The last 3008 was a Peugeot best-seller, with more than 1,320,000 finding customers in 130 countries for over seven years.
A highlight of the last 3008 SUV was its styling, which showed a new design direction for Peugeot. The E-3008 looks more evolution than revolution, at the front, there are ultra-compact LED headlamps with the same black strip with ‘E-3008’ in a new font as the rear. Below this, there are the cat’s claw vertical driving lights, fitted flush next to a large grille.
At the side, with the change to ‘fastback’ styling, Peugeot has moved the roof curve to aid interior practicality. There is a tall look to the rear, with the boot lid itself having two distinctive spoilers, including one being an additional floating roof spoiler. The overall look is neater, more modern and just as attractive and unusual as the previous one in our opinion.
Inside, the E-3008 is equally stylish, and features the latest version of its controversial i-Cockpit, which includes a floating, curved 21in panoramic screen – combining the head-up display with the central touchscreen. In our view the height of the screen is almost right for the driver here, although if you’re tall, the bottom of the screen is still obscured by the latest small multifunction steering wheel.
The interior look follows the style of the previous 3008, with its curvy and driver-focused design. The dashboard and tall centre console are also fabric trimmed like the last, with metal detailing. It also has ambient lighting, with colours linked to the driving mode. The central area of the E-3008’s dashboard is where you’ll find the customisable i-Toggles; touch-sensitive buttons can be programmed to give shortcuts to ten of the driver’s favourite car functions. In use, the toggles work well, and the infotainment is easy to use and an updated version of what is fitted in models across the Stellantis family – although the E-3008 has the slickest graphics.
Even the tallest will be able to get comfortable in the front of the E-3008, with plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the rear, as the curvy roof and sunroof fitted to our test car eat into the headroom. The 520-litre boot is a similar size to the outgoing model and can be extended by folding the rear seats – shame it feels on the shallow size.
This Peugeot gets Stellantis’s new STLA medium electric platform, which is scalable and can support mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full EV drivetrains, with the 400V lithium-ion battery living under the floor in E-3008 versions. The single-battery BEV and mild hybrid versions of the new E-3008 hit the UK in July, with the 320hp Dual Motor EV, 230hp Long Range EV, and the plug-in hybrid versions following at the end
of the year.
The front-mounted, single-motor E-3008 that we drove has 210hp, with a 73kWh battery, equalling a quoted 326-mile range. Acceleration to 62mph takes a rather leisurely 8.7 seconds, a result of this Peugeot’s new architecture, which at 2.1 tonnes is quite hefty. We didn’t get a chance to test its efficiency, but a heat pump is a £700 option which we think is an oversight. DC charging is rated at 160kW, equalling a 20-80% charge in 30 minutes – so Peugeot says.
Very easy to drive, the E-3008’s performance and drive sadly seem blunted by the car’s aforementioned weight, and the GT equipment grade’s standard 20in alloy wheels. It is not totally devoid of fun, as the steering has a little feedback, and there’s plenty of grip in the corners – but that’s it. The ride comfort is the biggest worry in the UK, as the French roads we drove on were particularly smooth.
The new 3008 looks great inside and out but is expensive and there are concerns about its ride and weight.
Peugeot E-3008 157kW GT 73kWh
P11D: £49,595
Residual value: 45%
Depreciation: £24,420
Fuel: £3,675
Service, maintenance and repair: £2,226
Cost per mile: 50.53p
Range: 326 miles
CO2 (BIK %): 0g/km (2%)
BIK 20/40% a month: £16/£33
Luggage capacity: 520 litres
Battery size/power: 73kWh/210hp