Putting a Peugeot up against a Mercedes-Benz feels like a mismatch on paper, and that is exactly why the result is interesting. In a new comparison from Electrifying, presenters Nicola Hume and James Bachelor line up the Peugeot E-5008 against the Mercedes GLB Electric, two of the few seven-seat electric SUVs that sit below the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90 in price. Both claim over 300 miles of range. The Peugeot they tested costs 42,195 pounds; the Mercedes, in the premium plus trim on camera, comes to 56,800 pounds. That is a 14,000-pound gap before anyone has folded a single seat. By the end, the presenters hand the win to the cheaper car, which is not how these tests usually go.
The seven-seat electric segment is still thin, which is part of the story here. Buyers who need a third row and a plug have mostly had to choose between van-based people carriers and large, expensive SUVs, with little in the affordable middle. That is the space both of these cars are trying to fill. Worth knowing for anyone cross-shopping: the related Peugeot E-3008, which shares much of this platform, has been on sale across Europe as a five-seater, so the underpinnings are not new even if the seven-seat electric body is. The presenters also flag that the forthcoming Skoda model is one of the few rivals aimed at the same brief, which tells you how few direct competitors exist today. For a family deciding between these two, the practical question is less about badge prestige and more about whether the third row and boot actually work.
On the numbers, the video reports the Peugeot E-5008 offers a 73 kWh pack in single or dual motor form, plus a larger 98 kWh version that Electrifying says is rated up to 405 miles WLTP. The Mercedes GLB Electric, according to the presenters, uses an 85 kWh usable battery on an 800-volt system, with the 250 Plus rated at 380 miles and the 350 4Matic at 322 miles. The Mercedes charges faster, with Bachelor citing 800-volt hardware against the Peugeot's 160 kW. But on space the Peugeot pulls ahead: the video gives it 916 litres of boot room with the rear seats folded, against 480 litres for the Mercedes in the same configuration. Hume also notes her single-motor Peugeot returned around 226 miles in real use, well short of the claim.
The presenters spend a lot of the test on how the two work as family cars, and that is where the verdict really forms. They praise the Mercedes for its cabin technology, calling the triple-screen layout in the premium plus car a highlight and noting it connected reliably to Apple CarPlay every time. But they describe the GLB as more of a five-seater with two occasional rear seats, and several times question whether it feels special enough for the badge. The Peugeot, by contrast, draws praise for build quality, generous door bins, a cooled centre storage area and a third row the presenters found easier to climb into. They flag genuine downsides too: the E-5008 they tested rides a little firmly on its 19-inch wheels, only the two outer second-row seats take child seats, and the panoramic roof is a paid option. The Mercedes counters with a frunk and better efficiency.
Bottom line: A 14,000-pound saving buys a roomier, more flexible seven-seater that the presenters themselves preferred, even one who admits never picking a Peugeot over a Mercedes before. The GLB still wins on cabin tech, efficiency and ride comfort, and it has a frunk. But unless those three things matter more to you than the third row, the boot and the price, the E-5008 is the easier car to recommend. Just go in expecting real-world range below the brochure figure, and try the small steering wheel before you commit.
Commentary on a third-party video. Figures and claims are as presented in the source and have not been independently verified. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.