Peugeot 3008 review

There’s one word to describe the looks of the Peugeot 3008 – striking. Even though it’s not much bigger than any other mid-sized SUV, its blocky styling and heavily cladded sides give the impression of an imposing presence, both on the road and on the kerbside.  

The 3008 combines this with a certain sportiness. This, sadly, isn’t reflected in the way the car drives – especially with the heavier engines in the range.  

The most recent models have introduced a frameless grille and side-scoops in the bumpers. These add even more typically French styling to what was already a very good-looking car. 

The 3008’s looks might give the impression this is a car built for speed and performance. Look can be deceptive. In fact, beneath the sporty exterior, this is a car designed to be comfortable and practical – and not really suited to off-road use either.  

It’s not that it would give a bone-shaking ride on rough terrain, far from it. It’s more that the suspension glides over the drain covers, potholes and speed bumps that we all encounter everywhere from the school run to drives down winding country roads. The pay-off for this is that it rolls around corners instead of gliding round them – not a problem unless you’re trying to drive like Lewis Hamilton which, of course, you shouldn’t. 

If Peugeot has taken great care about making the exterior of the 3008 stand out, they’ve really gone to town on the interior where you’ll find yourself surrounded by contrasting, high-quality materials and a genuinely premium feel. 

The most recent models have also adopted the i-Cockpit idea that you’d only expect to find in more prestigious makes like Audi. The driver has a virtual display straight ahead of them, which can be adjusted to look like a standard instrument cluster or present the information in several different ways. 

The first thing you’ll notice about this is that you look over the steering wheel instead of through it to see the instruments – a bit odd at first yet quite easy once you’re used to it. This also means there’s an undersized steering wheel that’s slightly flattened on top and bottom. 

There’s also an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dash and, if you don’t go for Peugeot’s own sat-nav system, the good news is that it’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. One drawback to the big screen is that it can be a little difficult to see the details when the sun’s shining on it. 

In terms of headroom, there’s plenty. Expect less if you go for the glass roof option. There’s also room for 3 passengers to sit comfortably in the back. 

Open the tailgate and you’re greeted with a boot space that is one of the biggest in the mid-sized SUV sector, offering more room than the Seat Ateca and the Skoda Karoq. There’ll be no problem hitting the road on holiday with the 3008 fully loaded with passengers and their luggage.  

Fold the back seats down and you’ll have a sizeable and completely flat area. Fold the passenger seat down too and you’ll be able to drive solo with a three-metre package by your side. 

There are also lots of cubby holes for storage in the car and the centre console between the driver’s and passenger’s seats opens with a pair of horizontal lids – a practical design given its large size.  This makes up for the tiny glove box (which really is just big enough for a pair of gloves). 

The 3008 isn’t a thirsty car at all, though it does lag behind some of its rivals. For the best economy, look for the 1.5 litre diesel engine that will give you around 56 mpg when coupled with an automatic gearbox. The three-cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine has a consumption figure of around 47.2 mpg. The hybrid version of the car improves the mpg considerably and also has a range of up to 40 miles in electric-only driving on a full charge.

All in all, the Peugeot 3008 has a great deal going for it. Its stylish looks, plenty of features and quality equipment as standard, a cavernous boot and a good range of engines make it one SUV that deserves a closer inspection ASAP.