New Peugeot 3008 Access Special Offers

Peugeot's 3008 cross-over attempts to offer the best of two worlds. Steve Walker takes a look

A few years back, it dawned on the major car manufacturers that the public really liked 4x4 vehicles. There was a corresponding explosion in the numbers of off-roaders both in the showrooms and on the roads, followed by an entirely predictable backlash against them. In more recent times, it's been looking increasingly likely that the public don't actually like 4x4s that much at all. What they actually like is certain characteristics that only 4x4 vehicles could offer. The cross-over vehicle was born to deliver these qualities, having distilled away the worst foibles of the off-roader. Peugeot's 3008 is just such a cross-over but is it the car for you?

Tall and chunky like a 4x4, nimble and economical like a hatchback, that's the thinking behind Peugeot's 3008 cross-over. A solid range of engines and some choice technological features will help but the 3008's fortunes will ultimately depend on whether its particular blend of attributes strikes a chord with the public.

Cross-over is one of those horrid catch-all terms that can mean pretty much anything. It's a kind of halfway house in some respects, a compromise between two kinds of vehicle but one that raises awkward questions. Can really great cars be born out of compromise? What exactly is the cross-over crossing over from and to? Where its 3008 is concerned, Peugeot's answer would be that this is a cross-over coming from somewhere between the 308 hatchback and the 4007 compact 4x4.

Peugeot is putting the best of its engine range to work in the 3008. That means 2.0-litre and 1.6-litre HDi diesels plus 1.6-litre VTi and THP petrols. If we take the diesel options first, there's a 112bhp Euro5 1.6-litre unit at the base of the range that's available with the standard six-speed manual gearbox or Peugeot's clever electronically-controlled clutchless system. Next come the 2.0-litre options packing 150bhp and 163bhp. The more powerful of these comes with a conventional six-speed automatic. Petrol buyers can take either the 120bhp 1.6-litre VTi engine and its five-speed manual transmission or step on to the turbocharged 1.6-litre THP which develops 150bhp.

The 3008's suspension set-up is independent MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. It's the sort of arrangement still found in the majority of family hatchbacks. There's no four-wheel-drive option with the standard 3008. Instead, Peugeot claims to have boosted the car's 'outdoor' abilities by including a special Grip Control traction control system. It has five operating modes, each designed to optimise traction on a particular surface. The more powerful engine options also include the Dynamic Roll Control system which is designed to counteract the body roll that higher riding vehicles can experience when cornered with feeling. Variable electro-hydraulic power steering is also included as standard as is ESP stability control with a built-in hill assist function.

The 3008 runs on the same underpinnings as the 308 hatch and its other spin-off models. Styling-wise, it employs a conventional hatchback shape but its high nose, the beefy grille and bumper combination and those flared wheelarches provide the hint of SUV that marks the 3008 out as a cross-over. Peugeot's recent design efforts have split opinion with the enormous yawning grille that was rolled out across the model range proving distinctive but not always in an aesthetically pleasing way. In moving away from this family face, the 3008 is one of the best looking Peugeots we've seen for a while.

The rear tailgate is split like that of the 4007 SUV, so while the top section lifts up like a hatch, the bottom one drops down to form a convenient loading platform that can hold 200kg. Total boot space is a very large 512-litres and this jumps to 1,604 litres when the rear seats are folded down.

The seating is raised up higher than that of a normal hatchback, mimicking one of the traits that's most popular with buyers choosing compact 4x4 vehicles. There's also a large glazed area to assist further with visibility. An optional glass roof like the one found on the 308 SW estate can further increase the amount of light making its way into the cabin. Peugeot is particularly proud of the air-conditioning system on the 3008. It features an air-quality sensor that closes off the inflow of air from outside the car if high levels of pollution are detected, recalculating the air that's already inside.

How well the 3008 fares will depend how well it mingles the qualities of hatchback and 4x4, and whether Peugeot's take on the best way to manage the compromises is in tune with that of the public. Obvious rivals for the car include other cross-over efforts like Nissan's Qashqai but in straddling the compact 4x4 and family hatch classes, the 3008 gives its customers a vast range of alternatives that can do a similar job. Choosing a new car was never easy but with the dividing lines between market segments becoming increasingly hazy, buyers have it as tough now as they ever have.

The range is based around Active, Sport and Exclusive trim levels but even the entry-level variants come with 17" steel wheels with Michelin Energy Saver Tyres, a leather steering wheel, a CD player, front fog-lights, electric front windows, air-conditioning, an automatic electric parking brake with hill assist, the electronic stability programme (ESP), a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, remote central door locking with deadlocks and ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBFD).

Four-wheel drive is usually a recipe for increased fuel consumption and that's one reason why the 3008 doesn't offer its customers the option of four driven wheels, at least not in the traditional sense. At launch, all models will be front-wheel drive but there's something in the pipeline that will change all that. The 3008 will be the first model to feature Peugeot's Hybrid 4 technology, a diesel hybrid system that uses a conventional engine to power the front wheels and an electric motor to power those at the back. With the electric motor taking the strain of the diesel one, fuel economy of over 57mpg is achievable and CO2 emissions are reduced to just 109g/km.

Car buyers uncertain whether to plump for the high driving position and chunky looks of a 4x4 or the handling composure and fuel economy of a family hatchback could have their dilemma solved at a stroke by the Peugeot 3008. This cross-over model might be the automotive equivalent of sitting on the fence but its amalgamation of qualities from two popular market sectors could be just what some people are looking for.

Peugeot has taken the 308 platform and added a higher driving position and some pretty 4x4-style design cues. It's thrown in a solid engine range and some clever technological features as well. There's nothing especially groundbreaking here unless you count the forthcoming Hybrid 4 diesel/electric hybrid system but the way elements from the two types of vehicle have been combined does create something a bit different.