Peugeot e-3008
Electric version of Peugeot’s new-generation family SUV comes with some impressive stats On sale Spring Price from £45,850
WHAT DOES THE new Peugeot e-3008 have in common with the Mercedes-benz EQS? Not a lot, admittedly. One is a mainstream family SUV, while the other is a mega-money luxury limousine. But both are part of the exclusive 400-mile electric car club.
You see, until recently, if you wanted to travel for more than 400 miles (officially) before needing to replenish your car’s battery, you needed more than £100,000 to buy an EQS. However, the new Fisker Ocean SUV and the updated version of the Polestar 2 executive car have since broken through the 400-mile barrier too – and hot on their heels is the new 435-mile e-3008.
You might remember that the 3008 started out as an MPV back in 2009 before being transformed into an on-trend SUV for its second generation in 2016. This thirdgeneration model has had yet another change in form – becoming what Peugeot calls a ‘fastback’. This means it has a slightly sloping roofline, giving the 3008 more of a coupé SUV silhouette, even though the dimensions aren’t radically different from before.
However, there are far more substantial changes under the skin. Not only is the e-3008 the first electric iteration of the 3008, but it’s also the first model built on new underpinnings that will be used for numerous electric models from Alfa Romeo,
Citroën, DS, Fiat, Jeep and Vauxhall (which are all part of the same group) over the next few years. Rivals include the Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model Y and Volvo EC40 (formerly known as the C40 Recharge).
Initially, the sole e-3008 on offer is a 73kwh model with an official range of 326 miles, which is farther than what entrylevel versions of those rivals can manage. It has a single 207bhp motor driving the front wheels. Next year, it will be joined by a slightly more powerful (228bhp) Long Range version with a larger, 98kwh (usable capacity) battery and that promised 435-mile range. A flagship 316bhp dual-motor,
four-wheel-drive model will be introduced at around the same time.
The new 3008 range isn’t solely electric: a 1.2-litre petrol model is available alongside the e-3008, priced from £34,650, and a plugin hybrid will follow later. But for now, we’re focusing on the e-3008.
As with smaller stablemates such as the Jeep Avenger, the e-3008 doesn’t feel as urgent off the line and at higher speeds as rivals such as the Model Y, but acceleration is punchy enough when needed, and a gentle whirr from the electric motor is the main soundtrack to your peaceful progress.
Like virtually all electric cars, the e-3008 slows down briskly when you lift off the accelerator pedal, as its regenerative braking system harvests otherwise wasted energy and sends it back into the battery to help eke out range. There are three levels of regen to choose from, adjusted using paddles behind the steering wheel, but even the highest setting isn’t strong enough to bring the car to a complete standstill without pressing the brake pedal – something that is possible in some of its rivals and can prove very handy around town.
More of a concern at low speeds is the e-3008’s unsettled ride. The serenity of the interior is broken by thumps and thwacks from the suspension when passing over speed bumps or manhole covers, and the firm set-up means you’ll feel them as abruptly as you hear them. Thankfully, the ride settles down at higher speeds, making the e-3008 a fairly comfortable motorway cruiser, although rivals such as the Audi Q4 e-tron and Niro EV are smoother still.
Light steering makes low-speed manoeuvres a doddle around town, but it fails to build up any weight as your speed increases and doesn’t offer much of a sense of connection to the front wheels. Switching to Sport driving mode adds an almost comically exaggerated artificial weight to the steering but doesn’t do anything to boost driver confidence.
At more than 2.1 tonnes, the e-3008 is heavier than many of its rivals, and it feels that way from behind the wheel. The weight blunts its handling and any sense of driver enjoyment as you feel the car lurching from one side to the other as you go around a corner. Still, the braking response is very well judged, so slowing smoothly requires minimal effort. The same can’t be said for some rivals, which have grabby or inconsistent brakes.
The e-3008 may be rather ordinary to drive, but it really stands out inside. Here, you’ll find a fresh, modern, tech-filled interpretation of