New: The Peugeot 3008 changes everything

Y. LEFEBVRE

Here it is finally, this long-awaited new 3008! And for Peugeot, the stakes are enormous. The current model, released in 2016 and restyled in 2020, is a real star which has sold 1,320,000 copies worldwide (130 countries). It dominated the SUV segment in Europe and even occupied third place in best sales in France – all categories combined – behind the Renault Clio and Peugeot 208 (in 2017 and 2018). So there’s no question of making a mistake with this new model! However, Peugeot chose to take risks both aesthetically and technically. Indeed, the style of the 3008 evolves greatly by adopting the very trendy silhouette of SUV coupes (at Peugeot, we say “fast-back”) characterized by a plunging roofline and a very inclined rear window. The size also changes, going from 4.45 m to 4.54 m in length, from 1.84 m to 1.90 m in width and from 1.62 m to 1.64 m in height. From a pure design point of view, the face has been completely redesigned with a new-look grille, which incorporates the brand’s new emblem, and is framed by three (fairly short) claws. The whole thing is topped by a thin strip connecting very slender optics. The rear is quite surprising with a squared stern design, very vertical and high. In fact, the whole vehicle appears very massive when standing next to it, despite its balanced proportions and dynamic profile. We’ll have to wait to see it on the street to get a real feel for its overall appearance… First of all, the changes made are just as striking.

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

Y. LEFEBVRE

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

Still beautiful inside!

The interior of the current generation caused a real “wow” effect when it was presented, and this persisted even if, recently, it was starting to show its age compared to, for example, the Renault Austral… But good news, the next 3008 brilliantly takes up the torch! The dashboard has been completely redesigned and of course modernized. It is equipped, in GT finish, with the Panoramic i-Cockpit, a single floating screen, curved and, as its name suggests, panoramic of 21”/53 cm. It provides, in its left part, information related to driving and, in its right, tactile part, the multimedia elements. On the Allure version, these will be two 10”/25 cm screens but united on the same panel. Below, we find the shortcut keys for radio, ventilation, etc. , in the form of touchpads. The center console has also been redesigned to offer more storage, and the gear selector (rocker) has been moved to the dashboard, next to the stop/start button. The steering wheel has also been revised. Still very compact, it accommodates control pads which require a real “click” to activate them (no risk of false maneuvers like with tactile keys…). The gray textile covering, which extends over the door panels to the rear, and even to the backs of the front seats, adds a touch of elegance to the furniture. Small disappointment, however, in terms of habitability: although this new 3008 grows by 9 cm and gains 6.5 cm more wheelbase * (2.74 m), we do not feel more comfortable than in the present. Leg space is limited and that’s a shame. And this does not benefit the trunk volume either, which remains at 520 dm3 (advertised, regardless of the engine).

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

A 3008 designed for electric

The technical architecture of this third generation is entirely new and constitutes – well beyond the design – the most important evolution. Indeed, the 3008 inaugurates the STLA Medium platform which has the particularity of having been designed from the start for electric vehicles, but is also capable of offering electrified thermal versions. Thus, the 3008 will use the 48V mild hybridization engine, which arrived recently on the current model. This 136 hp mechanism, associated with a gearbox (e-DSC6) integrating a small 28 hp electric motor, allows 100% electric driving at very low speed, reducing consumption and CO2 emissions, and therefore the penalty (only €100). It will also be available (in autumn 2024) in a single plug-in hybrid version of 195 hp, coupled with the seven-speed variant of the new transmission (e-DSC7).

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER

But as mentioned in the preamble, this 3008 is above all an E-3008. And it is also under this precise name that it was officially unveiled. Through its star, Peugeot wants to demonstrate its ambition “ to offer an electric range for its entire offering from 2025 ” and to achieve 100% of its sales in Europe with this type of energy in 2030. And it is with this aim that the platform which equips the E-3008 was developed. Because, according to Peugeot, it is capable of “ meet customer expectations in terms of performance, efficiency, autonomy and charging capabilities ”.

Thus, the E-3008 will be offered in three different powers and two battery capacities (400 V). A 210 hp version, two-wheel drive, with a 73 kWh battery for an announced range of 525 km. Another 230 hp which will benefit from a 98 kWh battery with a range of 700 km. And finally a third of 320 hp, four-wheel drive, equipped with two blocks, one of 210 hp at the front and the other of 110 hp at the rear, associated with the 73 kWh battery. Charging can be carried out using alternating AC current (11 kW charger as standard, 22 kW optional) and continuously (DC) up to 160 kW, in 30 minutes (from 20 to 80%).

Production of the E-3008 and hybrid versions has already started in Sochaux (where it will be exclusively manufactured), for arrival in dealerships in February 2024. The price, not revealed at the moment, should be up to the ambitions of the model: from €40,000 for simple hybrid and €50,000 for electric…

* Distance between front axle and rear axle.

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PHOTOS: A. SAUNIER