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Irish Examiner
09-08-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Peugeot E-5008 review: third-generation SUV impresses in electric and hybrid form
It would be wrong to say that the Peugeot 5008 has always been a favourite here at Examiner Motoring — primarily because it has not always been. The first generation of the model appeared in 2009 and, to be honest, it never really lit our afterburner; originally it was a decent MPV — classified as 'Compact' in size – that was very family oriented, practical and comfortable. But it was not really anything to write home about. Its introduction just happened to coincide with the appointment of Gilles Vidal as Peugeot's design director and a buoyant new era of styling for the brand. But, just as the company was heading into a design renaissance, the original 5008 seemed clunky and old school, especially as the exterior look was very conservative and dull. A 2013 facelift did brighten things up a little, but not much and even though the car did win awards, largely because of its vast interior space and an ability to cope with anything a modern family could throw at it, the car was still somewhat unwieldy looking. Vidal's influence came seriously into play when the second-generation 5008 was unveiled in 2017 and saw it transformed into a seven-seater SUV. That it was essentially a larger version of the hugely successful 3008 was of little concern because, all of a sudden, it was a startlingly good-looking beast as well as still being all things to all families. It was now still very practical and comfortable, but it also had a pizzaz about it that made it stand out wherever it went. What's more than that, it was as good-looking and innovative on the inside as it was on the outside. In 2018, when it eventually reached Ireland, it found great support from the buying public and also attracted much critical acclaim, particularly so in these columns, where it won the much sought-after Examiner Motoring Car of the Year award. Seven years on and the third generation is now with us and, without doubt the level of visual and engineering improvement seen on Mark II has been accelerated and intensified. It is still a seven-seat SUV, still wildly comfortable and still very much – in the words of Terry Molloy (played by Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront) — 'a contendah.' Peugeot's spacious interior We've actually tried two of the three models on offer — the electric and the hybrid — and both see, unsurprisingly, Peugeot close to being at the top of its game. There is also a plug-in hybrid on offer and maybe we will get to try that in the not too distant, but for traditionalists there is no longer a diesel option. It was the EV version that we got to drive first and while this is a car that is very much of the current zeitgeist when it comes to electrics — the claimed range is 545 km (although unless you have a top-line fast charger that figure will fall to a smidge over 500) and that's about par for the course from most of the opposition. Thing is, though, that Peugeot has promised the arrival of an 'extended range' model which adds some 122km to the car's potential. I could be wrong here, but that has not arrived in Ireland yet to the best of my knowledge, but the very fact of its existence would pause many potential buyers from investing in the 'lesser' version. But, a 500km range is about average for an electric this size at this very point in time (although BMW is about to explode that capability with the launch of its 'Neue Klasse' range of electrics, the first of which will be made public in September and is said to boast an 800 km range) and quite acceptable as such. The 9.7 second 0-100 km/h time and the 170 km/h capability are pretty stock too, compared with the opposition. It is not a terribly quick car — even for one producing 207 bhp — but there is enough grunt there for snappy passing manoeuvres and getting up to motorway speeds from a slip road. Handling and ride are good — Peugeot, unlike some other manufacturers, has got the weight distribution balance right — and the e-5008 corners like it's on rails while showing little evidence of understeer or torque steer, especially so for a front wheel drive machine. The mild-hybrid, on the other hand, is slower 0-100 km/h (11.3 seconds), but has a faster top speed (197 km/h). It relies on a 1.2 litre petrol engine and a 0.9 kWh battery and a 16 kW electric motor with the 136 bhp of power once more going to the front wheels, this time via an automatic six-speed gearbox. Peugeot E-5008 GT Once again the on-road performance is on the money and this is a very stable and solid prospect, even for those who like to press on a bit. Somewhat unusually, there is very little visual difference between the electric and the ICE versions; Peugeot's new 'Lion' logo sits in the middle of a complex geometric grille which is very eye-catching and is flanked by a squinty-looking headlight arrangement and the now characteristic 'three talon' daytime running LED lights. At the rear end there is a similar light signature and, above that, there is a flat roof aimed at maximizing interior passenger and cargo space. None of your fancy-dan coupe or fastback styling here, thankfully. Interesting design touches (although the fantastic 'piano key' switchgear has been ditched for a less interesting set of buttons) include a massive new 'floating' 21' screen which is mounted on the dashboard of the uniquely Peugeot i-Cockpit and which contains all the instrumentation (which is variable depending on your preference), as well as all the infotainment functions. You can use the 'i-Toggle' function that houses all your shortcuts and beneath that those physical buttons for all the key functions which, these days, is both unusual and welcome. Rather than utilising some form of plastic, the designers have chosen a cloth finish for much of the dashboard — something that's now getting aped all over the place. They were aiming for a high-end lounge look and they achieved it. The seating is very French and therefore terribly comfortable and the middle row passengers benefit from deep grooves cut into the back of the front ones to maximise knee-room, while the third row is easily accessible but, as is ever the case with such things, only really suitable for smallies over longer distances. Boot space is a mere 348 litres with the third row in use, but this expands to an impressive 916 litres when they're folded down. While I'm not sure the 5008 still holds the level of impressive innovation that the second generation of the car displayed — mainly because so many others stole so many of tis good ideas, it is still an impressive beast and one that fulfils pretty much every demand a family could place on it. It might just be that it may not figure on our top COTY prize this year, but it is certainly going to be close to the top of the class in the family SUV segment and that's simply because it is so good at what it does — in either EV or ICE modes.
Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Examiner
Cupra Terramar VZ review: A sleek hybrid SUV ready to rival the Tiguan and RAV4
Here at Examiner Motoring in the last while we have been banging on extensively about Cupra. 'Cup what?' is the response from most people, and, to be honest, it's been a pain in the ass to answer the most commonly asked question that comes our way: 'What are you driving this week?' Especially when the answer is: 'A Cupra.' Despite the fact the nameplate has been around for some time now (Cupra has been with us since 2018 as a standalone brand and they've sold over 650,000 of them across Europe), Irish people seem to be distinctly unaware of anything about it and, frankly, it's beginning to feel like I'm a one-man marketing campaign. To be fair, the company's arm here in Ireland – Cupra is a sub-brand of SEAT and owned by Volkswagen – they seem to have put a bit of a push on lately to get some attention and that's why we've tested so many of them this year alone. We're doing our best to help. This week we test the Cupra Terramar VZ PHEV, the company's latest entry into the mid-sized SUV market and which is based on the same VW Group platform as the VW Tiguan and Cupra's own Formentor. In a fiercely competitive market segment, this is a car aimed at propelling Cupra sales to new and unprecedented heights, but here in Ireland, the distributors are going to have to start throwing some serious gelt into a marketing campaign to broadcast the news that a), it actually exists; and b) it's a rather good product and not at all the niche thing people might think it to be. Cupra has actually laid a lot of store on its EV products – the Born and the Tavascan, as well as the forthcoming Raval – but it does make cars across a variety of drivetrains including MHEV, petrol and PHEV. The Terramar is offered with all three. Essentially, while the company does view EVs as its future, like most other companies, it has come to the broad realisation that many people are not yet ready – or willing – to become adopters. Consequently, the Terramar is supposed to be one of those transitional cars which will ease the public towards an electric future. It will eventually replace one of those cars which as a joint Cupra and SEAT identity – the Ateca; to that end it has some pretty heavy lifting to do, taking on such big sellers here such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Hyundai Tuscon, not to mention its near sibling, the VW Tiguan. New Cupra Terramar The Cupra adventure has been something of a novelty, but if there was one broad criticism to be thrown at the company, it is that there has been a bit of over-egging the pudding by producing a somewhat confusing model line-up filled largely with similar-sized SUVs. There is the Arona, the Tavascan, the Formentor and now the Terramar. Sure, the Formentor is bigger than the rest of them, but the other three all seem, remarkably, to be fighting for the same space. It seems that sensory overload is also part of the Cupra grand plan. To add further confusion, the company has, like so many others, reacted quickly to the public's cooling off on EVs and now most models come with MHEV, PHEV and petrol variants – apart of course from the excellent Born, which remains resolutely electric, and the coupe-esque Tavascan. But I digress. The Terramar, like most of its siblings, is a fine-looking thing and does stand out from the pack. A mixture of busy lines – front, rear and sides – along with very fancy 'Matrix LED Ultra' headlights (with their three-point triangular light points), the 'four-legged spider' badging and the copper inserts all over the interior and the alloys. There are five powertrains offered – two PHEVs, one MHEV and two petrols – and it was the more powerful of the former that we tested. This petrol/electric mix produces some 268 bhp (200 kW); it utilises a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor fed by a 19.7 kWh battery. Power is transmitted to the front wheels through a six-speed DSG gearbox. The 0-100 km/h time is an earthy 7.3 seconds, and top speed is 215 km/h, so it's not lacking in punch; there is also an EV-only range of 112 km, which is well on the right side of useful. The claimed 0.4/0.5 l/100 km (700 mpg) fuel consumption is, of course, preposterous, but you can reasonably expect to get close to 4.9 l/100 km (57.1 mpg) without sweating it. Stylish Cupra Terramar As a front-driver, you will get a smidge of torque steer when you stamp on the loud pedal, but otherwise, this is a very well-sorted handler. Sports suspension might not be everyone's cup of macchiato, but in this case, the 10 mm lower set-up dials out body roll and the front MacPherson struts and rear multilink set up make for a supple ride and spot-on handling. Six-piston Akebono brakes are an advised option and work really well in tandem with two-valve shocks to give an assured feeling when you're kicking ass. This hybrid is heavy, though, and that becomes more noticeable the more you press on as the steering is ever so slightly vague. Compared to, say, the Tavascan, the Terramar's interior is slightly old-school (no swooping centre console struts here), but it is very well put together, and the overall vibe is classy. The infotainment system is excellent, and the optional Sennheiser sound system is fantastic. Like many cars in the segment, rear legroom is a little tight, and the boot space (400-490 litres) is compromised a bit by all the hybrid baggage you have to carry around. All told, then the Terramar is possibly the least exciting of all the Cupra models we've recently tried. Given that the company's stated intent is to offer a product which is both different and infused with what might be called Cupra's 'enthusiastic DNA,' this seems a touch off-message. Oddly, however, that might make it appeal to a broader audience than some of its fellows, particularly so for the excellent ride and handling, extensive technology and its frugality. Even though so many folk profess to know nothing about Cupra, the brand is slowly but surely gaining traction. Its very distinctive styling and premium build quality are very evident here as with other models, but just not as much in your face. That it is competitively priced and not thrown in among the premium sharks will further enhance its potential popularity. But the basic advice here is that if you've not heard of the brand, then the Terramar is a really good place to start looking. You will be very pleasantly surprised. Read More 41662784[#embed10]
