Thabiso Malimela
In the automotive industry and the world at large, it is common to associate cars that provide quality, luxury and assurance with any of the German brands. Meanwhile, brands from countries like Italy and France are known for their “flare and flavour” while also inducing mild headaches with their infamous reliability (or lack thereof) and “shoddy” build quality – or at least that’s how it used to be, way back when connecting to the internet involved an eerie dial-up tone. Let’s not speak about the Italian companies for now – I suspect it will induce some anxiety amongst a lot of people, especially when you wonder if you’ll even own one of the supercars one day (insert sad face emoji). Instead, let’s focus on one of the French automakers, specifically the one whose name is hardest to spell and pronounce – Peugeot.
Watch out people! There’s another French Revolution occurring as we speak. This time, the French automotive giants Peugeot and Citroen are partnering with German car-maker Opel in hopes of creating a formidable alliance, namely Groupe PSA. In the recent past, Peugeot has produced some impressive models but it always seemed like a hit and miss affair and as a young person, I’ve never aspired to own a Peugeot. However, all of that might change with the arrival of the new Peugeot 3008. The 3008 barrages into a segment that, to be honest, has as much flavour as a rusk biscuit – I don’t think the thought of a rusk in one’s mouth could make anyone salivate. To be frank, both Peugeot and the compact SUV market (VW Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4 and co) needed the 3008, since both were lacking in general excitement – ignore 208 GTi and 308 GTi for now. Let’s take a closer look at what makes the new Peugeot 3008 more exciting than you might think.
Exterior
First thing first, that hard-to-miss exterior. The 3008 is the type of car that forces your brain to reprogram after seeing it because of how it pushes the boundaries of car exterior design. And it being an SUV, it takes a second for you to remember that it is indeed a car and not a UFO with a number plate. Starting from the back, the tail light cluster of this UFO looks somewhat of that found on a Ford Mustang. I’m not one to condone plagiarism but I have to waive this one on account of its substantial aesthetic value – I like it! The front is a bit more elaborate to explain, even with the most profound vocabulary. Here we find some odd headlight design sitting on either side of a chrome grille proudly embracing the trademark Peugeot rectangular elements that really set it apart – it’s like wearing a very conspicuous watch…on your face. Futuristic design cues such as the floating roof and headlight extension onto the front fender really contribute plenty to the desirability of the 3008.
Interior Highlights
The shock and awe theme continues when you open the doors and are greeted by an interior which one may be forgiven for thinking belongs to one of Peugeot’s concept cars, or better yet, a spaceship. Before we get into anything else noteworthy in the cabin of the 3008, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room; that awkwardly shaped steering wheel. It pushes the boundaries of what a wheel essentially is with its unusual octagonal shape. The two-spoked “wheel” sits low and away from the driver’s line of sight so as to not obscure vision of the futuristic looking 12.8-inch Virtual i-Cockpit digital instrument cluster. Automatic models get generously proportioned paddle shifters behind the steering wheel and some roller switches and buttons are featured on the wheel and operate the media system and instrument cluster. To your left, your eye is again caught by the sight of aviation style switches, above which lies an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. Below all of this you will find an ergonomically designed gear selector lever (or gear shifter knob in the manual version), an electronic parking brake and, lo and behold, a push-to-start button. To be honest, if you’re not on your way to your nearest Peugeot dealership right now, you seriously need to re-evaluate your life.
Engine Line-Up
The earth is flat, Donald Trump is an alien, the 3008 has a warp drive for an engine – although all three of these have a lot of evidence pointing towards them, the chance of them being true is very slim, and more so for the Peugeot despite its extra-terrestrial design. Instead of a propulsion system straight out of science fiction, the 3008 receives a pair of petrol engines and a solitary diesel. Exclusively available to the 3008 1.2T Active Limited Edition is a 3-cylinder 1.2 litre turbopetrol powerplant churning out a quirky 96 kW and 230 N.m, reaching the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox. This 3-pot proves very frugal as it only consumes 5.5L/100 km of liquid gold – petrol to you and I. Next up in the petrol range is the 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol motor pushing out 121 kW and 240 N.m. This engine is only available attached to a 6-speed automatic gearbox with steering paddle operated manual override – try saying that 20 times without making a mistake. With this engine, the 3008 will reach 100 km/h from rest in 9.0 seconds. Also available in the range is a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder HDi turbodiesel and accounts for 110 kW and 370 N.m of torque. This engine too is attached to a 6-speed automatic gearbox and achieves a fuel economy figure of 5L/100 km.
Range and Spec Distribution
The 3008 was just recently reduced to just 3 derivatives, namely the Active, the Allure and the GT-Line, with the Allure+ and GT-Line+ being cut from the line-up.
Active
Kicking off the 3008 line up is the 1.2T Active Limited Edition, and as you’ve already guessed, this model comes in limited numbers, although we can’t say how many exactly. Coming in at just R369 900, the 1.2T Active is R45 000 cheaper than its bigger-engined twin, the 1.6T Active. The 1.2T Active receives the 3-cylinder 1.2 litre turbopetrol motor while the 1.6T Active is well-endowed with the 1.6 litre turbopetrol, however the 1.2 is only available in manual guise while its automatic all the way thereafter. However, for R429 900, you get the potent 2.0 litre HDi diesel powerplant in the 3008 2.0 HDi Active. As standard, the 3008 Active gets the clear and user friendly 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 8-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity. The height adjustable seats (driver only) are cloth while the much-discussed steering wheel is leather and is rake and reach adjustable. Other comfort features found in the Active spec include ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, front and rear electric windows, cruise control, hill assist and rear park assist. Outside, you get 17-inch alloy wheels along with colour-coded door mirrors that have LED indicators on them. The LED headlights are automated and so are the windshield wipers while the contoured roof bears a pair of neat roof rails.
Allure
Next up in the range is the 3008 Allure – the middle child of the 3008 family. However unlike the archetypical middle child, the Allure receives a lot of attention from Peugeot. The alloy wheels are augmented to 18-inches in size, while the coloured-coded side mirrors now possess an LED downlight to add to the desirability of the 3008. Entry is keyless and we now have front park assist in addition to the rear park assist found on the Active. Getting to the interior, we find that more stuff has been added on top of what you already get in the 3008 Active. The digital instrument cluster is now upgraded to the i-Cockpit Amplified and the 6-speaker infotainment system now utilises Wi-Fi connectivity and has Mirror Link functionality. Long distance travellers will be delighted to know that the driver’s seat now has lumbar support adjustment while Peugeot have also added a Start/Stop button. Unlike the Active, the 3008 Allure doesn’t get the 1.2 litre 3-cylinder motor. Instead, you get a choice between the petrol 1.6T and the diesel 2.0 HDi, both in automatic guise.
GT-Line
Priced at R519 900, the GT-Line serves as the new flagship of the 3008 range after the GT-Line+ was sacked in attempts to simplify the range. Powering the range-topping 3008 is the 1.6T turbopetrol engine and…well…that’s about it really. Peugeot haven’t bothered with the diesel and we’re not sure how people are going to feel about that decision. But seeing how the French automaker is taking a make do and mend approach to its cars, the 2.0HDi will be made available to the GT-Line if need be, probably. Available at the top of the 3008 range are 19-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights, LED front fog lights with cornering and the side mirrors now have an LED projector that projects an image of the Peugeot lion symbol onto the floor (try at night for best results). On top of what you get in the interior of the Active and Allure, the GT-Line gets a wireless charging pad, a 180-degree parking camera and a radio with voice recognition and navigation. For the first time in the range, leather seats are available as standard as the seats are upholstered in Claudia Mistral leather, while Nappa Mistral leather is available as an option.
Whole Host of Safety Features
Contrary to popular belief, a 4447 mm long SUV as big as the 3008 isn’t as safe as you might imagine and part of that is due to the eerie nature of physics – mass is indeed cumbersome. Although SUVs tend to be safer in the event of an accident i.e. they come better off than smaller, lighter vehicles, it is in the area of crash avoidance where they tend to perform poorly – and as we know, prevention is better than to cure. In the Peugeot 3008, you get quite a lengthy list of things that will keep you out of trouble should you get yourself into a sticky situation. This list includes features such as ABS with EBD, Emergency Brake Assist, a traction control aided Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), driver attention alert/fatigue warning and lane departure warning. A total of 6 airbags (driver, front passenger and curtain) give the 3008 (and subsequent 5008) a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating as of 2016, while cruise control and Road Sign Detection will keep you out of the traffic department’s bad books as far as speeding is concerned – when it comes to parking, you’re on your own!
What’s It Like To Live With?
It’s very common these days to see a manufacturer produce a product that, on paper at least, seems too good to be true and when one takes it out into the real world, all suspicions begin to come to reality. Well, it seems the people at Peugeot know this all too well as the 3008 is able to maintain your level of awe from the time you first see it to the time you have to hand back the keys to the owner, be it not a perfect car. As if the sci-fi exterior wasn’t spectacular enough, you’re then blown away by an interior whose design puts some German cars to shame with its French design and flare. The build quality is not characteristic of stereotypical French cars (which is a very good thing) and that more-so applies to the excellent use of materials such as soft touch plastics, metal and wooden surfaces. The infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster are clear, user friendly and intuitive, and did I mention that the tailgate is electrically operated?
Out on the road, not much can be said about the 3008’s dynamic capabilities apart from the fact that the ride is comfortable and exudes a certain smoothness over bumps and uneven road surfaces. There is minimal wind noise over the A pillar and wing mirrors while body roll is also kept subtle when going around bends. After all is said and done, it’s difficult to admit that despite the intuitive driving position, the steering wheel might not come naturally to some. I guess that’s the 3008’s X factor then?
Summary
There are a lot of questions around the future direction of Peugeot as a brand since having joined forces with Citroen and Opel. I hope, then, that with the introduction of the 3008 in 2017, Peugeot themselves are confident enough to produce excellence in the future because that is just what the market needs, especially in this segment which is quarter-to bland to say the least. The Peugeot 3008 is to this segment what the polar bear is to other bears – revolutionary. However just like the polar bear, the 3008 is endangered because of Peugeot’s own polarising reputation and the dominance of Toyota’s RAV4 and Mazda’s CX-5 while other competitive products such as the Volkswagen Tiguan are there to make the 3008’s success that much more unlikely. How long will the Peugeot 3008 last before it goes extinct, if ever?
Pricing
- 1.2T Active Limited Edition R 369 900
- 1.6T Active R 414 900
- 2.0HDi Active R 429 900
- 1.6T Allure R 459 900
- 2.0HDi Allure R 479 900
- 1.6T GT Line R 519 900
