Transforming into an SUV does little to dent the 5008’s family-moving ability, says Alex Grant.

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SECTOR Crossover   PRICE £24,495-£35,895   FUEL 46.3-68.9mpg   CO2 106-140g/km

While it probably didn’t come top of many drivers’ wish lists, the old 5008 was a great compact MPV. Comfortable, adaptable and with competitive CO2 emissions on its side, those who needed cargo and people-moving abilities would have had no reason to feel short-changed.

But tastes change. MPVs have fallen out of fashion, and Peugeot wants to wrap those rational benefits in something with more car park appeal. So the 5008 has morphed into a seven-seat soft-roader, locking horns with a growing basket of rivals including the Nissan X-Trail, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace as it does so.

The foundations are brilliant. This is, essentially, a seven-seat version of the excellent new 3008, which means it’s home to a cabin that feels at least £10,000 above its price point, and Peugeot’s smart new family styling, with a thick metal window surround that manages a half-respectable job of masking the extra bulk at the back end.

There’s more to this than a third row of seats. Inside, it’s closer to an MPV than a typical crossover, with the 3008’s single-piece rear bench replaced with three individually sliding ISOFIX-equipped seats. The wheelbase is 165mm longer, accommodating longer rear doors for easier access to the third row of seats, which are big enough for adults. Fold them away, and the boot is almost as large – beneath the parcel shelf – as the 5008 MPV.

It has the usual small MPV pros and cons. Those third row seats aren’t well-padded, so quite firm for long trips, and they leave almost no boot space when they’re upright. Unlike the old car, there’s nowhere to store the load carrier when it’s not in use. If you have a sudden need to carry large loads or extra passengers, it’ll end up getting trodden on in the middle-row footwell.

Peugeot is offering the usual Active, Allure, GT Line and GT trims, and all are generously equipped. The digital instrument cluster and touchscreen infotainment system, with Android and Apple smartphone mirroring as standard features, while sat nav comes in at Allure. The cabin is well laid out, with upmarket grey fabric inserts, silver accents and plenty of storage spaces dotted around. The only frustration is the infotainment system, which isn’t particularly intuitive or quick to respond.

Depending on trim level, there are two petrol engines (128bhp and 163bhp) and a choice of 99bhp, 118bhp, 148bhp and 179bhp diesel units. On paper, the most efficient version is the entry-level diesel, but that’s likely to be limited in real-world use by its five-speed gearbox. The BlueHDI 120 gets six gears, it’s quiet, smooth and offers 50mpg at motorway speeds, but can feel a bit lacking when the 5008 is full of people and belongings. At 118g/km, the BlueHDI 150 is in line with smaller crossovers with downsized engines, and will be more comfortable when moving heavy loads.

Overall, then, it’s a very successful transfer of the best MPV qualities into a bodystyle drivers might want, as well as need. Full marks, Peugeot.

What we think

The 5008 impresses for near-premium features at a competitive price, but don’t be too tempted to opt for the small diesel if you’re planning to use that extra space.