The 2020 Peugeot 5008 is the latest version of the seven seater family SUV from the French manufacturer. It has received positive reviews worldwide for things such as its bolder exterior styling and an equally bold, distinctive yet practical cabin and interior.
The Peugeot 5008 comes in two variants, the 5008 GT Line and 5008 GT.
The new Peugeot 5008 marks a big change from its MPV predecessor, but despite looking like a 4×4, it’s still two-wheel-drive only. Now given that a key reason for anyone considering the purchase of a larger SUV such as the Peugeot 5008, how well does it perform as a towing vehicle?
If you plan on using the Peugeot 5008 as a tow vehicle, you’ll need to play close attention to the version you buy because it can make a marked difference.
By far the top dog is the Peugeot 5008 GT and its 2.0-litre BlueHD1 S&S turbo diesel engine automatic with maximum torque and power of 400Nm and 133kW respectively. Along with a tare weight of 1,575kgs, it has a maximum braked trailer towing weight of 1,800kgs.
The maximum braked towing weight drops noticeably lower to 1,350kg with the Peugeot 5000 GT Line’s 1.6-litre THP turbo petrol engine automatic running at a maximum of 240Nm and 121kW.
Unfortunately when compared to its main rivals of a similar class such as the Volkswagon Tiguan (that offers AWD and has a rated maximum braked trailer towing capacity of 2.500kgs), even the more powerful of the duo, the Peugeot 500 GT does come up a little short.
However whilst it may not boast a higher towing capacity than its competitors it does a solid job for the load that it can tow, with some real world testing (with a tow load of 1377kg) logging in a respectable 30-60mph time of 14.4 seconds, and feeling stable when driving at speed. On a 1-in-10 gradient hillstart test, The Peugeot 5800 GT’s e-brake held firm, with the car able to pull out without any wheelspin or undue clutch slip. Additionally in an emergency brake test, the stopping distance from 30mph was 11.1 metres, which was in line with what was expected.
And the Peugeot 5008 shines in all other aspects such as in everyday driving providing a comfortable experience, while enjoying all the wonderful design and driver assist technologies on offer inside the car. Fuel economy is very decent, with the 5800 GT Line claiming a fuel economy of 7.0L/100km on a combined city/highway cycle while the diesel engine of the 5800 GT runs at 5.0L/100km. CO2 emissions are listed as 156g/km and 130g/km respectively.
So while you wouldn’t be hooking up any large multi-berth caravans to this seven seat SUV, it still holds its own well if you look at it as a car providing a great everyday drive with the added extra capability to tackle most urban towing tasks.
