Hot on the heals of the Škoda Kodiaq reveal, Peugeot revealed its own competitor for the wallet of those looking for a rugged, seven-seat family runabout: the new 5008.
The new 5008 looks rather familiar
That’s because it was developed alongside the second-generation 3008, which was revealed earlier this year. The two cars share most parts ahead of the B-pillar, save for the bumper and headlight design, but differ in the back – the 5008 rides on a longer wheelbase to accommodate seven seats. This strategy is very similar to what Nissan did with the Qashqai and the X-Trail (Rogue in the US), and to what VW will do with the short- and long-wheelbase Tiguan.
Wait, back up… wasn’t the previous-generation 5008 an actual seven-seat minivan?
Good memory! The first-generation 5008 was a cousin of the Citroen Grand Picasso, but its sales were only ever so-so: it peaked at 70,000 units in 2010, and in the first half of 2016 it was outsold four-fold by the latest version of the C4 Picasso. So, rather than wade into the same lukewarm waters again, Peugeot decided to take a different route with the second-generation 5008.
So, just how soft of a soft-roader is the new 5008?
The 3008 and 5008 sister cars are as “crossover” as it gets these days. They were conceived as part of Peugeot’s two-pronged attack on the Midsized Crossover and Midsized MPV segments, with the five-seat 3008 aiming to compete against the likes of Nissan Qashqai and the latest bevy of soft-roaders, while the seven-seat 5008 will aim to steal sales from the family-friendly offerings like the C4 Picasso, VW Tiguan etc. Most tellingly, unlike almost every other offering in the Midsized Crossover segment, the duo will not offer four-wheel-drive, at least until PSA’s unique petrol-electric 4×4 hybrid arrives in a few year’s time. But, reckons Peugeot, if the lack of four-wheel-drive has not stopped Renault Captur and the smaller Peugeot 2008 crossover from dominating the Small Crossover segment, then why not try the same in the segment above. They may well be onto something!