Peugeot designers call it a SUV and they have reasons why. Peugeot says after extensive market research, consumers are looking for a high riding car with easy rear loading and the ability to cater for the average European family who hardly ever have an older relative living with them or have a maid in tow. This is why the 3008 was conceived and we get to test drive this week in both city and highway mode to get a better understanding of how this car works in favor of the urban new age family who are not interested in buying a conventional SUV like the Honda CRV.
This Peugeot 3008 will definitely come fully imported from France (there will no local assembly for now) and it will include a long list of feel good features like climate control air-conditioning, all four power windows, six airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, ASR, DSC, remote steering wheel controls, a premium 6-speaker MP3/I-pod ready compatible CD ICE player, 12-volt outlets, electric side view mirrors, rear child ISOFIX seats and an all new 6-speed semi-automatic gearbox. Great list of features and way more than what the immediate competition provides for a higher asking price. This is where Nasim wants to show Malaysians that this French alternative should be considered at with at least a family unit test drive.
The Peugeot 3008 is bigger than the average premium hatchback for its segment. It sits on a platform shared with the 308 hatch, which has evolved into a new range of lifestyle vehicles for Peugeot.
Thanks to a long wheelbase of 2613mm, a width of 1837mm and a height of 1639mm, the 3008 provides generous legroom in the back for three adults abreast, while front passengers get commanding seating and a great view ahead.
Inside you get a well appointed sedan car cabin. Front seats are well padded and allow most body frames to get comfy. Driver gets a heads up display with a retractable screen which is somewhat flimsy. It shows speed and cruise control running and sadly nothing else. A wide center console reduces space between front passengers. Toggle switches similar to the ones found in the Mini is used for some functions and the rest get the usual smooth moving rotary knobs.
Material fit and finish is high quality but the sparkly black lacquer finish on the center console is not to our taste. The lack of steering mounted audio controls is missed for this premium segment. Rear a/c vents are small with limited movement capabilities but offer generous amount of cool air thru. Rear passengers get a firm seat ready for 3 adults or 2 kids in ISOFIX points.
If just two passengers are in the back, the center arm rest is placed nicely but its twin bottle holders are way too shallow to be of any use. But the window shades are welcomed. The center console between the front passengers provides a large and deep 13.5 liters of storage.
The 3008’s boot is huge with a useable 512 liters with rear seats upright and provides 1604 liters with the rear seats folded. In the rear you get a huge boot with a SUV like split tailgate that will do nicely for a family holiday, cycling for two as it fits two mountain bikes inside with the rear seats folded and even better when making your monthly visit to the hypermarket. There is also a multi tiered (3 tier) boot floor cover which allows the boot space to be split inside for different uses. Another interesting feature is the front passenger seat that can be folded forward.
Under the stylish skin of the Peugeot 3008 is a 1.6-litre, 16-valve DOHC turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox that produces 156bhp of power and 240 Nm of torque. Despite an obvious penalty from an upright boxy design, the 3008’s performance is quite sprightly in town and even on the highway we managed to reach 165km/h with little effort. The only downside of this is when you start moving up from 140km/h you will start to hear some of the engine’s buzzy soundtrack. Very little wind noise is produced and this is good as the insulation and NVH on this car is excellent at legal speeds. As expected of a small turbo induced four cylinder, fuel economy is very good for its class and safety standards are high, as Peugeot engineers have built a car for a 5-Star safety rating. The standard six-speed automatic (all future Peugeots will come with 6-Speed boxes) shifts are slick and allows for extra extraction of power in mid-corners as we tried over our test route and still the 3008 was quite well behaved when we pushed hard through some corners and fast turns along country roads.
Peugeot 3008 Specifications
Engine: 4-cylinder Petrol Turbo THP Displacement: 1598cc Max power: 156bhp @ 6000rpm Max torque: 240Nm @ 1400rpm
0-100km/h: 8.5secs
Top Speed: 215 km/h
Transmission: 6-Speed Tiptronic (Aisin)
Price: RM148,850.00 estimated as there is no official announcement yet
