Peugeot held the Australian launch of its new 3008 in the Hunter Valley in NSW, an ideal location for people who are likely to wander up from Sydney for a peaceful weekend. We did a full report on the 3008 last week, but Peugeot asked us to hold off on driving impressions until now. They are detailed below.
Peugeot is taking an interesting approach in Australia with its all-new 3008 SUV. Ignoring those looking at a bottom-end price the 3008 is being imported only in the mid and upper segments. The 3008 Active, Allure, GT Line and GT. Prices start at $36,990 and go through to $49,490. See the full price list attached.
Australian Peugeots are powered by either a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol or 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. Both sit beside a six-speed automatic transmission.
The THP 165 petrol unit develops 165 horsepower (121 kilowatts) of power at 6000 rpm, and 240 Nm of torque starting at a very low1400 rpm. The BlueHDi 180 diesel makes 180 horsepower (133 kW) at 3750rpm, and 400 Nm of torque from 2000 revs.
DRIVING
A couple of years back we attended an in depth presentation at Peugeot’s technical design centre in France on the all-new modular platform. This is the first time we’ve driven a platform with SUV components.
Despite the new 3008 being significantly larger than the outgoing one it’s around 100 kg lighter, depending on model. Resulting in more performance for less fuel use and lower emissions.
The front seats are spacious and comfortable in the French manner. The rear seat has enough legroom but not an over abundance.
Luggage space at 591 litres (1670L with the seats down) is pretty impressive. There’s room around the spare wheel/tyre to keep smaller items out of sight. The underfloor space is big enough for a full-size spare if you’re planning to explore the deep great Aussie outback.
The new 2018 Peugeot 3008 has a fascinating latest-generation Peugeot i-Cockpit. This consists of a slim, programmable, 12.3-inch screen taking pride of place above the steering wheel. The wheel is tiny and features not only a flat bottom but a flat top. To my taste it looks great and works well.
On the motorway the 3008 is smooth, quiet and cruises effortlessly. Off the motorway results varied depending on the surfaces, 3008 was generally quiet and coped easily, however some coarse-chip roads did result in a fair bit of tyre noise and ride that was less smooth. This varied from model to model depending on wheel and tyre size.
Big wheels with low-profile rubber may look stylish but can affect ride. Your decision.
We tried diesel and petrol engines and both had plenty of performance without too much turbo lag. Hillclimbing was a breeze even with six-speed automatic. An eight-speed unit is in the latter design stages.
Peugeot even arranged for us to try a modest off-road course. As there’s no AWD option in any model it relies on a complex multi-mode system to keep the front wheels battling against slippery surfaces. Hill-descent and ascent systems worked nicely, though they are fairly basic by full 4WD standards.
SUMMING UP
Good to look at and peaceful to travel in, the Peugeot 3008 is the current European Car of the Year and we reckon it should be added to the short list of those on the lookout for something out of the ordinary.
