Pulling the Pug
Early French connection helps Ryan find romance beyond the honeymoon haze
I WENT to school with a French kid for six months almost 20 years ago. His name was Lucien. I have never forgotten Luc because as a young Aussie everything about him was weird to me when we first met.
We were both foreign students at a secondary college in England, and that gave us a bond, even though Luc’s English was no better than my French. His family had a lefthand-drive Peugeot 504 that had come across the Channel with them, and that was the first Gallic car I ever rode in.
It seemed so much more interesting than my family’s Mazda 626, and by the time he left the school to go home I was really quite fond of that beige sedan. In fact, it’s the memory of the Pug that brought Lucien to mind.
Six months is enough time for a person, or an object, to leave a lasting impression. I’ve had six months to savour my Peugeot 3008 and, sadly, it’s now time to hand the keys back. I was wrapped up in the smoke and mirrors of its interior glamour at the outset, but the haze has since dissipated and I’ve spent weeks peering at its true colours. So the pivotal question is, do I still like what I see?
I’ve thought carefully about this, and can safely say that I do. I touched on its functional convenience last month, because utility is what made the 3008 a welcome addition early on, and it remains so, but the 3008 carries out daily duties with a layer of sophistication and elegance – especially inside – that transcends mainstream appliances. An emotional appeal comes from that, which I think plays into the Peugeot’s value equation despite the intangibility of the feelings it evokes. It’s something a Volkswagen Tiguan doesn’t have.
Some bits of tinsel haven’t added to my personal ownership experience, namely the massaging seats, and the perfumed climate control, which has three fragrances all a bit too reminiscent of the locker room at that same high school (Lynx Africa, anyone?). This car has, however, turned me on to the wonder of wireless phone charging and convinced me of Peugeot’s head-up digital dashboard.
The engine’s 121kw and 240Nm have proven sufficient, and real-world economy improved to an acceptable level after a wobble early on when it hovered as high as 11L/100km. Then there’s the excellent sixspeed auto from Japanese gurus Aisin, which could be tacit admission from Peugeot that if you can’t beat ’em, you really should join ’em.
So would I buy one? The 3008 would definitely be on my shortlist. The hiccup we had with the fuel system didn’t help to quash question marks about French reliability, but the one-off issue and the way it was dealt with haven’t left a sour taste at all.
There’s nothing the 3008 does to offend or that I haven’t been able to find a workaround for, though before taking custody I felt sure the infotainment was going to be one of those things. That was a red herring. Same goes for cabin materials quality. Aussie consumers carry emotional baggage when it comes to French cars, but the 3008 proves they can be charming, with the substance to match. If Peugeot can get bums on seats, the 3008 in particular should go some way towards combating the status quo.