The Philippine Star

PEUGEOT INTRODUCES 3008 ACTIVE

- By MANNY N. DE LOS REYES

It’s hard not to notice the all-new Peugeot 3008 on the road. First, it’s nothing less than a radical departure from its predecesso­r. While the previous model was undeniably practical, it had homely styling that seemed to appeal more to soccer moms and dads than sophistica­ted urbanites and weekend adventurer­s.

The new 3008, on the other hand, is an outright head-turner right out of the box — from its bold and very upscaleloo­king grille and expressive headlamps, to its svelte side panels, windowline and artfully shaped C-pillar, to the distinctiv­e “lion’s claws” three-bar LED taillights.

In one model change, the Peugeot 3008 morphed from a wallflower MPV to a sexy SUV/crossover.

Instead of baby seats, strollers, and groceries, you’d expect to see golf clubs or an expensive mountain bike being carried by this stylish crossover. Or an elegantly attired couple in the front seats off to the theater.

The only catch? The price. At P2,890,000, the new 3008 GT Line model cost over a million bucks more than the old one — substantia­lly over the budget of many households.

Thankfully, Peugeot Philippine­s is addressing that pricing issue. To continue its aggressive strategy towards increasing and solidifyin­g its presence in the local crossover-SUV segment, it has introduced a new and much more affordable 3008 Active variant. Following the footsteps of its highly desirable 3008 GT Line, this new variant comes at a price point that is whopping P500,000 less than its GT Line sibling.

“Peugeot is proud to unveil the first stage in its long-term goal of bringing its products to a wider and truly global audience,” Peugeot Philippine­s president Glen Dasig said. “To achieve this, we are making our vehicles more accessible to the market while still providing the same driving experience and comfort found in our current range,” he added.

Similar to the GT Line variant, the Peugeot 3008 Active Diesel possesses a unique and distinctiv­e style. Its dynamic silhouette highlights an athletic and aggressive stance, creating one uninterrup­ted flow from the concave radiator grille with edged trims and chromed facets to the gloss black rear panel incorporat­ing Peugeot’s signature claw effect LED lighting. The slim halogen headlights complete the look by providing the vehicle a feline-like appearance. It rolls on stylish 18-inch polished alloy wheels wrapped by generously sized 225/55R-18 all-terrain rubber.

Inside, the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active features a modern and sophistica­ted cabin. Peugeot’s critically acclaimed i-Cockpit provides the driver the utmost in comfort and accessibil­ity with an elevated driving position, compact steering wheel, touchscree­n controls, and a futuristic all-digital dashboard.

Infotainme­nt comes from an eightspeak­er Bluetooth/USB audio system with an eight-inch touchscree­n display and steering wheel controls. Upscale features include full-grain leather steering wheel with two-tone stitching, electric parking brake, cruise control, fully automatic dual-zone climate control, and one-touch front and rear power windows with anti-pinch protection.

Both front seats have multiple adjustment­s (including height) while the 60:40-split rear seats have a “Magic Flat” folding feature. Safety features include dual front and side airbags, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, ISOFIX seat mounts, rear parking sensor, Advanced Grip Control (with five Grip modes), Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

At the heart of the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active is a 2.0-liter turbocharg­ed Euro 4 diesel engine also found in the GT Line. With an exhilarati­ng output of 150hp and 370Nm of torque, the turbo technology found in the 3008 Active provides more power and consumes less fuel than other non-turbocharg­ed vehicles with a similar displaceme­nt.

“No compromise­s have been taken in making the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active more attainable,” Dasig said. “This is proof that Peugeot has taken serious interest in expanding its reach in the Philippine­s by providing products that are priced very competitiv­ely against its rivals,” he added.

Since formally opening in 2012, Peugeot has grown throughout the Philippine­s and currently has a total of seven dealership­s nationwide.

The Peugeot 3008 Active Diesel is now available in select Peugeot dealership­s nationwide with a price of P2,390,000 and comes in three exterior colors: Bianca White, Nera Black, and Artense Gray.

 ??  ?? The Peugeot 3008 SUV Active in Bianca White. Similar to the GT Line variant, the 3008 SUV Active retains its sibling’s athletic and aggressive stance.
The Peugeot 3008 SUV Active in Bianca White. Similar to the GT Line variant, the 3008 SUV Active retains its sibling’s athletic and aggressive stance.
 ??  ?? The Peugeot 3008 SUV Active in Nera Black, a color exclusive to the Active variant.
The Peugeot 3008 SUV Active in Nera Black, a color exclusive to the Active variant.
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 ??  ?? The i-Cockpit on the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active provides the driver with an elevated driving position, accessible controls, and a futuristic dashboard complete with touchscree­n functional­ity and an all-digital instrument display.
The i-Cockpit on the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active provides the driver with an elevated driving position, accessible controls, and a futuristic dashboard complete with touchscree­n functional­ity and an all-digital instrument display.
 ??  ?? The interior trim of the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active combines many textured fabrics and contrastin­g accents, adding depth to the entire cabin design.
The interior trim of the Peugeot 3008 SUV Active combines many textured fabrics and contrastin­g accents, adding depth to the entire cabin design.
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