We’ve always loved the super-stylish Peugeot 3008. Now it’s much better too.
Open the door. Sit inside… Bugger, something’s wrong? Surely, this is a Lamborghini, not a six hundred and fifty grand Peugeot? Think again pal – that’s exactly the case!
THE LION’S QUEST FOR MAGNIFIQUE
Peugeot’s cabins have thrilled us for a while already. Ever since the French firm adopted its i-Cockpit, we’ve been enthralled by them. Could it get any better? Damn sure it can. Meet the latest step in the Lion’s quest for magnifique.
The last one was good. 2017 European Car of The Year good. Fast forward to 2021 now and here’s the facelift. Yip, it’s just a facelift. But it’s a hell of a facelift at that
Peugeot calls it inspired design. We tend to agree. The familiar silhouette remains, but what we once considered styling that perhaps let the side down, has now evolved to match that especially cool cabin. Which is now even better too.
A SPLENDID FRESH FRENCH BREATH OF AIR
This Celebes Blue GT model (it’s now just a GT, no longer GT-Line) with a black diamond roof and its satin rails, is shod with exclusive new 19-inch aluminium wheels. But the highlight is 3008’s new scalable design pattern frameless grille that conspires to connect it’s various front end elements in a celebration of chic. It makes those latest-tech full-LED headlamps, fang-like chrome tipped driving lights, the smartly satin trimmed bumper and that proud Lion badge all work as one in a splendid fresh French breath of air.
That lighting package is certainly worthy of mention. Like its cockpit, the 3008 GT packs top end illumination including bend lighting to see around corners at up to 90 km/h, while a new headlamp-integrated Foggy Mode replaces the foglamps. And then the taillights are just as cool full LED tech 3D units featuring smart sequential indicators.
So it’s impressive to look at to start with. And then you climb aboard. The first thing you notice as you swing a leg inside that dual zone automatic climate controlled ambient lit by night space, are those splendidly stitched and patterned red Nappa leather chairs. Turns out they’re actually massaging power seats. Just like a Maybach!
A STUNNING PIECE OF WORK
Then that splendid swooping yet angular red Nappa, dark lime wood and soft touch black finished dash comes into focus. But the fascia’s highlight has to be its slick, chic latest generation of the now familiar Peugeot i-Cockpit. A stunning piece of work with its central screen and tiny all-functional steering wheel and even a drive selector. As if it was a 4×4. It just does ride settings – this one’s still an FUV.
The crisp and clear 10 inch high definition central touchscreen sits atop a row of seven splendid piano key-like toggle switches. Way elegant. Each picks one of radio, air conditioning, navigation with voice command, vehicle settings, telephone, mobile info to pop up on the screen. There’s also one for the hazard lights.
3008 GT’s top drawer infotainment packs in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, triple USB sockets and wireless smartphone charging. Infotainment stretches to a splendid ‘French-style’ 515 Watt Focal high-end audio and a most practical 360 degree camera front and rear VisioPark parking. This GT also gets tinted windows, power folding mirrors and a tricky hands-free tailgate too.
FAR CLOSER TO YOUR LINE OF SIGHT. CLEVER!
Then there’s that fully customisable ‘Normally Black’ 12.3-inch digital instrumentation. It’s not quite as splendid is little brother 3008’s sci-fi holographic 3D set up, but it’s still very good. The binnacle sits atop and aft, not directly behind the chunky little flat bottomed steering wheel to keep all the things you may want to keep an eye on, far closer to your line of sight forward. Clever!.
3008 GT has a handy hands-free access and start, although we found that to be one of the few aspects that we did not like. Not sure why it needs you to press that button for a few seconds to start and stop it. That among one or two other lingering daft logic aspects. French quirkiness, perhaps?
Propelled by the same handy 121kW 240Nm turbo 1.6-litre four-pot as the previous 3008, performance is good for what it is. Its solid on the road and actually quite deft handling too, while still hugely comfortable, family friendly, versatile and fun to drive. Perhaps more street athletic than bundu-basher, but that really is a fair compromise. Its’ easy to drive too – especially considering its turning tiny 10.7 m kerb to kerb turning radius.
A RAFT OF ADVANCED DRIVER AIDS
3008 also packs in a raft of advanced driver aids from stop and go adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist to active blind spot monitoring, latest-generation automatic emergency braking. And there’s speed limiter cruise control, auto high beam switching, extended traffic sign recognition and driver alertness warning too.
So it does pretty well everything right. I’d go as far to say it’s now the best looking car in its class. And it’s cabin is far and away superior to anything else. Even to carsoccupying allegedly stratospherically superior niches. All that on a solid and capable platform too.
Yes, this Peugeot 3008 GT really is like sitting in a six and a half bar Lambo. But it goes for just six hundred and fifth grand. Serious.
TIME TO GET YOUR HEAD AROUND THAT THING?
Now all you need to do is get your South African head around that French thing. It may just be preventing you from taking a proper look at the class of its field right now… – Michele Lupini
Images – Michele Lupini
ROAD TESTED: Peugeot 3008 1.6T GT Engine: 121 kW 240 Nm 1598cc turbo petrol I4 Drive: 6-speed automatic FWD TESTED: 0-60 km/h 3.87 sec 0-100 km/h: 8.69 sec 0-120 km/h: 12.57 sec 0-160 km/h: 21.43 sec 400m: 16.0 sec @ 142 km/h 80-120 km/h: 6.03 sec 120-160 km/h: 9.63 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 201km/h Fuel: 7.0 l/100 km CO2: 156 g/km Warranty/Service: 5y 100K/ 5y 100K km LIST PRICE: R645K RATED: 9
