Motoring: Peugeot 3008 beacon
Peugeot 3008. Photo supplied
THE current buzz in Peugeot circles centres around the launch of the lion brand HYbrid 4, the world’s first diesel/electric car as seen in the 3008 model.
For all the excitement and undoubted benefits that the hybrid technology delivers, the newcomer’s starting price of a fiver less than £27k is sure to deter some private individuals, less so than corporates. The standard 3008 kicks in at almost £10k cheaper and, like its larger MPV brother the 5008, is a beacon in the Peugeot stable.
But these two are not volume sellers; and for all their plus points, and there are many, won’t impact hugely on overall sales. We need to wait for the refreshed 107 and, more importantly, the supermini 208 mid year, hopefully for Peugeot a game changer, to push up the units sold.
For now, the focus is on the 3008, a two-year-old plus car that seems to tick all the boxes which add up to make it a brilliant, if unconventional, family car.
As a crossover, it looks not unlike that pioneer of the genre, the Nissan Qashqai, a mix of SUV, MPV and family estate rolled into one, and promising hatchback-like driving dynamics.
Inside, it is spacious, refined and well kitted-out, that is aboard the top-end Allure trim.
Seated high up and providing a commanding view of the road ahead, one is ensconced in a leather upholstered ambience for the journey to come. At a more than reasonable on-the-road price of £21,795, there is plenty of high-end specification in a cabin where fit and finish is excellent, where Peugeot has managed deftly to imbue a sense of luxury.
Dual-zone climate control keeps one’s cool on the road, electronic driver’s seat functions are much appreciated by the auto helmsman, as is cruise control, the light and airy feel provided by the panoramic sunroof and the head-up display with its speed and car distance alerts. The sat nav is a £735 optional extra.
Tick another box for practicality, in terms of stowage or storage, with lots of cubby holes, a deep central box and even a sunglasses holder.
Powering the 3008 is a four-cylinder PSA diesel unit pumping out a maximum of 112bhp at 3,600rpm. Now that does sound modest which, given a so-called sprint time to 62mph of 13.6 seconds would confirm the notion, is nonetheless never laboured or seemingly slow. There is, though, plenty of pull, courtesy of 199lb ft at 1,750rpm, and refinement, which gives the counterpoint to slick performance, namely impressive parsimony. Here that equates to mid-50s fuel economy and a CO2 reading of 138g/km.
The 3008 may have SUV pretensions, but is no 4WD vehicle. However, you can specify Peugeot’s Grip Control system. It gives you four-wheel like grip without the weight penalty of a full-on system.
It consists of 16-in M&S (Mud and Snow) tyres and intelligent traction control system, able to control the front wheels to optimal effect at the driver’s request.
Another bow to the string of the multi-talented 3008. Why would the family buyer in need of a family car want for anything else?
Look out for the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid 4 featured soon in MotorsToday.
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