Why the Peugeot 5008 II swapped the MPV for an SUV

This family SUV was built by Peugeot between 2017 and 2024. Stretched from the 3008, it seats seven across three rows, and it gained a mild hybrid option late in its life. Production finished on 13 October 2024.

Its arrival marked a clear change of direction for the nameplate. The first 5008 had been a pure MPV, and this second car followed the market's move towards high-riding SUVs while offering seven seats, as the previous generation did.

Where did the 5008 II come from?

Peugeot unveiled the second-generation 5008 to the press on 7 September 2016, then showed it to the public at the 2016 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. The car is a longer version of the 3008 II and went on sale on 17 June 2017. Assembly took place at the Sochaux and Rennes plants in France.

The 3008 II had been presented only a few months earlier, and the 5008 is a stretched version of it.

An SUV built on a stretched 3008 that carried the seven-seat idea of the MPV into the modern era.

How did the 5008 II change from the MPV?

Unlike the pure MPV that came before it, this model sells itself as a sport utility, following a trend that was already strong in sales. A different grille and front bumper set it apart from the 3008, and a chrome arch runs across the whole roof down to the base of the rear window.

The longer body is the key difference beneath the styling. A wheelbase of 2.84 m (9.3 ft) gives noticeably more interior space than the 3008 offers, and the car keeps seven seats in three rows, just as the first 5008 did.

The seating arrangement is where the car's flexibility shows. The third row holds two extra seats that fold away and can be removed altogether, and the second row offers three separate seats that can be folded and adjusted for length and recline.

What was inside the 5008 II?

The cabin borrows heavily from the 3008. The i-Cockpit layout comes across, along with an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen and a 12.3-inch head-up display of high resolution.

Practicality is the other strong point. The front passenger seat can be folded flat to carry long objects, and the boot offers 780 dm3 under the VDA 210 method, or 1,060 L measured to the water line. Peugeot described that as the largest boot in its class, and the tailgate opens hands-free.

How was the 5008 II's chassis built?

The 5008 II sits on the EMP2 platform, which it shares with the 3008 and 4008. That architecture also underpins the Citroen C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso, the Peugeot 308 and 408, and the Toyota ProAce II. Peugeot claims the platform saves 95 kg (209 lb) on average compared with the previous PF2 architecture.

Tyres were a point of focus as well. Ultra Low Rolling Resistance tyres were used in 17-inch and 18-inch sizes, along with a slimline 19-inch fitment in 205 55 R19 developed with Michelin. The 19-inch fitment should contribute to the overall grip of the car.

Which gearboxes and engines did the 5008 II use?

The petrol engines were paired with an EAT6 automatic, also known as the AT6-III, a traditional hydraulic torque-converter unit. Diesel engines used the AM6-III, and the EAT8 gearbox, the AWF8F45, was fitted to the diesels of 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) and 180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp).

The petrol range included the PureTech engine of 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp), which was linked to an automatic gearbox until the hybrid arrived.

What changed in the 2020 facelift?

Peugeot brought the phase 2 facelift forward to 1 September 2020, after images of the updated car began circulating online. The front end was the main change, with the grille extended under the headlights and LED bars added to the bumper. A 5008 monogram went onto the bonnet, and the engine line-up did not change.

What did the 2023 hybrid add?

The first non-plug-in hybrid 5008 was presented in February 2023 and went on sale that year. It uses a light MHEV system running at 48V, with an electric motor rated at 28 PS (21 kW; 28 hp). Peugeot said the system would allow electric urban driving for more than 50% of the time.

Peugeot's own estimate put the fuel saving at roughly 1 L/100 km (282 mpg-imp; 235 mpg-US) against a petrol car, and it said CO2 output would also fall a little. The hybrid's arrival also meant the end of the petrol engine paired with an automatic gearbox in that form.

How safe was the 5008 II?

The 5008 II earned five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test. Adults were protected to a score of 86% and children to 85%, while pedestrians reached 67% and the safety assist systems 58%.

Peugeot fitted the car with a wide range of driver aids, including emergency braking assistance, which the company calls Active Safety Brake. Adaptive cruise control with a stop function came on the automatic gearboxes, along with active lane departure warning and a driver attention alert that detects a drop in concentration.

Other assistance features included road sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam switching, Advanced Grip Control to improve traction on poor surfaces and Hill Assist Descent Control, which regulates speed on a steep downhill slope.

What trims and special editions were offered?

Early cars could be specified as Access, Active, Allure, GT Line or GT, five options in all. Phase 2 expanded the choice to six trims: Active, Active Pack, Allure, Allure Pack, GT and GT Pack.

Among the comfort features were an eight-pocket pneumatic massage system for the front seats, a Focal JMlab hi-fi and a panoramic sunroof. Navigation came from a system that offered 3D traffic information updated four times a year, along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Special editions added variety. The Crossway edition arrived in October 2017, based on Allure and placed between Allure and GT Line. It added Alcantara and fabric upholstery, aluminium pedals, bi-tone 18-inch alloys and a black roof. Roadtrip followed from January 2021.

Buyers could also take a folding e-Kick scooter or a folding e-Bike eF01 bicycle, with a removable charging point supplied for each.

Who used the 5008 II besides private buyers?

Public bodies were significant buyers too. In 2020 the French interior ministry placed an order for 1,263 units across phases 1 and 2, intended for the gendarmerie and the national police. The 600 cars for the police were the first to wear a new grey screen-print, and they began arriving in early 2021 with 130 PS engines.

The model also had a role at the top of the state. An armoured phase 1 car carrying the EK-622-JN registration serves the head of state. The first person to use it was Emmanuel Macron, on 14 July 2017, and in 2023 the car was restyled by Peugeot to look like a phase 2 model.

How did production and sales wind down?

Production ended on 13 October 2024, after the car had been built across several plants. The 5008 II was made in Rennes and Sochaux in France, and in Chengdu in China, and it was assembled in Malaysia and Vietnam through partner plants.

In China the car was built through a joint venture with Dongfeng, which was scheduled to run until 2037. A phase 3 version appeared in Guangzhou on 20 November 2020 in an effort to revive sales, though it is not certain that this version would last until 2024.

Supply problems also shaped the late years. In 2022 a shortage of components left Peugeot short of rear lights, so from August the brand went back to phase 1 rear lights on three trims, Allure, Active and Active Pack. In November 2022 a China-market car wearing the new Peugeot badge was unveiled.

Final cars rolled off the French lines in late September 2024, a couple of weeks before the official end date. The next 5008, which carries the P74 code, is set to come from Sochaux alone, with an engine range shared with the 3008 III.

Peugeot 5008 II specifications