New Peugeot 3008 GT Line 2019 Review Interior Exterior.

Here’s Peugeot’s second generation of family crossover. So with the benefit of hindsight, Peugeot has fixed what was wrong with the original 3008. And developed what was right. The new one moves on to the Group’s newest platform, so it’s light, strong and has a longer wheelbase before for better proportions. Ah yes, proportions – what was wrong with the old one was its guppy looks, over-influenced by the old French MPV obsession. Peugeot realised the new one had to look like a proper crossover SUV, even if it’s FWD-only. And the company has also put massive commitment into a high-quality high-tech new interior.

Top engine is a 2.0-litre diesel. It has a broad torque band but is a bit gruff. The big seller will be the 1.6 diesel manual, low on CO2 and perfectly class-competitive. There are two petrols, a decently lively if dull-sounding 1.6, and a 130bhp three-cylinder 1.2 petrol. Don’t dismiss the littl’un. Lighter than the diesels, it’s quieter, livelier to rev and sweet, if not at all fast.

In bends the steering’s is nicely geared, the whole thing feeling willing without any pretence of sportiness. The damping keeps things under control without clenching the body uncomfortably. Cruising will matter more to family buyers, and and it tracks straight, even if the small steering wheel might have fooled you into expecting twitchiness. Off-road it’s FWD only, but helped by soft springs and decent ground clearance.

Thanks to the softish springs and well-judged dampers, this is a fine-riding SUV. Well-shaped seats look after the driver and mate. In the back, space isn’t so great – the optional glass roof cramps head space, and unless the people in front raise their seat height you can’t get your feet in under.

The main draw here is the transformed dash and control layout, The materials are well-made and tasteful, the shapes of the dash and console novel but not eccentric. It houses two configurable screens, one for the driver’s instruments and the other for nav and entertainment. Their operation is smooth and logical, and their graphics clean. All versions have phone mirroring.

Most people run diesels in this class of car, and the Peugeot has a good choice. But if you keep your miles down there’s a lot to be said for the petrols. Tick the boxes and the 3008 has the entire buzzword-bingo gamut of advanced driver aids. Some of those things reduce insurance premiums. And the extra showroom appeal of the new 3008 over the old should keep residuals up. A 4WD PHEV version comes next year.

There are four grades in the 3008 range, and the Active is the entry-level model with its list price of $37,490. As a bit of a point of reference, the most expensive 3008 is the GT at $50,990.
Does this mean the Active is a bit light-on for features, then? Nope. But it does miss out on some things the other grades have, including a bit of advanced safety equipment.

First, what do you get? Coming standard is an 8.0-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch instrument panel. Peugeot calls it a “head up”, but it’s not the type which is projected onto the windscreen, but rather a raised screen which sits high above the steering wheel. So far so, good – these are excellent features.

There’s digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a wireless charging pad and sat nav. This is all great, too.

Dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers are also on the standard features list, so are front and rear parking sensors, which is also good because many carmakers only give you rear ones on entry-level cars.

Now, let’s talk about what you don’t get: things like push button start (the Active has an ‘old fashioned’ key you need to turn in the ignition), auto parking or tinted rear windows. Those are all standard on the $39,490 Allure.

Is the Peugeot Active overpriced? Are you just paying more for the fancy French badge? Well, for about the same money as the 3008 Active you could buy a CX-5 in higher-end GT guise or Hyundai Tucson high-spec Elite. Toyota’s RAV4 is a bit bigger than all of these, and $35,490 would get you into a mid-range GXL. These aren’t entry grade SUVs, the Active is – so your money will go a bit further feature-wise if you opt for a Korean or Japanese brand.

The Peugeot 3008 is smaller than most medium-sized SUVs, but it’s too big to be classed as a small SUV. Being in between sizes has its advantages in that it’s easy to park and pilot in tight city streets, but room inside is also surprisingly good

Room up front is plentiful, although the space in the back is getting tight. I’m 191cm tall and when I sat behind my driving position my knees were touching the seat back.

Cargo space in the boot, according to Peugeot, is 590 litres. The 3008’s boot opening is wide with a low load lip, too. The second-row seats cleverly fold to be flat and that gives you a cargo capacity of 1670 litres (measure to the roof).


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