Tesla’s Model Y dominated the European new-car sales charts last year, but there is one chink in its armour, one that Peugeot hopes to attack with its new E-5008. And it’s European buyers still can’t order a Y with the third-row option that’s available in America.
The E-5008 doesn’t only make seven seats available, it supplies them as standard, helping not only to differentiate it from the Tesla, but also from its E-3008 little brother. Because practical matters aside, Peugeot’s latest SUV sticks closely to the plan laid out by the smaller model launched last year.
Both ride on the new Stellantis STLA Medium platform and debut as EVs, but rather than make us wait for the hybrid non-‘e’ version as it did with the E-3008, Peugeot has opted to launch the E-5008 and combustion 5008 simultaneously.
Making the third row of seats a possibility is a wheelbase stretch from the E-3008’s 107.9-inch (2.74 m) to 114.2 inches (2.9 m) and an upright rear window, though even with that extra length available, luggage space with all three rows in place is limited to 259 litres (9.2 cu-ft) – less than you get in a four-door Mini Cooper. But drop the rearmost seats and the cargo bay swells to 748 litres (26.4 cu-ft), which far outstrips the 520 litres (18.4 cu-ft) the E-3008 offers.
Related: Peugeot Confirms E-408 and E-5008, Won’t Go Smaller Than The E-208 Supermini
Powertrain, Batteries And Range
Remove the seats and boxier styling from the equation through, and there’s very little to separate Peugeot’s two newest SUVs. Like the E-3008 lineup, the E-5008’s kick off with a 211 hp (214 PS) single-motor, front-wheel drive version that squeezes 311 miles (500 km) of range from its 73 kWh battery, while buyers with a serious aversion to charging stations can opt for the long range configuration.
That gets the same 254 lb-ft (345 Nm) as the base model, but a little more power (228 hp / 231 PS) and a bigger 98 kWh battery for a 410-mile (660 km) cruising range. Those range numbers, by the way, are down slightly on the 326 miles (525 km) and 435 miles (700 km) the same battery and motor combos deliver in the lighter, five-seat E-3008.
King of the E-5008 hill is the Electric 320, which adds a 107 hp (109 PS) motor to the rear axle for a total of 316 hp (320 PS). Unfortunately the extra weight drags the range from the 98 kWh battery down to the same 311 miles as the entry-level car.
All three make do with 400-volt electrics and an unremarkable 160 kW DC charging speed that can add 62 miles (100 km) of range on 10 minutes, or fill the battery from 20 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. Owners wanting to charge at home, which is going to be most of them, get an 11 kW onboard charger as standard, but can upgrade to 22 kW for speedier fills.
Over on the hybrid side of the menu, the 5008 is available from launch with the same 134 hp (136 PS) 48-volt mild hybrid 1.2-liter triple that’s already on offer to 3008 drivers. The 5008 Hybrid 136 e-DCS6 ’s electric motor is hidden inside the compulsory six-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives the front wheels, and is claimed to cut fuel consumption by 15 percent over an equivalent (hypothetical) non-hybrid 5008.
Peugeot also says the mild-hybrid can operate up to 50 percent of the time in electric mode, though only in low-speed urban situations. Buyers who want more EV miles but don’t want an actual EV will have to wait until 2025 when the 195 e-DCS7 PHEV hits the market. That teams a 123 hp (125 PS) electric motor with a 148 hp (150 PS) combustion engine and can cover 49 miles (79 km) in zero-emissions mode.
The Interior
Inside, bar those extra seats, the E-5008 looks the spit of its smaller stablemate. Peugeot’s 21-inch panoramic i-Cockpit display comes standard on both Allure and GT, the two available trim levels, as does ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger, keyless entry and LED headlights. GT models don’t get any more horses or range miles to justify the badge, but they do bag you two-color paint with a black roof, 20-inch wheels, heated and electrically operated Alcantara seats and adaptive cruise.
Pricing And Availability
Peugeot won’t be talking prices until closer to the September on-sale date, but given that the mild-hybrid 3008 Allure starts at £34,650 in the UK ($44,400) and the EV version of the same car around £11k ($14k) more, we’d expect the base ICE 5008 to cost just under £40k ($51k) and the entry level EV to set you back around £50k ($64k). A starter-spec Tesla Model Y, for reference, only costs £44,990 in the UK ($57,680), but then it doesn’t have that third row. At least not yet.
