New Peugeot 5008 vs Nissan X-Trail: interiors
Each of these SUVs can carry seven occupants, but which does it better? We embark on a space mission in a Nissan X-Trail and a Peugeot 5008...
Behind the wheel
Driving position, visibility, build quality
You sit high above the road in both of our competitors, but it’s slightly easier to get comfortable in the Nissan X-Trail, because its driver’s seat is electrically adjustable; that feature is available only in conjunction with Nappa leather seats (£1800)
in the 5008, and you have to go for range-topping GT trim, like ours.
Either way, both cars have sound driving positions with great forward visibility, thanks to their raised seats and fairly thin windscreen pillars. Rear visibility, meanwhile, is excellent in the Peugeot 5008 because of its huge rear windows and large cutouts in the rear pillars, whereas it’s blocked slightly by thick rear pillars in the X-Trail.
You’re unlikely to struggle to park either car, though; both come with front and rear parking sensors and rear-view cameras, with the X-Trail including a 360-degree overhead view (a £600 option in the 5008). You also get a handy switchable rear-view mirror in the X-Trail that can be changed to a camera feed at the flick of a switch – helpful when you’ve got passengers’ heads or high-stacked cargo blocking your view out of the back window.
The 5008’s interior looks striking; a minimalist dashboard layout is dominated by a wide, 21.0in display for the instruments and infotainment, and there’s a pleasing variety of materials, including widespread use of fabric on the dashboard, doors and centre console. It feels well built, too.
The X-Trail’s interior is much more conventional, but that’s not a bad thing. One of the main benefits is that you get plenty of physical dashboard and steering wheel controls; the knobs and buttons for adjusting the air-con system are much easier to operate while driving than the touchscreen-based controls in the 5008. You can’t knock the materials or build quality, either; the X-Trail feels even plusher than the 5008.
Infotainment systems
Peugeot 5008
Set in a wide, 21.0in screen that also houses the instruments, the 5008’s infotainment system looks impressive. The screen has sharper graphics than the X-Trail’s, making it easier to read at a glance. You get an extra row of touch-sensitive shortcut icons on the dashboard to help you jump to certain parts of the system more easily, but there are quite a few menus and sub-menus to navigate, so it can be distracting to use on the move
Nissan X-Trail
Graphically, the X-Trail’s infotainment system looks pretty dated, but the 12.3in touchscreen is still clear enough to read without difficulty. Unlike in the 5008, you get some physical shortcut buttons, but the less frequently used day/night mode and camera buttons would have been better as menu shortcuts. If you’re into your music, the optional 10-speaker Bose premium sound system (£590) is well worth the upgrade, giving your music far more depth.
