Peugeot E-5008 SUV (2024 - ) Electric review

As an electric vehicle, this is one of the Peugeot E-5008’s biggest strengths. Rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda Kodiaq do not currently have an all-electric option, meaning if you have facility to charge the E-5008 at home it should prove much cheaper to run. It also has impressive range, the one you see here capable of 312 miles by the official numbers. There’s also a version with a bigger battery claiming over 400 miles but the efficiency we scored on our gently driven test route in flatteringly warm conditions suggests the reality may be a little less than that. On the plus side charging takes as little as half-an-hour on its fastest DC public rate for 20-80 per cent battery capacity, though it’ll cost more than doing it at home.

This generation of 5008/E-5008 is too new to have gained any clear picture on its long-term reliability, and the same goes for the closely related Peugeot E-3008 five-seater. All we can say is that the previous generation of 5008 scored pretty highly in reliability surveys and owner satisfaction reports, and now that the new one has less complex electric drive systems. Furthermore, Peugeot now offers an exceptional eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty called Allure Care on all its new electric vehicles, which should give peace of mind to customers.

As at the time of writing, neither the Peugeot E-5008 nor the related E-3008 have been put through the Euro NCAP testing procedure, but as the previous two generations of 5008 picked up full five-star ratings we’d expect the latest model to do the same. Admittedly, those older 5008s earned their awards under less stringent regulations, but Peugeot as a whole has a strong reputation for safety in its modern products, and the 2024 E-5008 also has access to more than 40 driver assist and safety technology features, so we’d be mighty surprised if it didn’t bag five stars once again.

This is one of the Peugeot E-5008’s strong points. Silent electric power always has an edge in refinement over petrol or diesel but as the E-5008 is only sold in Allure and GT specifications (the latter with bigger 20-inch wheels) it risked compromising ride comfort. Thankfully it doesn’t, helped by the length of the car meaning it flattens the bumps while Peugeot has successfully minimised the amount of tyre and wind noise making its way into the passenger compartment. Whether you’re driving it sedately around town or cruising along a motorway the E-5008 is always comfortable, dignified, assured and wonderfully peaceful within. Better still, the cabin is very spacious, with good legroom in the second row and even a reasonably accommodating pair of chairs in row three. Access to the very back of the passenger compartment is via a simple, one-action ‘tilt-and-slide’ mechanism fitted to the middle seats, although it’s a shame these no longer all slide forwards and backwards individually in the E-5008 as they did in the old car. Nevertheless, the interior is practical and comfy, and boot space is decent with all seven seats in use, vast with just five in operation and then positively van-like if just the front two seats are in position.

The most obvious novelty of the Peugeot E-5008 is its Panoramic iCockpit dashboard and driving position. This features a low-set steering wheel in front of a huge, curved 21-inch display housing two digital screens – one for the instrument cluster and dials, and the other a touch-sensitive one containing the main infotainment. There’s also a configurable row of ‘digi-buttons’ below the central air vents which Peugeot calls iToggles to quickly access various key interfaces on the larger screen above. Sadly, as is often the case in modern cars, this includes the climate controls. But, in general, the E-5008’s widescreen array looks good and works slickly. And if you don’t think it does, then you can instead wirelessly activate CarPlay or Android Auto for easier operation if you so prefer. Other pleasing features of the cabin include a neatly integrated wireless smartphone charging pad, classy ambient lighting which illuminates the concave central section of the dashboard and door cards at night, and a full-length panoramic sunroof that floods the passenger cabin with plenty of natural light. What with the excellent fit-and-finish of the materials it’s a cabin with plenty of showroom appeal from the off.

Peugeot is readying mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the 5008 for those who still want some form of internal combustion, but the E-5008 has the honour of arriving first. It will be offered with a choice of single or twin motors, giving either front- or all-wheel drive as appropriate. Two battery sizes will be available as well. We drove the front-motor, smaller-battery model with a range of up to 312 miles. This has the least power of any E-5008 and, to get it, you need to be in Sport mode on the basis Normal and Eco actually reduce the output. Accordingly at no point does this E-5008 feel rapid, lacking that effortless surge many associate with electric cars though it does react very smoothly to the throttle. Those wanting more speed can go for the dual-motor car with about 50 per cent more power again but, given it has the same size battery, range will suffer. Star of the E-5008 show will, therefore, be the long-range version, with a huge power pack allowing it to go up to 410 miles in one hit. It is front-wheel drive only and has a little more power than the standard single-motor model, but it is heavier so feels no quicker to drive. On another note, the regenerative braking in the E-5008 is very well-judged and can be adjusted through three settings using the paddle shifts on the steering wheel; at its strongest, the Peugeot SUV can almost be driven in a ‘one-pedal’ fashion, without the driver having to resort to the brake pedal itself.