A new compact people-carrier joins the Peugeot range – the 5008 is available in five and seven seat versions and includes a range of innovative features.

With the 5008, Peugeot reintroduces one of its most famous series of vehicles – the “5″ series.

Previous models carrying the “5″ series label have included the legendary Peugeot 504 and the great family favourite the Peugeot 505 Family estate.

In its day the Peugeot 505 Family estate was the bench mark seven-seat family car and it is this position Peugeot aims to repeat with the introduction of the new Peugeot 5008.

The 5008, with a length of 4.53m and a height of 1.64m, will accommodate like its predecessor, seven occupants and their luggage.

Flexibility is also a key strength of the 5008 with an innovative “flat-folding” rear seat arrangement which enables all the rear passenger seats to be folded away into the floor maximising the load area.

The driver of the 5008 has a raised driving position which gives excellent visibility, combined with ergonomically positioned controls.

With its large front windscreen) and the large panoramic glass roof , passengers have from a bright interior with an exceptional panoramic view of the outside.

Adding the side windows, the rear quarter panel windows and the rear windscreen, the glazed surface area totals 5.77m.

Spacious is certainly no understatement when it comes to describing the interior of 5008. It has a front elbow width of 1476mm, 1520mm across the three individual seats in the second row and 1341mm in the third row.

Leg room is also generous, as is headroom, which means tall passengers can be accommodated without difficulty.

All three seats in the second row are identical and can be reclined and moved forwards and backwards over a distance of 130mm.

They can also be folded individually into the passenger compartment floor to form a flat surface perfectly aligned with the rear loading sill.

The front passenger seat can also be folded flat into a shelf configuration, it is therefore possible to load long objects as far as the fascia panel.

The effective load length in this configuration (all seats folded away and the front passenger seat folded flat in the shelf position) is 2.76m.

The ‘cinema’ positioning of the second row outer seats also allows easy access to the occupants of the third row seats.

In one easy movement, the seat cushion lifts and the seat back moves forward, freeing up the maximum space for those wishing to get into the car.

This innovative modularity is also in evidence in the third row, where the two full size seats also fold individually into the rear floor.

The 5008 will be available with a range of new and innovative technology including front and rear parking assistance and a new system which measures an available parking space.

At launch the 5008 will be available with six power-train options, combining performance and fuel economy with reduced CO2 emissions.

By Sharon Walters