By Breda Corrigan
The PEUGEOT 3008 SUV is a leader in the five-seat family SUV market, with more than 800,000 vehicles produced since its launch in 2016. It has achieved an outstanding commercial performance in Europe and internationally. Having won the prestigious title of ‘Car Of The Year 2017’, the 3008 went on to win numerous other awards – including the ‘Car of the Year 2020’ prize awarded by a public vote at the Automobiles Awards digital ceremony in Paris on December 7th 2020.
Power of Choice.
Earlier this year, the PEUGEOT brand proudly presented the new 3008 SUV. Its inspired new design sets the tone for a new era of modernity with even more elegance, a redesigned front end, new Full LED rear lights, new body colours and a new “Black Pack” option. The new 3008 perfectly embodies the power of choice, an idea that the brand holds very dear and it comes with a rechargeable hybrid engine (tested here) with two or four-wheel drive, and petrol or diesel engines, combining driving pleasure and efficiency. The new 3008 Hybrid uses very similar technology to the Opel Grandland Hybrid, Citroën C5 Aircross Hybrid and DS7 Crossback E-TENSE, as all of these cars use the same underpinnings.
Trim Levels.
While the new PEUGEOT 3008 is available in a choice of three, generously-equipped trim levels – Active, Allure and GT – the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 3008’s trim options are confined to mid-spec Allure (two-wheel-drive HYBRID2 with 225bhp) and top-spec GT (two or four-wheel-drive HYBRID4 with 225bhp and 300bhp respectively). Without compromising on intelligent technologies, the new PEUGEOT 3008 comes with the latest-generation driving aids, as well as a new PEUGEOT i-Cockpit with a new high-quality display headset, and a new 10-inch high-definition touch screen.
Test Car.
My test car was a new PEUGEOT 3008 HYBRID2 GT model, which was finished in elegant Celebes Blue metallic paint, with 18” ‘Detroit’ two-tone alloy wheels for maximum visual impact. Standard GT equipment is hugely impressive, with key features such as a Drive Assist Plus Pack consisting of a suite of safety systems, Full LED headlights with static corner lighting and Daytime Running Light Extension, LED sequential scrolling front indicators, half Mistral leather-effect and Greval Alcantara seat trim, electric tailgate, chequered radiator grille with black PEUGEOT lettering, Black Diamond roof colour, chrome side window trim, sports front bumper design, twin chrome-effect exhaust trim, alloy roof rails, alarm system, PEUGEOT Connect SOS & Assistance function, front & rear parking sensors with a 180-degree reversing camera, power-folding door mirrors with blind spot detection indicator, LED rear lights (including reversing lights, scrolling indicators and PEUGEOT ‘3 Claw Effect’ light signature), Onyx digital instrument panel, black roof lining material, rear privacy glass, PEUGEOT Open & Go (keyless entry and push button start), and automatic dual-zone climate control, along with many more comfort, convenience, infotainment and safety features. The upmarket cabin of the new 3008 (as with its predecessor) is a marvellous place to spend time, as the high-tech dashboard and comfortable seating wouldn’t look out of place in a car costing twice as much.
Road Test.
I found my test car to be impressively engaging on the open road, with little body lean to speak of, while the suspension does an excellent job of softening pitted tarmac and soaking up potholes. The car is also easy to drive around town, while it is impressively quiet and well-mannered on the motorway, with a variety of drive modes available to suit individual driving style and mood. Travelling up to 60kms in 100% electric mode, and capable of sprinting from 0- 100km/h in just 8.8- seconds, the 3008 HYBRID2 consists of an electric motor paired with a 180bhp, 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine to deliver a combined output of 225bhp and 360Nm of torque, and means Peugeot’s family SUV is fast, as well as potentially very frugal, with claimed fuel consumption as low as 1.4l/100km when starting every journey with a full battery. The electric motor (situated at the front of the 3008 HYBRID2) is coupled to a slick-shifting eight-speed e-EAT8 electronic-automatic gearbox for undiluted driving pleasure. The battery capacity is 11.6kWh and charging is easy and fast. A full charge (0-100%) can be completed in just 105 minutes when using a Wallbox charger (7.4kW). Built on Peugeot’s efficient EMP2 (Efficient Modular Platform) platform, high levels of comfort are preserved, even with the fitment of the batteries. However, in order to accommodate the batteries, boot space (with all rear seat backs in place) has come down from 520-litres in a non-hybrid 3008 to 395-litres in hybrid guise, but this capacity can be easily expanded by dropping the rear seat backs when the need arises. Additionally, the hybrid’s fuel tank is 10-litres smaller than a regular 3008’s, but these are small sacrifices to make for the impressive power and fuel efficiency that the hybrid versions offer.
Verdict, Pricing & Warranty.
Overall, the new PEUGEOT 3008 HYBRID is a strikingly-designed, fast, efficient and practical SUV, which drives every bit as good as it looks. Pricing for the new 3008 HYBRID starts at €44,845 (2WD Allure model), with my test car specification priced at €47,417 (prices are excluding dealer delivery, and also excluding any SEAI grant and VRT relief applicable at the time of registration. See your local PEUGEOT dealer for more information). A comprehensive 5-year/100,000km PEUGEOT warranty comes as standard, along with an 8-year/160,000km hybrid battery warranty, and a 3-year roadside assistance package for total peace of mind motoring.
