Why the new Peugeot E-5008 is our Best Electric 7-Seater
Four big reasons why we've given Peugeot's most versatile model a four-star review and a key accolade in our 2024 What Car? Electric Awards...
Right now, fully electric seven-seaters are few and far between, and if you want one that offers an impressive electric range, bundles of practicality and a classy interior – all without breaking the bank – then there's really only one option: the new Peugeot E-5008
In fact, the striking Peugeot E-5008 is such a game-changer that it's been named Best Electric 7-Seater in the 2024 What Car? Electric Awards, while also receiving a coveted four-star review from the expert What Car? road test team.
As What Car? explains, "The Peugeot E-5008 is a very practical seven-seat electric SUV with a long electric range; none of its direct rivals offer as much space in this price bracket, and entry-level Allure trim offers plenty of standard kit."
So, here are all the reasons why the new Peugeot E-5008 is a What Car? Award-winner.
#1 Practical interior
Regardless of price – which we'll come onto later – any seven-seater worth its salt needs to offer space and versatility by the bucketload, and the Peugeot E-5008 absolutely delivers. Utilising its all-electric underpinnings, the E-5008 maximises interior space to ensure passengers in every row are comfy and equipped with all the in-cabin storage they could need.
"There's a huge amount of space for two occupants up front in the Peugeot E-5008," What Car? said. "Storage space is plentiful, too, with a big cubby hole under the central armrest and decent-sized door bins. There's also a pair of cupholders on the centre console and another separate lidded storage spot further up that's more accessible from the front passenger side.
"The second row of three seats offers decent space for passengers. Leg and head room is fine for tall adults and the flat floor helps maximise leg and foot space when all three seats are occupied. The seats can slide forwards, and the angle of the backrests can be adjusted between seven positions.
"Behind those three seats, you get a third row of two seats. And access to them is very simple, thankfully: you don't have to be a gymnast or tiny to squeeze yourself into the back. The rear doors are long and offer a big opening to clamber through once you've pulled a lever on top of the middle row backrest to tilt and slide the rear seats forwards. It's not heavy or awkward to operate at all."
Along with ample room for people, the Peugeot E-5008 comes with a spacious boot. With all seven seats in place, you get 348 litres of storage space to play with, including a nifty under-floor storage compartment that will swallow the charging cable, parcel shelf and any other bits and bobs you don't want rolling around as you drive.
Fold the rear-most seats down via a couple of well-placed pulleys, and the Peugeot E-5008 has 916 litres of storage – even more than the vastly more expensive Kia EV9 (800 litres).
#2 Classy cabin
In the past, some seven-seaters gained a reputation for offering vast space at the expense of interior quality. Thankfully, the E-5008 firmly bucks this trend.
Featuring the latest iteration of Peugeot's tech-packed i-Cockpit and plenty of soft-touch, high-quality plastics and fabrics throughout, the E-5008 is as cosseting on the inside as it is striking on the outside.
"The E-5008 offers a sound driving position which is virtually identical to sitting in a Peugeot E-3008. That means you have a tiny steering wheel that you look over (rather than through) to see the driver's display," What Car? said.
"There are supportive, high-up front seats and a great view forwards. Rear visibility is slightly limited by the wide rear pillars, but all versions get rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera as standard.
"Every version of the E-5008 gets a curved 21in LED panel across the top of the dashboard, combining the driver's display – which is digital – with an infotainment touchscreen. The display is high enough that it should be clearly visible over the steering wheel.
"Likewise, the touchscreen is easy to glance at while you're driving, and is comfortably within reach from the driver's seat, so you don't have to take your eyes off the road for too long when you interact with it. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring both come as standard.
"The E-5008 also gets Peugeot's i-Toggle feature, which gives you a separate touch panel on the dashboard below the infotainment screen, where you can set up shortcuts for functions you use a lot. The icons are large and easy to hit on the move.
"The E-5008's interior quality is impressive and is a match for the much more expensive Kia EV9. There's lots of soft-touch plastic and pleasant fabric on the dashboard and doors. Top-spec GT models get snazzy ambient interior lighting to liven things up.
#3 Long electric range
From action-packed days out to long weekends away and even cross-country road trips, seven-seaters need to keep up with hectic family life. Once again, the Peugeot E-5008 more than meets that brief.
Available in three versions, the Peugeot E-5008's lineup starts with the Electric 210 Single Motor, which uses a 73kWh lithium-ion battery to produce 210hp and offer up to 311 miles of all-electric range on one charge – that's further than London and Newcastle.
Next up is the Electric 230, with a 98kWh battery, 230hp, and up to a whopping 415 miles of range (WLTP). According to What Car?, that range is "excellent" by electric car standards and "significantly beats the more expensive Kia EV9." Finally, there's the 320 Dual Motor version, which gets confidence-inspiring four-wheel drive and 320hp.
When it comes to charging on the go, all versions of the E-5008 can accept a maximum charging rate of 160kW. That means a suitably rapid public charger should give a 20% to 80% top-up in around 30 minutes, or add up to 62 miles of range in just 10 minutes.
The E-5008 can AC charge at 11kW as standard, and a 22kW onboard charger can be added as an optional extra. A vehicle-to-load function is available, which lets you power, say, a laptop or kettle from the car's battery using an adaptor.
But what's the point of having a long electric range if you don't have the cruising ability to accompany it? Well, the new Peugeot E-5008 offers the very best of both worlds when it comes to long-distance driving.
"At higher speeds – on a motorway for example – the ride settles down, feeling planted and stable. It's also reasonably quiet inside, with wind and road noise kept to a minimum. You'll have to look at much pricier electric seven-seat SUVs for a calmer and more hushed experience."
#4 Exceptional value for money
Finally, we come to perhaps the best bit of all about the new Peugeot E-5008: the price. As we mentioned earlier, electric seven-seaters are pretty rare at the moment, but those that do exist are substantially more expensive to buy than the E-5008.
"With a list price starting at around £50,000, the entry-level Peugeot E-5008 undercuts some of its main competitors by literally tens of thousands of pounds," What Car? said. "The pricing is even competitive compared with some five-seat electric SUVs.
"Entry-level Allure trim includes keyless entry and start, 19in alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, rear privacy glass, while GT trim gets you 20in alloys, heated seats, adaptive cruise control, pixel LED headlights with high-beam assist, an electric tailgate, a heated steering wheel, and Alcantara upholstery.
"We'd stick with Allure trim, but at least the list price of GT trim is less than 10% more if you fancy the extra kit. A heat pump is optional on both trim levels."
And the value doesn't stop there. Peugeot offers a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty as standard, which can be extended to up to eight years if you service your car at an approved centre – impressive. The battery is covered separately for eight years/100,000 miles.
While Euro NCAP has yet to test the E-5008, you can be reassured knowing that it comes with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, traffic-sign recognition, and driver attention monitoring as standard.
So, those are the key reasons why we rate the new Peugeot E-5008 so highly. Maybe it's time to try it for yourself.
