SUBSTANTIALLY SARTORIAL

Peugeot’s new 3008 takes a tilt at that tricky substance-versus-style balance

WHILE Peugeot’s recent aesthetic renaissance has resulted in widespread acclaim thanks to such stylish staples as the spunky 208, its crossoverspin-off 2008 and the graceful 308, the chic new 3008 crossover offers a more challenging take on the established Peugeot aesthetic. But, in a cutthroat market where a new VW Tiguan (tested October 2016) is being met with widespread acclaim and a groundswell of expectation surrounds the latest Kia Sportage (turn to page 68 for a twin test of this vehicle), those rakish looks need to be shored up with some genuine substance.

Although a capable vehicle in its own right, the previous 3008, even in its more recent facelifted guise, wasn’t Peugeot’s most visually arresting model. Some motoring wags described its combination of gaping-maw grille and curvy overall bearing as resembling “a jellybean with braces”, but no such gibes can be levelled at the new car. Its amalgam of sheetmetal cuts, curves and creases, punctuated with brightwork that’s tastefully executed in a satin-chrome finish, is set upon an SUVflavoured, two-box frame that’s a far cry from the previous car’s Mpv-like body. Other elements such as the striking claw-mark brakelamps, headlamps with sequential-sweep LED indicators and our launch unit’s two-tone metallic bronze/black livery contribute to an overall appearance that flits between sports hatch and SUV.

The cabin is similarly daring and exudes a genuine sense of theatre. Peugeot has persisted with its tiny, chunky steering wheel and letterbox instrument binnacle, the ergonomics of which have met with a mixed reception in some of its other models. But, with my 1,8-metre frame in the reasonably upright driving position, it seems Peugeot has finally managed to find a satisfying middleground between instrument visibility and driver ergonomics.

Adding to the sense of theatre is the start-up sequence of the crisp i-cockpit digital instrument