counter or the movement from charge to eco to power on the driver's 12.3-inch display.
There's also the option of a plug-in hybrid, a 1.5-litre diesel and an all-electric version with a possible range of 347 miles. Each one comes with a silky smooth automatic six-speed gearbox.
I didn't need them all, but it's also incredibly practical with seven seats and with the third row folded down, the boot is big enough for loads of luggage. The boot is wide and square without any intrusive wheel arches while the low opening makes it easy to lift in heavy items and the height is handy for tall objects. Carrying capacity is very flexible.
The front passenger seat folds flat so if you need to carry a long load, you've got the whole length of the car available. The middle-row seats fold down in three sections, rather than the more common 60/40 split to offer a good range of load options.
The interior space is superb, especially in the front but even in the back, a full-size adult and two tall teenagers had no difficulty spreading out, helped by the absence of a raised tunnel in the middle of the floor. Visibility all round is first-class and reversing is easy with the vertical rear end and 360-degree parking camera.
Riding on 18-inch diamond cut alloys, the suspension and chassis set-up dealt with a wide variety of some questionable road surfaces to absorb any serious thumps or grinds. On the motorway, it settled into its stride with very little road or wind noise and sat happily for hours on end at the national speed limit when it got the chance to stretch its legs. The interior is well-designed and clearly laid-out with a row of buttons, including for the heated seats, lined up below the 10-inch touchscreen which contains most of the other functions.
Unfortunately that included most of the climate control which meant you had to scroll through the menu to turn up the heat or increase ventilation. The touchscreen worked well, although sometimes seemed slow to react leading to some wrong calls for the entertainment through the 10-speaker premium sound system and some fiddling for the Android Auto and satnav. I love Peugeot's signature tiny flat-bottomed steering wheel but the left-hand spoke completely covers the adaptive cruise control buttons when going in a straightline and you shouldn't have to flick the wheel at speed to see the controls to set it.
I suppose any owner would get used to the cruise control button layout but it would be easier if it was on the wheel itself alongside the other functions. Gearchanges are made through a small and simple rocker switch on the central console and it comes with all the safety features you'd expect. I really liked the car for its performance, economy, comfort and flexibility and at just over GBP40,000 it's competitively-priced against some of the alternatives.
Peugeot 5008 GT Hybrid
PRICE: GBP42,235 (GBP45,275 as tested) ENGINE: 1199cc inline turbocharged 3 cyl transverse petrol/electric 6-speed auto POWER: 136 hp
TORQUE: 230 Nm
TOP SPEED: 124mph
0-62mph: 10.4 secs TOWING CAPACITY: 1050 kgs (braked)
ECONOMY: 48 mpg CO2: 136 g/km
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