Peugeot's new e3008 is an eye-catching and refined drive
The French are coming and cars such as the VW ID.4, and Skoda Enyaq had better watch out.
The Peugeot 3008 is joining the ranks of serious electric cars and with prices in Europe starting at a competitive €48,650, the SUV for families now wants to make a name for itself at the charging station.
That's because the brand with the lion badge is not only focussing on an unusual Gallic design and avant-garde ambience. For the first time, Peuegot's technology is also on a par with the competition.
This is made possible by a new platform in which the developers at parent company Stellantis have focussed on electric drives for the first time, rather than basing the cars on combustion engined models as used to be the case.
This means the batteries are larger than before and they charge up faster. The motors have more power and electric driving is much more pleasant and refined with multi-stage recuperation and navigation plus intelligent charging planning.
But it's not just the technology that makes the 3008 stand out from the crowd. The designers have also done a good job. The 4.54 metre long French car looks unusually sporty and sleek for an SUV in this class with its new front aspect and sloping rear.
Inside, the characteristic iCockpit has been further developed and above the unusually small and neat steering wheel, a curved display seems to hovers almost freely above the centre console.
Below this, there is a second touchscreen with a digital switch strip, which can be customised, just like the screen display. Ambient lighting shimmers in eight colours over consoles finished in aluminium and high-tech materials.
There are also comfortable seats, numerous assistance systems, a good camera and impressive entertainment - if only the warning and control sounds, such as the clicking of the indicator, were not so loud.
The standard electric 3008 comes with just one motor and the smaller of two batteries, which has 73 kWh. This should enable a standard range of 524 kilometres.
This drive delivers 157 kW/210 hp and manages the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds. Top speed is pegged at 170 kilometres per hour. The 3008 also picks up speed when charging, drawing alternating current at 11 kW and direct current now at 160 kW.
The 3008 will also be later available with a second motor, increasing the output to 240 kW/320 hp and driving all four wheels. Added to that a 98 kWh battery will follow in the autumn and that should make 700 kilometres possible.
The e3008 drives faster, appears more confident and makes a more mature, less compromised impression than the previous electric cars in the Stellantis family.
The only catch, even for dyed-in-the-wool e-drivers, is that the 3008 offers no frunk luggage compartment under bonnet and the space economy is worse than in other electrics in this class, especially in the rear.
Rear-seat passengers enjoy less knee room as a result. Nevertheless, the boot has a capacity of 520 to 1,480 litres and there are plenty of storage compartments for everyday items in the centre console, for example.
The e3008 is a genuine eye-catcher among the sheer number of SUVs in the compact class and marks a huge leap forward for Peugeot in terms of electrical technology.
As a result, the French, who were recently being left behind, and soon all the other Stellantis brands, will be much closer to the electric pioneers of the competition.
