The Vauxhall Grandland and the Peugeot 5008 both share Stellantis underpinnings but offer distinct personalities within the competitive mid-sized SUV segment - the Grandland with its bold Vizor styling language and the 5008 with its sophisticated French design flair. The Peugeot also comes as a seven-seater, while the Vauxhall offers five seats only.
The choice between them largely depends on your seating requirements and priorities. The Grandland competes against popular rivals like the Ford Kuga and Skoda Karoq in the five-seat SUV segment, whilst the 5008 faces competition from seven-seaters such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail. Both offer multiple powertrain options including mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants, though their execution and real-world performance differ considerably.
Vauxhall Grandland vs Peugeot 5008
Practicality
The Grandland offers impressive space for a five-seater SUV, with generous headroom and legroom both front and rear that comfortably accommodates passengers over six feet tall. The rear bench provides adequate width for three passengers, though it becomes cosy rather than roomy at that point, and benefits from a wide middle seat and flat footwell. However, the rear seats don't slide backwards and forwards like some rivals offer. The Peugeot 5008 takes practicality further with its seven-seat configuration, providing excellent space up front and a sliding middle row split 60/40. When set for a six-foot driver, the second row still offers substantial legroom that varies depending on slider position, with headroom remaining generous throughout.
Boot space reveals a key difference between these models. The Grandland provides 550 litres regardless of powertrain choice, featuring a useful false floor for concealed storage that levels the load lip and step to folded rear seats. The seats fold in a versatile 40-20-40 split, though they lie at a slight angle creating a sloped loadbay. The 5008's boot capacity varies dramatically with seating configuration - a still respectable 348 litres when carrying seven (including underfloor space), expanding to 916 litres in five-seat mode and 2,232 litres with all rear seats folded. The 5008's seats fold nearly flat with 40-20-40 split backrests, providing excellent loading versatility. For families needing maximum passenger capacity, the 5008 is clearly the larger and more practical car, but the Grandland is still a great option if you don't need seven seats.
Driving Impressions
The Grandland's mild hybrid combines a 134bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with an electric starter-generator through a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Performance feels modest with the transmission favouring high gears, and acceleration requires the engine to rev loudly with noticeable vibrations through the pedals and floor. The electric Grandland uses a 73kWh battery with a 210bhp front-mounted motor (varying by drive mode), offering eager but measured acceleration. The 5008's 134bhp mild hybrid uses the same basic engine but feels overwhelmed by the car's bulk, with sluggish throttle response and clumsy power delivery resulting in an 11.3-second 0-62mph time that feels even slower. The 5008's plug-in hybrid delivers 193bhp with an 8.3-second 0-62mph time, whilst electric versions offer 207bhp or 227bhp with sub-10-second 0-62mph acceleration.
Ride quality differs between the models, though with neither excelling. The Grandland suffers from underlying fidgetiness that never quite settles, regardless of speed or road surface, with distinct thumps over bumps despite the electric version's more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension. The 5008 has taken a backward step from its predecessor, feeling overly firm with rough surfaces causing excessive fidgetiness and sharp-edged obstacles delivering proper jolts.
The handling doesn't compensate for the firm ride in either car. The Grandland exhibits body roll with super-light steering devoid of feel, making the car feel like it will run wide earlier than it actually does. The 5008 feels heavy and clumsy when changing direction, though it maintains reasonable grip without excessive body movement. Both cars prioritise practicality over dynamic engagement, with the 5008 being the more compromised of the two.
Technology and Equipment
The Grandland follows Vauxhall's three-trim structure with Design, GS and Ultimate levels. Design trim includes alloy wheels, LED lighting, power-folding mirrors, automatic lights and wipers, parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and an illuminated rear badge. GS adds enhanced front lighting, black roof, darkened rear windows, Intelli-Lux HD headlamps, reversing camera, heated steering wheel and seats, plus ambient lighting. Ultimate tops the range with head-up display, panoramic roof, heated windscreen, powered tailgate and 360-degree cameras.
The 5008 offers just two trims - Allure and GT. Allure provides part-leather upholstery, ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry, cruise control, rear sensors, reversing camera, 19-inch alloys and LED exterior lighting. GT adds 20-inch alloys, pixel LED rear lights, black roof, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights with adaptive high beam, heated front seats and steering wheel, and powered tailgate.
Infotainment systems reveal contrasting approaches. The Grandland uses either a 10-inch central touchscreen in Design trim or a larger 16-inch unit in GS and Ultimate, paired with a 10-inch digital driver display. Both support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with the larger screen adding connected navigation. The system suffers from complex user interface with ambiguous icons requiring extensive swiping and scrolling.
The 5008 impresses with a striking 21-inch display spanning driver information and central touchscreen functions, creating a floating appearance above the dashboard. The system proves more intuitive than most, with digestible menu chunks and an innovative i-Toggle controller below the main screen offering configurable shortcuts. However, over-elaborate animations slow screen transitions and sensitivity issues sometimes mean you need multiple taps to make elements work. Both cars include wireless phone charging.
Running Costs
Pricing positions these models differently in the market. The Grandland mild hybrid starts around £35,000, rising to just over £38,000, making it more expensive than rivals like the Ford Kuga and Kia Sportage. Electric versions range from around £40,000 to slightly over £45,000, offering reasonable value against competitors like the Nissan Ariya. The 5008 commands higher prices starting around £40,000 for the mild hybrid in Allure trim, reaching approximately £55,000 for the long-range electric GT version. This pricing aligns roughly with the Skoda Kodiaq, though the Peugeot offers electric options unavailable in the Skoda.
Fuel economy and running costs vary significantly between powertrains. The Grandland mild hybrid achieves an official 51.5mpg, though real-world figures will likely fall short due to the engine working hard regularly. The electric Grandland's 73kWh battery provides 325 miles of WLTP range, with a planned 97kWh version offering 435 miles not available at the time of testing. Home charging costs approximately £20 for a full charge at average UK electricity rates, halving with off-peak tariffs but doubling or tripling at DC rapid chargers.
The 5008 mild hybrid claims 52.5mpg officially but faces similar real-world challenges. The plug-in hybrid quotes an unrealistic 356.2mpg, with actual economy depending entirely on usage patterns and charging frequency. Electric 5008 models offer 310 miles (73kWh) or 414 miles (97kWh) of range, with charging costs of £20-£27 for full home charges. Both electric versions support 160kW rapid charging for 20-80% top-ups in around 30 minutes, though at significantly higher cost than home charging.
Verdict
The choice between these Stellantis siblings largely depends on your seating requirements and priorities. The Peugeot 5008 excels where it matters most for a seven-seater SUV - practicality. Its flexible seating arrangements, generous passenger space and impressive boot versatility when configured for five seats make it highly capable for larger families. The interior design feels more premium with its striking 21-inch display and sophisticated styling, whilst the infotainment system, despite some operational quirks, proves more intuitive than many rivals. However, the 5008 disappoints dynamically with its overly firm ride, clumsy handling and particularly poor mild hybrid powertrain performance.
The Vauxhall Grandland offers a more focused five-seat proposition with consistent 550-litre boot space and competitive interior room. Its bold Vizor styling provides visual distinction, though the cabin feels less premium than the Peugeot's. The Grandland's dynamics aren't stellar, but it avoids the 5008's worst excesses, particularly regarding ride quality.
Both cars represent competent rather than exceptional efforts in their respective segments. The 5008 just about has the edge for families needing seven seats and willing to prioritise space over driving dynamics, whilst the Grandland suits those wanting five-seat SUV practicality without paying premium prices. Neither car leads its class, but both offer reasonable alternatives if you find yourself tempted by a great deal.