Peugeot 3008

In many ways the 2018 Peugeot 3008 is the new benchmark in the medium SUV segment. But does it do enough to convince newcomers to go French?

       Usually, we would say nice things about French cars, and then tell you that unless you’re willing to put up with the perceived risks of reliability and resale value, it’s probably best to stay clear. With the new PEUGEOT 3008, though, the positives are so heavily stacked in its favor, it’s simply impossible to ignore if you’re in the market for a medium-sized SUV.

Let’s get the negatives out of the way.

 - Firstly, it’s not a choice you’d make on cost alone. Pricing starts at $36,990 for the petrol, entry-model Active, stepping up to the Allure for $39,490, GT-Line for $43,490 and, if you really have the cash to burn and want a diesel engine and some massaging seats, the top-spec GT comes in at $49,490. Full a full rundown of pricing and specifications.

- Secondly, while it has some amazing technologies fitted as standard (more on that later), the base and mid-spec miss out on Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). That’s a poor omission for a brand-new car being launched in 2017, and one that is slated to help relaunch the brand in Australia.

 - Thirdly, it needs a longer warranty and industry-competitive servicing costs, to assure first-time buyers looking to switch from the Japanese, Koreans or the Germans and take a chance on the French maker. Peugeot needs to offer a certain level of reassurance a three-year warranty simply doesn’t provide.

Other than that, this is now the best SUV in its class.

For this reviewer, at least, the 3008 sets the benchmark in this segment. Sure, if you’re thinking about it as a cold logical decision, it’s probably not the best value for money, nor is it likely to have the best resale, or stack up in terms of longevity against the traditional Japanese players. But the 3008 is also the type of car you actually want to drive. It’s not just an appliance. It’s not a TOYOTA.

It has enormous emotional appeal, both inside and out, and through our 10 hours and more than 1000km behind the wheel, we noticed its ultra-modern European styling and badge turned plenty of heads.

When you see a new 3008 from the outside, it has an immediate visual impact. It’s a very busy design with a lot going on, both at the front and rear. But, unlike the folks who work for LEXUS or HONDA, 'busy' in French designer language happens to be beautiful, not simply overdone.

The rear, in particular - in any color but black - really stands out. The black eyeliner across the tail-lights contrasts with the paint and is then backed up by even more contour and chrome and dark highlights on the bumper. It’s a pretty thing, and in this segment, where the new VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN oozes the same level of visual excitement as a dying snail, that’s a rarity.

Really, though, we were expecting to jump inside and say ‘Aha!’ having realized its beauty is only skin deep. However, the interior is really the highlight of the 3008.

Peugeot has gone all out on its design and implementation, and though we don’t usually care much for 'Car of the Year’ awards, the 3008 has won the European Car of the Year, and we can actually understand why.

 The French are the experts at selling high-end feeling interiors for a good price. The 3008 takes this to the next level. To be fair, this SUV packs a nicer interior than this reviewer’s own Jaguar F-pace – which cost well-and-truly more than double.

The digital instrument cluster is something you’d expect from a Mercedes-Benz or an Audi, and its visual impression is very strong. The 8.0-inch touch screen runs an infotainment system we found to be actually good. The processing power of the system is almost overdone, meaning inputs to the screen are met with immediate response (even complicated ones) and the navigation system itself integrates into the instrument cluster flawlessly.

It also supports Apple CarPlay, which – for the absolute first time in any car we’ve tested so far – we felt was slower to respond than the car’s own infotainment system.

 Peugeot quotes a 0-100km/h time of 9.9 seconds, but it feels quicker than that. The six-speed transmission is smooth and you really don’t even know it’s there, which is the best praise one can bestow on an auto ’box.

Our fuel economy, over predominantly highway driving, was around the 6L/100km mark (95 RON minimum) but when we reset in Brisbane for the general daily commute, it averaged around 7.4L/100km, which is pretty close to Peugeot's claimed figure of 7L/100km.

In terms of driving dynamics, the 3008 is very French, meaning it's highly competent around corners, with limited body roll and engaging driver feedback through the miniature-sized steering wheel. Speaking of which, the wheel may take a bit of time to get used to, but it works all the same.

Ride comfort is perhaps a little less sorted than its dynamics, or likely affected by its dynamics as a compromise. It’s not uncomfortable or particularly bouncy; it’s just not as soft as we would like from a car in this category. If you frequent mostly city roads you won’t even notice, but find a country road with a severe case of potholes, and you will be wishing you had a softer ride.

Frankly, this is a car made for urban environments. That's no surprise, but it did make us wonder what Peugeot Australia had us doing in an off-road course, which helped convince us that the 3008 is definitely a soft-roader. Look, it has grip control systems that can even do hill descent (poorly) and modes to deal with sand or snow, but really, stick to the bitumen and be assured that if you happen to find a dirt road by accident, the world won’t end.

For us, the sweet spot in the range, if you can stretch to it, is the $43,490 GT-Line. It comes with all the active safety gear you want, plus adaptive cruise control with full stop function, 360-degree camera, self-parking (not that you’d ever use it), full LED headlights, dual zone climate control and heaps more. If that’s too much, go with the second from the bottom Allure and option up the AEB.

So, back to the start.

Nearly four hours of no input other than steering on the highway is very impressive. Actually, the Pug can indeed steer itself, but Australian regulations state you can’t have your hands off the wheel, so the steering assistance is limited to around 10 seconds before it starts beeping at you in the way French cars do – with a melody, which gets more Germanic as it becomes frustrated with your lack of input, then finally just does its best impersonation of a Parisian waiter being asked to speak English and gives up entirely.

The lane assistance systems are very good in the way they save you from accidentally leaving your lane. We had literally 1000 km to test it and it was as good as anything we’ve seen from the Germans.