Peugeot E-5008: ‘The all-electric, seven-seat SUV that’s right-sized, stylish and serene with it’
"The Peugeot E-5008 is the big, electric French daddy you didn’t realise you’d been waiting for," says Attitude publisher Darren Styles OBE
If you’d suggested a few years ago that Peugeot – yes, Peugeot, the people who once served us the 306 cabriolet beloved of every early-2000s hairdresser in the Home Counties – would become one of Europe’s most interesting and accomplished electric carmakers, I’d have smiled politely and asked if you’d been at the tequila. Again. But yet here we are.
The brand’s transformation these past few years has been nothing short of a glow-up worthy of a Drag Race finale: new styling, new swagger, newfound confidence. And if you don’t believe me, check out — fresh off the runway like it owns the place – the Peugeot E-5008.
“All-electric SUV, built for families, friends and gays who simply refuse to travel light”
This, in case you’ve missed the fanfare, is Peugeot’s seven-seat, all-electric SUV, built for families, friends and gays who simply refuse to travel light. It’s the electric sibling to the excellent E-3008 fastback I’ve had the pleasure of driving for the past few months, but taller, longer and more capacious.
Peugeot’s current design language is all sharp, chiselled edges, glowing claw-marks and a certain feline energy. The E-5008 continues the theme with a bold nose, animated LED lighting and a silhouette that’s imposing without shouting. It’s handsome in that sophisticated European way – not trying too hard, but fully aware it’s the best-dressed thing in the Waitrose car park, my husband aside.
Peugeot E-5008 intertior and exterior
Inside, though, is where Peugeot really flexes. The enormous, 21-inch, sweeping panoramic screen – essentially a high-definition cinemascape stretched across the dashboard – floats elegantly above a cabin trimmed with recycled fabrics and tasteful textures. Peugeot calls it the “Panoramic i-Cockpit”. We call it “a happy mix of future-forward concept car, Everyman movie theatre and cosy lounge”. Probably just what the designer had in mind.
It feels premium in a way that’ll surprise anyone still clinging to out-of-date prejudices about French cars. And unlike certain German rivals, the E-5008 interior doesn’t look as though it was designed by someone who moonlights as a treasury specialist in austerity.
Now let’s talk size. With three rows of seating, it’s one of the few electric SUVs that genuinely accommodates seven adults, not just five people and a pair of ambitious contortionists. The middle row slides and reclines, the third row pops up neatly from the boot floor, and even with all seats deployed there’s enough stowage space for a weekend away if everyone shares toiletries and nobody brings their ring light. Fold everything flat and you’re practically in van country.
“Big, but not obnoxiously so”
For queer families, dog owners, or anyone whose hobbies mysteriously require a lot of gear (do check out our launch issue of the digital-only Attitude Uncut), the E-5008 might be the Goldilocks of electric SUVs: big, but not obnoxiously so; flexible, but not flimsy; and – crucially – designed with the real world in mind.
The E-5008 arrives with two battery options. The bigger one – up to 98 kWh usable, Peugeot says – delivers a claimed 414 miles of range, which is rather impressive for something the size of a London studio flat. Even allowing for the gentle exaggeration EVs seem prone to, this is more than enough for Brighton runs, weekend jaunts or exploiting cityscapes while such things remain congestion-charge free.
On the road, it’s quiet, assured and far more refined than the badge on the bonnet might imply. No, it’s not super sporty, but that’s not the brief. This is a comfort-first cruiser designed to make life easier: light steering, a serene ride and enough instant electric shove to make merging or overtaking feel confidence-boosting rather than character-building.
“If you want calm, the E-5008 is basically automotive chamomile tea”
If you’re after drama, look elsewhere. If you want calm, the E-5008 is basically automotive chamomile tea.
Rapid charging maxes out at around 160 kW, meaning 20–80 per cent in roughly half an hour if you find a charger that actually works. Peugeot’s infotainment system, though, is excellent: crisp, intuitive, customisable and blissfully free of the lag that plagues many competitors. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, naturally. As is an array of driver-assist tech so extensive it’s practically a co-pilot – lane keeping (annoying), adaptive cruise (a boon), 360° cameras (a necessity) and a parking system that could probably reverse the car better than I, if I only trusted such things.
So where do we land? Well, if the E-3008 was Peugeot’s confident flirtation with the EV SUV, the E-5008 is the brand stepping fully into the spotlight, shoulders back, knowing it’s serving something substantial. It’s grown-up, stylish, sensibly priced, generous with space and offering one of the best ranges in the electric SUV class.
“The Peugeot E-5008 is the big, electric French daddy you didn’t realise you’d been waiting for”
But more than that, it’s a sign that Peugeot totally gets what modern drivers want: sustainability without sacrifice, tech without tedium, style without snobbery. In short, the Peugeot E-5008 is the big, electric French daddy you didn’t realise you’d been waiting for.
Whether you’re hauling kids, mates, skis, dogs, gym bags or half a dozen drag costumes in matching garment bags, it’ll take you there smoothly, silently and with a little continental flair. And honestly, who couldn’t use a bit more of that?
This is an excerpt from a feature appearing in Attitude’s January/February 2026 issue.
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