• Seven seats for all 5008 models
• Plenty of space for passengers
• Decent amount of storage spaces

How much space is there?

In seven-seater SUV terms, the Peugeot 5008 is relatively compact on the outside. Yet it still boasts a highly practical interior. In fact, the French manufacturer reckons its space efficiency is class leading, which is to say no other seven-seat SUV offers a better ratio of external size to interior roominess.

It has a longer wheelbase than the Peugeot 3008. This increase in distance between the front and rear axles translates into impressive legroom in the second row, making the most of seats here being able to slide forward and back individually as well as recline. When carrying passengers in the third row you’ll certainly want to make the most of this capability – there is a reasonably amount of room back there but taller people will struggle with legroom.

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Our testing suggests there’s enough room for teenagers, however, and though access isn’t too bad – helped by the easy way the outer middle-row seats slide out of the way – you will need to be reasonably limber to clamber back there. The 5008 is no worse than other seven-seater SUVs in this regard.

Boot space and storage

Fold all the seats flat and you’ll unlock 2,042 litres of space. Remove seats six and seven entirely (bring a friend, they’re heavy) and this is increased to 2,150 litres. With five seats up you still get a respectable 952 litres, or 166 litres with all seven in use.

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Storage space around the cabin is also reasonable, although the position of the cupholder in the front means that taller bottles placed in them will foul the driver’s left arm when changing gear. Even the rear-most row gets somewhere to stash drinks, however, as well as a 12v socket for powering things.

Is it easy to park?

While it’s cleverly compact compared with other seven-seater SUVs, this is not the same as actually small. Park in a typical multi-storey carpark and you’ll probably find the nose of the Peugeot peeks out beyond the marked bay.

Still, it’s not so tall as to encounter difficulties on height-restricted parking lots. A 180-degree reversing camera is standard on most models, with a 360-degree alternative available at extra cost.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP rating for 3008 sister car
• Plenty of standard safety equipment
• Three Isofix points in the middle row

Although the Peugeot 5008 hasn’t been specifically crash-tested by Euro NCAP to assess its safety, the smaller but closely related 3008 received a five-star score when it was evaluated in 2016. Euro NCAP considers the two vehicles to be ‘structurally identical’ (despite the 5008’s extra length and seats…) and considers them deserving of the same score.

However, that test was so long ago that the rating has expired. Considering that the Euro NCAP test has gotten much tougher since then, there’s no guarantee the 5008 would meet the current five-star standard.

Still, there’s a wealth of standard safety features to protect you and your passengers, including six airbags, a control for the rear child locks on the driver’s door panel, lane-departure warning, cruise control, automatic emergency braking and traffic sign recognition.

Other available features include adaptive cruise control, Advanced Grip Control to enhance front-wheel traction in slippery conditions, and Peugeot’s SOS and Assistance package.