- Comfortable and refined drive
- Stylish interior boasts plenty of storage
- Aerodynamic shape seems to pay off with fuel economy
The Peugeot 3008 is a medium SUV that largely avoids falling into a style-over-substance trap.
Overview
The Peugeot 3008 is a model line that has adjusted well in the face of market trends. Its debut, in 2008, was as an MPV, however from its second generation onwards it became a far more fashionable SUV. The current third-generation model went on sale in 2024, and features a swooping coupe-type roofline; Peugeot refers to the model as a ‘fastback SUV’, and says the shape was chosen with aerodynamic efficiency in mind. That’s not the only noteworthy styling feature either, with the frameless, graduated front grille and ‘claw’ lights grabbing attention. Clearly, it’s attracting buyers, with Peugeot recently highlighting the model as seeing strong sales growth.
In powertrain terms, the 3008 range offers three levels of electrification. These begin with hybrid – not a full hybrid but a 48V system, with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 145PS total output. Next up is plug-in hybrid, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor outputting a combined 225PS and a 17.9kWh battery.
The fully electric E-3008 is available with a choice of three powertrains, featuring a 213PS motor and a 73kWh battery, a 231PS motor and a 97kWh battery, and a dual motor set-up with a combined 325PS and the 73kWh battery.
As a medium-sized SUV, rivals for the 3008 include the big-selling Kia Sportage, the segment-defining Nissan Qashqai, and the buzzy value choice the Jaecoo 7. Rivals for the E-3008 include the Skoda Elroq and Renault Scenic E-Tech, while the Peugeot’s Stellantis group cousin, the Vauxhall Grandland, is an alternative in both hybrid and electric forms.
Pricing and spec
Four trim levels make up the 3008 range: Allure, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium. Standard equipment with Allure trim, priced from £34,945, includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, rear privacy glass, interior ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry and start.
Further features of Allure Premium trim, priced from £35,945, include heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat with pneumatic lumbar adjustment.
Features of GT trim, priced from £38,195, include pixel LED headlights, full 3D LED rear lights and a hands-free smart electric tailgate, while GT Premium cars, priced from £39,695, come with 20-inch alloy wheels, massaging front seats, a 7.4kW on-board charger for plug-in hybrids, and a heat pump for E-3008s.
The entry price for the 3008 range is around £4,000 more than those for the Sportage and Qashqai – although those models are available with pure petrol engines – and nearly £6,000 more than that of a Jaecoo 7 hybrid. However, with the range-topping GT Premium spec we tested, a 3008 hybrid comes in cheaper than a top-spec Sportage petrol. With the introduction of a new Griffin trim earlier this year the starting price for a Grandland became much cheaper than the 3008 – otherwise their range prices are evenly matched.
The E-3008 is eligible for the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant at the £1,500 Band Two level – but only with some trims and powertrain specs. With this applied, E-3008 prices start at £35,495 – around £3,000 more than the Elroq, but a couple of hundred pounds cheaper than the Grandland Electric, with both also getting the £1,500 grant. The Renault Scenic E-Tech gets the full £3,750 grant, with which it is priced from £33,245.
The 3008 is covered by Peugeot’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty (although mileage for the first two years is unlimited). E-3008s also get an eight-year traction battery warranty.
3008 service intervals are one-year/16,000 miles for hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Service intervals for the E-3008 begin with an initial check after one year/8,000 miles, then the first scheduled service after two years/16,000 miles, with services then due every two years/16,000 miles subsequently.
Related reading: New car review: Kia Sportage ticks all the family car boxes
Technology
The 3008 comes with what Peugeot describes as a 21-inch panoramic curved display – in practice this combines a driver display and an infotainment touchscreen. The driver display section offers an ultra-modern yet informative graphical layout, and also isn’t compromised by Peugeot’s i-Cockpit set-up which features a small steering wheel beneath the instruments.
As for the touchscreen element, this is very responsive to touches. However, we think a decision to effectively divide the screen in two, with a separate shortcut icon bar further down the dashboard, is misguided, as in practice it makes the system less intuitive to use. Also, the shortcuts are split across two pages which need to be scrolled through – a far from easy operation while driving.
Connected TomTom sat-nav is standard throughout the range, as is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and a wireless smartphone charger.
Safety
Standard driver assistance systems include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and night function, driver attention alert, lane keep assist, speed limit recognition, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. GT trim adds adaptive cruise control and front parking sensors, while Allure Premium trim adds long range blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system. GT Premium trim adds rear cross traffic alert, lane positioning assist, semi-automatic lane changing and recommended speed adaptation.
The dashboard shortcut touch bar allows quick access to a menu allowing systems to be turned off should drivers wish – turning off overspeed warnings proved very necessary during our time with the 3008, as our test car had the least accurate speed limit monitoring we’ve seen for a long time, often reading 60mph limits as 30mph and 70mph limits as 60mph.
The 3008 was tested by Euro NCAP last year, and received four stars out of five, with a relatively weak rating for its safety systems compared with occupant and vulnerable road user protection.
Performance and drive
The 145PS 48V hybrid powertrain is one that’s widely used in small Stellantis cars, so it could be feared that in a medium SUV such as the 3008 it wouldn’t be up to the job. As it turns out, it’s acceptable – not too slow, if not particularly quick either, and with good refinement.
The 48V system is designed to not only assist the petrol engine when accelerating and allow engine-off coasting, like most mild hybrids, but also to allow EV-only driving in low-speed circumstances such as parking and when stuck in congestion – and compared with previous Stellantis cars we’ve driven with this technology, the 3008 seemed more willing to switch to EV-only mode in these situations. It did however share a flaw with the smaller 2008 we tested recently in sometimes being slow to respond to the accelerator when it had been coasting up to a junction.
We achieved 50.3mpg during our time with the 3008; impressively, given the Peugeot only has a 48V system, a better figure than we achieved previously with the full hybrid Sportage, and also commendably close to the 3008’s official WLTP combined figure of 51.3mpg with the spec tested. That official figure is also slightly better than that for the Sportage – although it should be noted that the Kia’s powertrain outputs 94PS more than the Peugeot’s, enough to make a significant difference on the road. A Jaecoo 7 hybrid has similar efficiency to the 3008, and is also far more powerful.
Compared with the 2008, the 3008’s chassis is more biased towards ride comfort than handling. The suspension does an impressive job of delivering a comfortable ride, without being too soft or getting overwhelmed when confronted with big bumps at speed. The trade-off for this is that although the 3008 corners reliably, it’s not as enjoyable to drive as either the 2008 or more dynamic C-segment rivals – though we suspect this is a compromise with which many family car buyers will be happy.
Practicality
Peugeot has thrown caution to the wind with the 3008’s interior design, with a swooping centre console/front centre armrest arrangement combining with illuminated trim panels and the ‘floating’ combined screen for something of a spaceship vibe. Grey fabric might seem an unusual dominant cabin material choice but it works well, and combines with leather and other soft touch materials for a high-quality feel. It’s not style over substance either – the raised front centre armrest unit not only provides a cockpit feel without compromising the general sense of spaciousness, but also houses usefully large storage areas. On the downside, this unit encroaches quite a way back in the cabin and compromises middle rear seat legroom.
Passengers in the other rear seats shouldn’t have legroom complaints, and rear headroom is also OK, despite the swooping coupe-style roofline. Rear passengers also benefit from air vents and two USB charge ports – the GT Premium trim we tested also features heated rear seats.
The fastback design also doesn’t compromise the boot, which at 588 litres is large for the segment. In a boost to practicality, 40/20/40 folding rear seats are standard throughout the range, as is an adjustable boot floor, which in its higher position lines up neatly with the rear seat backs when folded and offers a large underfloor storage area.
