In the family way: Peugeot's 5008

THERE are some cars that the man or woman in the street will tell you they'd love to own despite never having driven or even sat behind the wheel.

Coupes, sports saloons, convertibles, even cute city cars or commanding 4x4s, you could imagine any of these yanking on the heart strings of an individual, depending on their personal taste. With the MPV, things are a bit different. It's hard to lust after something so overwhelmingly functional but ask the thousands of MPV owners up and down the country and they'll tell you that life wouldn't be the same without theirs.

Peugeot will be hoping its 5008 forms just such a strong bond with its owners but to achieve this, it will have to do the basics well.

A familiar crop of engines power the 5008 in a range that leans heavily on Peugeot's impressive HDi diesels. The 1.6-litre HDi has 110bhp and is offered with a choice of six-speed manual or the 6-speed robotised automatic. With the 2.0-litre HDi, there's a conventional automatic option supplementing the manual but the two gearboxes come with different power outputs.

Manual customers have to make do with 150bhp while the auto model's engine is upgraded to 163bhp. On the petrol front, there's a 1.6-litre VTi unit with 120bhp or the 156bhp 1.6-litre THP which uses a turbocharger to boost performance.

Some of Peugeot's recent efforts have been hit and miss from a styling perspective, the main bone of contention being the enormous frontal air-intake that the marque insisted on applying to all its new models for a while.

The 5008 departs from this controversial theme with a more conservative and classy look that should appeal to a wider audience. Huge front light clusters sweep back up the sides of the bonnet and the chrome bar that splits the horizontal grille is mirrored by three more that run across the trio of air-intakes below.

The square rear is designed for practicality first and foremost with a low loading lip and a wide tailgate. Carrying capacity will be a major selling point for the 5008 as the vehicle is able to take 758 litres of cargo with five of its seven seats occupied. Fold all of the seats down and up to 2,506 litres can be squeezed in.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

* PRICES: 17,495-24,295 - on the road

* INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-11 [est]

* CO2 EMISSIONS: 135-178g/km

* PERFORMANCE: [2.0HDi 150] 12s 0-60mph / 120mph top speed [est]

* FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0HDi 150] 48.7mpg (combined)

* STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS with EBD, ESP, 6 airbags, 3-point seat belts.

* WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/Width/Height 4530/1830/1664mm.