Peugeot 3008
It’s a former Auto Express SUV champ. We see if new engine takes it back to the top
MODELTESTED: Peugeot 3008 1.5 Bluehdi 130 Allure PRICE: £27,200 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 129bhp
THE Peugeot 3008 is a former winner of our Best Mid-size SUV award, and now there’s a new 1.5-litre Bluehdi 130 turbodiesel engine. We’re testing the car in Allure trim, which starts at £27,000 (although our pictures show a more lofty GT Line Premium). It’s pricier than its competition, but is it a better bet?
Design & engineering
THE 3008 is based on the modular EMP2 platform that underpins many modern, large Peugeots. The tech uses a conventional suspension layout, with Macpherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear, but the bigger news is the arrival of a new 1.5-litre Bluehdi 130 engine.
It’s replaced the older 1.6 unit, but offers more power and the same amount of torque as its predecessor, producing 129bhp and 300Nm respectively. This is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. There’s no four-wheel-drive option, because Peugeot offers something called Grip Control instead. This is a £470 variable traction control package.
Allure trim is unchanged and brings the same great level of kit, including a 12.3-inch digital dash, an eight-inch touchscreen, sat-nav and connectivity to match the Tucson. Parking sensors with a reversing camera, cruise and climate control and a level of safety tech you’d expect from a family SUV also feature.
The interior is much more interesting. There’s a mix of soft-touch plastics and cool fabric trim inserts higher up on the heavily-sculpted dash, even if lower down the materials are more hard-wearing.
Peugeot’s i-cockpit layout means the whole of the cabin is a feature, with a small steering wheel mounted lower down beneath the digital dials; this has an impact on how the car drives, too.
Driving
THAT small wheel ensures the 3008 steers quickly, but this SUV hasn’t been designed to be sporty. The suspension set-up focuses on comfort, and it serves up a sweet ride and handling balance.
The increased ride height means plenty of suspension travel, which gives the 3008 a level of absorbency to its ride that works fairly well in the UK. It’s more compliant than the Skoda, but harsher inputs to the suspension still cause a shake and a shimmy through the chassis.
Wheel control is okay over bumps, but they do sometimes thump into potholes. It feels as though there’s a threshold of bump size beyond which the 3008 struggles to contain the energy. The damping breaks down and the ride becomes less settled.
There’s just enough grip to keep up with the speed of the steering, but the compliance in the damping means there’s a noticeable level of roll as you up the speed; it’s not as well controlled as in the Karoq.
Still, the new engine is a strong point. With the most torque at 300Nm, the in-gear performance was punchy and the 3008 beat the Tucson’s 0-60mph time, taking 11.5 seconds. Peugeot has had years of development with its diesel engines and although the tide might be turning slightly, this fuel still makes sense when the application is as good as it is here.
The torque gives added flexibility, where the Hyundai and Skoda feel flat. It’s one of the Peugeot’s big positives; you don’t have to work the six-speed manual much, which makes it relaxing to drive. The transmission is acceptable, but not the greatest.
Refinement is strong at a cruise. There’s some noticeable diesel rumble going up through the gears, but it’s quiet when the revs subside. It’s the relatively relaxed ride and unflustered feel that appeal here.
Practicality
AT 591 litres, the 3008’s load bay is the largest on test. In fact, it’s extremely big and gives a great level of flexibility. The rear seats don’t slide like in the Karoq, but they do lie fully flat and can be folded by levers in the boot, as with its rivals. The front passenger seat also stows flat, increasing the loading length to three metres.
There’s not quite as much legroom in the rear of the 3008 compared with the Karoq or the Tucson, due to the chunky front seats. The lower roofline and panoramic roof in this car eat into headroom. Allure trim does without this and is better in this respect.
Still, there are no complaints when it comes to storage. The central lidded bin between the front seats is huge, while there’s a twin cup-holder in front of it. The tray in front of the gearlever is a little limited, however, due to the dash design.
Ownership
SAFETY is strong on the 3008. It received a full five-star Euro NCAP rating because all models get autonomous braking and lane departure warning, while Allure trim adds active blind spot detection, lane-keep assist, auto high beam lights and a driver alertness monitor.
Peugeot’s performance in our Driver Power 2018 survey was less impressive, though. The brand finished 17th overall, while its dealers took the same place in our ratings of the marques’ official garages. This was two places behind Hyundai and some way behind eighth-placed Skoda overall.
Running costs
THE new engine made the 3008 the most efficient car on test, returning 55.3mpg. This highlights why diesel is still a good fuel source; your fuel bills will be a relatively affordable £1,292 over a year’s driving.
The Hyundai wasn’t far behind, returning a strong 53.0mpg. This means you’ll pay around £56 more over 12 months or 12,000 miles with the Tucson. The Skoda lagged behind on 47.7mpg, which translates to annual fuel costs of £1,498. That figure is for a DSG car, and we’d expect an improvement from a model with a manual transmission.