Peugeot MPVs
French carmaker Peugeot has had a reputation in recent years of being slow to jump on the MPV band wagon. In theory the auto company’s first foray into the 7-seater market came with the 806 in 1995 closely followed by the 807. Peugeot itself has pointed out though that in theory it was way ahead of the pack back in 1970 with the launch of the 504 estate boasting two seats in the front, a row of three and then a forward-facing row of two more seats.
This is technically the case, but then the new Peugeot 5008 Allure is a million miles away from those heady days when MPVs, SUVs and everything in between were little more than a string of randomly assembled letters. Then of course came another French company, Renault, with its mould breaking Espace, and the rest of course, is history.
Peugeot 5008 Panoramic Glass Roof
In the 5008, Peugeot is hoping to take the 7-seater concept forward, so has it succeeded? This is an MPV that has a sporty front nose with a rear that is sizeable but yet doesn’t look like the back of a bus. To keep things as sleek as possible, Peugeot has gone with a panoramic glass roof that seems to go on forever, and front headlights that angle back the length of the bonnet, another measure designed to take away the feeling of bulk from the front of the car.
Peugeot 5008 MPV with Panoramic SunRoof
Brimming with Gadgets
For those looking for futuristic, this is a 7-seater that is simply brimming with gadgets. There are video screens embedded in the rear headrests, a pop-up sat-nav system that emerges upon starting up the engine, so too a speed display, and there is a switch on the dashboard for measuring the distance of vehicles up ahead. Even back when Peugeot launched its first real entrant into the MPV market in the mid-1990s, this would have seemed like something from a sci-fi film. And even by the standards of the rest of this segment of the market today, it is certainly up there in the gadget stakes.
Mirrors to monitor back seat behavior
Some of these gadgets are in fact extras on the basic model, and others include the likes of air conditioning, folding tables, a third row of seats that fold flat and electric windows. There are all the standard optional extras basically and then a few more. One nice add-on is a mirror that monitors more closely what is happening in the back row of seats, in other words the ones where the youngest children are often parked.
Fuel Economy – 55 MPG
Another important feature of this 7-seater is its fuel economy, coming in at a very impressive 55 miles per gallon, which is aided by a cruise control speed even at under 30mph. In terms of competition, think Citroen C4 Grand Picasso or the Volkswagen Touran in terms of space and flexibility. But in terms of driving appeal it is more like a Mazda5 or a Ford S-Max. It’s a vehicle that is again trying to redefine that blurred line between sporty and MPV, and this respect it does a very good job indeed.
