Peugeot e-5008 review: A practical and well-equipped seven-seat EV

One of very few seven-seat EVs currently on the market, the Peugeot e-5008 mixes distinctive styling with a spacious interior and a long range of over 300 miles – and potentially even over 400 miles, when a version with a bigger battery arrives later. It isn’t a quick car, but that isn’t what you’re looking for.

Instead it’ll carry a large family – or five people and all of their luggage – with ease, and includes a good amount of kit as standard. It rides well and is easier to manoeuvre than you might think, given the size, while the small steering wheel gives off just the right amount of sportiness. For families looking for a well-equipped seven-seat EV, this is the one to go for.

I spent a couple of days driving the e-5008 on a road trip between Sweden and Denmark. During the journey I navigate town centres, rural routes, coastal roads and the occasional highway.

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Independent rating: 8/10

The new Peugeot e-5008 is one of very few seven-seat EVs on the market, and for that reason alone is worthy of your attention. It launches with a single battery option of 73 kWh, which has a claimed range of 311 miles, a power output of 208 bhp and a 0-62 mph time of a leisurely nine seconds. A larger-capacity 96 kWh model will be available later with a claimed 410 miles of range, along with a quicker, dual-motor version of the 73 kWh car driven here.

The e-5008 can charge at up to 160 kW, which has the potential to fill the battery from 20 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. That’s not as impressive as the massive claimed range, nor is it a patch on rivals from Tesla, Kia and Hyundai, but it’s not terrible.

We’ve only driven the single-motor car for now, but we can say with confidence that, despite the modest acceleration, it’ll be the right choice for most buyers.

The interior of the e-5008 is a triumph. As with other current Peugeots, it’s full of interesting details, quality materials and has a distinctive sense of character that others lack. It can feel bewildering at first, especially with the tiny steering wheel, but give it time and you’ll come to love it.

It’s a spacious cabin without feeling van-like, and while the middle row no longer has three individual seats as it did before, they still slide and recline, and offer loads of space. The third row has a pair of seats that, while awkward to access, offer decent room for adults who are unlikely to complain too much on short journeys. It’s a bit sparse back there though, with no air vents (let alone temperature control) and no USB charging sockets either.

Fold the third row flat and you get an impressive 748 litres of boot space in the Peuget’s five-seat configuration.

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The dashboard of the e-5008 has three digital displays. Two sit next to each other in a single 21-inch housing and serve as the driver display and infotainment screen, while a third is mounted lower down and houses several customisable, digital shortcuts for getting to functions like music and navigation, as well as the application drawer and settings page.

It’s all logical enough, but the infotainment display’s driver-centric position forces the passenger to reach over if they want to adjust anything. We also found the climate controls fiddly, but as with most new cars you’ll grow accustomed to them soon enough. It otherwise looks smart and performs reasonably well, but we imagine most drivers will opt to use Apple CarPay or Android Auto instead, both of which are included in wired and wireless form.

There’s also wireless phone charging as standard, Bluetooth that can connect to two phones at once, plus navigation from TomTom with EV routing to help you find local chargers.

The Peugeot 5008 is available as a mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully-electric car. The full EV we’re focusing on here starts at £48,500 for the 73 kWh version with a single motor and Allure trim. Upgrading to GT spec increases the price to £52,350, while the cost of the larger battery and dual-motor variants hasn’t yet been announced.

As with all EVs, running costs can be significantly lower than with an internal combustion car or a plug-in hybrid. This is especially true if you charge at home, and even more so when using cheaper night time electricity. Electricity is more expensive at public chargers, and is at its costliest when plugging into a high-speed charger at motorway services. Try to avoid these if you can.

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A respectable maximum charge rate of 160 kW means the e-5008 can fill its battery from 20 to 80 percent in 30 minutes, as long as it’s connected to an equally powerful charger. Plug it into a wallbox charge at home and the 73 kWh battery will fill from empty in about seven hours. Naturally, the larger 96 kWH model will take longer.

At just under £50,000, the e-5008 might seem expensive for a Peugeot, but there’s a real sense of quality to this car, both inside and out. It’s around £15,000 cheaper (and a far more manageable size) than the massive Kia EV9, which also seats seven.

All Peugeot EVs come with a battery warranty that lasts for eight years or 100,000 miles. As well as the battery pack itself, the warranty covers the motor, onboard charger, transmission and all other main electrical and mechanical components.

The Peugeot e-5008 is the sort of car you can see easily slotting into your life, thanks to its seven-seat practicality, characterful design and ease of use. The strong range should also make this a great choice for EV newcomers wary of range anxiety.