2021 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 First Drive Review

We’re big fans of the modern Peugeot range here at DiscoverAuto. Encompassing the successful 3008 – which has sold over one million units so far in its second generation – as well as its seven-seat 5008 sibling, the second-generation 2008 was recently added to the lineup. Now, only a few months on, mid-updates to both the 3008 and 5008 have been launched locally. Priced from $44,990 plus on-road costs for the 3008 and $51,990 plus on-road costs for the 5008, prices have increased – but so has standard equipment – across the range. Have the midlife updates of the 2021 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 created more accomplished products? Read on to find out. 

Much like the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, PSA (Peugeot Citroen and DS) has an extremely versatile platform too: EMP2, which underpins a number of products across their whole range – including the 3008 and 5008 seen here. Competing with cars such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Karoq, Mazda CX-5 and Ford Escape, the 3008 is a five-seat SUV – the 5008 extends its body and adds two extra seats to compete with the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, Mazda CX-8 and Skoda Kodiaq. 

Both the 3008 and 5008 didn’t need a facelift as their combination of handsome styling, excellent quality and practicality unseen previously from French brands was pretty compelling. Peugeot saw fit to update them anyway, and has definitely improved the few areas where the pre-updated cars were lacking such as the infotainment system and newly all-LED lighting. Other changes, such as revised exterior styling, didn’t need changing but they’re more than welcome.

Peugeot has also revised the lineups of both the 3008 and 5008 ranges – the previous mid-spec GT-Line has been canned globally and replaced with the GT, which previously sat at the top of the range. The 3008 is available as the entry level Allure ($44,990 +ORC), the GT in petrol ($47,990) or diesel ($51,990) form and the new GT Sport ($54,990). The 5008 is available in a single GT trim now (petrol: $51,990, diesel: $59,990) though the diesel variant is better equipped than the petrol version.

Standard equipment is plentiful across both the 3008 and 5008 ranges, with all models equipped with kit such as LED lighting (including rear scrolling indicators), front and rear LED daytime running lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control with rear air vents, multiple USB ports, a 10.0-inch touchscreen with inbuilt satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, wireless phone chargers, a six-speaker sound system, auto lights (that now cannot be switched off! Brilliant) and wipers, an electric tailgate with kick-to-open functionality, roof rails and keyless entry and start with heated and auto-folding mirrors. 

All models feature a long list of standard safety equipment too with six airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with day and night pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, speed sign recognition, driver attention alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, auto parking, a reversing camera that combines with a front camera to create a 360-degree camera – in theory – and auto high beam. 

GT models (including all 5008s as the GT is the entry point to the range) add different 18-inch wheels, Alcantara and leather upholstery and cornering lights. 

GT diesels add active lane centring while the 5008 GT diesel also adds 19-inch wheels and 515 watt 10-speaker Focal sound system. 

Finally, the new 3008 GT Sport adds 19-inch alloy wheels, the Focal sound system, a number of black exterior details, Nappa leather upholstery with heated front seats, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat and massaging for the driver. 

Only a handful of options are available – the Nappa leather and electric driver’s seat with massaging pack on the 3008 GT Sport is available for the 3008 and 5008 GT for $3,590 (the 5008 GT diesel is $2,590) while a $1,990 panoramic sunroof is available for 3008 GT and GT Sport models. Metallic paint ranges from $690 to $1,050.

Service pricing is not cheap for five years/100,000km at $2,768 for the 3008 Allure and GT petrol, $2,803 for the 5008 GT petrol, $2,639 for the 3008 GT Sport and $2,841 for diesel variants – this equates to a high average of around $560 per service, though unlike rivals, both cars have long 20,000km service intervals – double that of the Mazda CX-5 – that could work for buyers doing a lot of km. All Peugeots also include a five-year warranty and five years of roadside assistance. 

The 2021 Peugeot 3008 Allure and GT, as well as the 5008 GT petrol, use the same 121kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as the pre-updated models, while the GT Sport has earned a new 133kW/250Nm 1.6L turbo engine that’s matched to an eight-speed auto, which is two more gears than the lower-powered engine. The newer engine is 1.1 seconds faster to 100km/h (8.8 versus 9.9), and it’s also more efficient at just 5.6L/100km combined (versus 7.3L/100km of the older engine). Strangely, the new petrol engine doesn’t make its way into the larger and heavier 5008.

Unlike a lot of other mid-size competitors, the 3008 (and 5008) still offer diesel power as an optional extra. It’s a 133kW/400Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit that’s matched to an eight-speed auto as well, it hits 100km/h in 9.0 seconds and uses just 5.0L/100km on the combined cycle in both cars.

Both engines are more than adequate in real life. While the Volkswagen Group’s 162kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine in the Tiguan 162TSI is undoubtedly much quicker and it also has the surety in wet weather of all-wheel drive, the 3008 GT Sport’s new eight-speed automatic is definitely preferable to the seven-speed dual-clutch auto used across the AWD Tiguan range – and for those wanting more go, one or possibly two plug-in hybrid 3008s are on their way, one with AWD and 224kW of power. 

The 2.0L turbo diesel is lovely – it’s punchy, quiet and especially on highways, pretty darn efficient as we saw under 5L/100km on highway stretches of the launch. Of course, the diesel won’t appeal to everybody but for those doing a lot of distance, it would be great. The rest of the driving experience of both the 3008 and 5008 is easy – the visibility is excellent, the ride quality on both (particularly the 5008 and its longer wheelbase) is wonderfully damped and the steering is relatively light though not everybody will like the iCockpit cabin layout that sees the small steering wheel placed largely in the lap of the driver and the dials mounted above the steering wheel. Try it before buying, but we quite like it. 

Peugeot prides itself on its interiors are it’s easy to see why: in both quality and design, we think they’re best in class. From the use of exotic materials such as the alcantara on the dash and Nappa leather on the GT Sport or optionally on the GT to the very comfortable seating to even the concept car-like design, both the 2021 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 set a truly luxurious vibe that eclipses cars costing even double their asking price. 

New to both the 3008 and 5008 is a new 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that features a lot of connectivity – inbuilt navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired) and digital radio are standard across the range. The system is quicker than before, as well as with a higher quality and larger screen. It’s also easier to use thanks to revised menus and the temperature for each side listed on the each side of the screen – before you had to press the climate button below the screen to then go into the climate menu to adjust anything. 

But unlike previous generation Peugeot products, both the 2021 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 are quite practical on the inside. This starts with plenty of places to store things (including a massive 34-litre centre box), large cup holders, big door bins and even a small tray ahead of the gearbox that features a wireless phone charger. The only negative is the absolutely tiny glovebox thanks to the company’s inability to transfer the fuse box to the correct side of the car for RHD production – you can take the car out of France…

The rear seat of the 3008 is plenty big enough for even six-footers and the rear vents, rear USB ports and rear centre armrest with cup holders and a ski pass through – that’s let alone the longer 5008 with its individual middle seats. The third row of the 5008 is definitely for children only, though that’s hardly different to competitors and unlike them, the seats can be taken out completely for extra practicality.

For the record, the 3008’s 591-litre boot is very healthy for the segment – a Tiguan offers 615L though that’s with its rear seat slid forward – and features various hooks and even a dual-level floor for added practicality – fold the rear seats and 1,670L is available, which is 15L more than the VW. 

So that’s the 2021 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 in a nutshell. We had relatively limited experience with both on the launch event, but we’re hoping to get both into the DiscoverAuto garage soon. Yet even without massive hands-on time in the facelifted models, it’s easy to see that both these cars should be selling stronger in Australia. They’re obviously not the cheapest mid-size SUVs to buy or service, but they are attractive, desirable, high quality, practical, good to drive, relatively efficient and full of character. We’re big, big fans.