Paris show: Peugeot expands with 5008

PEUGEOT Australia has all but confirmed it will introduce its all-new 5008 large SUV to the local market midway through next year following its public debut at the Paris motor show later this month.

The French car-maker has transformed the 5008 from a seven-seat people-mover based on the previous Citroen Grand C4 Picasso into a large seven-seat SUV for its second generation, a move that mirrors the smaller 3008’s shift from quirky tall-boy MPV to fully fledged compact SUV.

Peugeot Australia sold the 5008 people-mover in Australia from early 2013 until it was discontinued in 2015 due to slower than expected sales.

Peugeot Australia general manager Kai Bruesewitz highlighted the new-model rollout for the French brand and said the company would finally have an SUV line-up that covered the key segments.

“The new year will signal one of the largest product launch periods for Peugeot both locally and abroad, with the potential of three new or revised SUV models joining the Peugeot line-up in Australia,” he said.

“With updated 2008, all-new 3008 and, pending negotiations, all-new 5008, Peugeot will round out its full-range of passenger and SUV vehicles in Australia.

“For the first time in Peugeot’s history we could offer an SUV derivative of every passenger vehicle line and it demonstrates Peugeot’s commitment to satisfying global model demand while leveraging the vast experience within the PSA Group.

“While final specifications and model line-up are yet to be confirmed, we are confident of securing the seven-seat 5008 SUV for local sale.”Peugeot says the new 5008 has a 2840mm wheelbase, which is longer than that of the Kia Sorento and at 1640mm high sits about 50mm lower than the Kia. It matches the width of the recently announced 3008 SUV with which it shares its EMP2 platform, but is 190mm longer.

The platform also spawns models such as the 308 small car and Citroen’s C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso people-mover. The 5008 is likely to mirror the size of the latter car inside.

The dimensions means it will go up against the aforementioned Sorento, Hyundai’s Santa Fe, the Mazda CX-9 and other large SUVs as well as models that straddle the mid-size and large segments, including Renault’s just launched second-generation Koleos.

Peugeot’s latest SUV, and the company’s largest high-riding wagon to date, has a look of a stretched 3008 – unsurprising given the shared underpinnings – and features now familiar Peugeot design cues, including the LED ‘claw effect’ tail-lights.

Inside the 5008 features an “innovative configuration”, according to Peugeot, with the three separated and foldable second-row seats that have length and inclination adjustment, while the two seats in the third row are also separate, foldable and even removable.

The 5008 also has a boot capacity of 1060 litres, which, according to the French car-maker is the largest in its class.

The cabin also features the latest version of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit that includes the company’s compact steering wheel, 8.0-inch touchscreen on the dash and a 12.3-inch high-resolution digital head-up display. In some markets the 5008 will be offered with a Mirror Screen function and a 3D-connected sat-nav system.

In Europe, the 5008 will be offered with a choice of four petrol and six diesel powertrains – all Euro 6.1-compliant – but given Peugeot Australia’s recent plan to reduce the complexity of its range, the 5008 is likely to be sold here with a much smaller choice, possibly one or two engines.

While the engine choice is yet to be announced, we would not be surprised if Peugeot introduced the 5008 with the 123kW turbo-diesel unit and the 134kW petrol engine, but we expect all will be revealed ahead of its arrival.

The French-built SUV will be offered with a suite of active safety features including Advanced Grip Control with Hill Assist Descent Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Distance Alert, Active Lane Keeping Assistance, Driver Attention Warning, Smart Beam Assistance, Speed Sign Recognition and Speed Suggestion, Adaptive Cruise Control with stop feature (automatic variants only), Active Blind Spot Monitoring, Park Assist, and Visio Park which provides 360-degree vision.

The model variants include Access, Active, Allure, GT Line and sportier GT, but it is unclear which ones will be offered in Australia.

Peugeot sold the 4007 mid-size SUV between late 2009 to early 2013, but the Mitsubishi Outlander-based model was a slow seller for the brand in Australia.

It still offers the Mitsubishi ASX-based 4008, although the future of that model is unclear once the current-gen ASX is replaced in about two years’ time.

The all-new 3008 will arrive in the first quarter of next year, while a facelifted version of the 2008 crossover will also lob in 2017.