PEUGEOT senior management have freely admitted that the French brand is still in catch-up mode – “fashionably late” was the term used – when it comes to competing in the fast-growing SUV sector, and the arrival of the reborn 5008 marks its third entrant to showrooms alongside the shorter 3008 and smaller 2008.

Perhaps surprisingly, the seven-seat family wagon has managed to slot into the mid-size SUV classification as defined by the industry’s VFACTS sales reporting division – the same class as the five-seat 3008 upon which it is based – which helps Peugeot avoid comparisons with rivals like the Mazda CX-9, Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda Kodiaq.

The trick for buyers is to look across both medium and large segments and take the time to compare on both price and specification, for Peugeot Australia has brought in the new 5008 at a higher entry point than some others – $42,990 plus on-road costs – but with a high level of features fitted standard across the range.

Study the details closely, and take a drive of the vehicle, and a compelling case emerges for those who may have thought Peugeot had lost its way.

All of a sudden, ‘5008’ now means something very different.