Although Peugeot has a long tradition of seven-seat cars, the 5008 is the first model it has offered as a direct alternative to cars like the Vauxhall Zafira. Compact people carriers have become far more popular in the last couple of decades, particularly those flexible enough to carry more than five, but whose extra seats are unobtrusive. The Peugeot 5008 rivals cars like the Citroën C4 Grand Picasso and Volkswagen Touran for flexibility, but is more like the Ford S-MAX and Mazda5 in terms of driver appeal.

It is expected to be far more popular than Peugeot’s large 807 people carrier and is more conventional than the 308 SW that comes with a seven-seat option. Upmarket features such as a head-up display help make it unique while its range of frugal engines give it a key advantage over many alternatives.