Peugeot 3008, a revisit to a continental ICOY

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Friday, December 02, 2011

This is the time of year when I like to take a relook at cars which have been with us for a while, to see if they have stayed the pace at which we first found them.

So I recently had a chance to drive the current version of the Peugeot 3008, which was the winner of the Continental Irish Car of the Year 2010. At the time I felt it really deserved the win, not least because it was a new direction for the Lion brand both in the vehicle itself, and in the perceived quality that was a key part of the car's original attraction.

As a new direction, it launched Peugeot into the crossover/MPV arena which the PSA Group had really left to its Citroen division for years. And it was the 'advance' soldier for the 5008 which would offer a 7-seat option and a bit more glitz.

The 3008 was one of those unexpected successes. So much so that the Irish distributor struggled to get enough cars to meet demand in its first year. Yet they managed to sell almost a thousand units in 2010, and even this year will have gotten close to 700 by the time 2011 is out. Along with over 600 of the 5008s sold in the same two years, this new niche for Peugeot is an unqualified success.

So back to my recent outing in the 3008. The front-end design still has a strong presence, and is arguably one of the nicest applications of Peugeot grille styling of the last decade. The profile of the car is rounded chunky, with neat detailing and a rear end treatment which we can still regard as handsome.

Inside we're riding high, one of the many good features of the 3008. And in an ambience where attention has been given to making the occupants feel they are driving in a class act. Which they are. Good plastics, elegant instruments, a centre console with a useful grab handle for a passenger who might need a little extra support on a twisty road.

Room for three in the back seats is quite ample even for a larger set of passengers, and there's plenty of space aft for any luggage that might be accompanying them to either athletic or touring destinations. Folding the back seats gives a large capacity for cargo, and there's a very clever drop-down sill which allows for a longer flatpack to stick out the back and still have the rear door closed. It also makes a terrific seat from which to watch the football match at the local roadside pitch.

That cargo area is finished to the same quality as the rest of the car, so there's nothing compromised in the finish right through the vehicle.

Getting behind the wheel of the 3008 was a real refresh about just how good this car is to drive. And why it won the 2010 Continental ICOY award in the first place.

The powertrain remains the key. The 115hp version of the 1.6 diesel which powers a number of Peugeot/Citroen cars is as sweet as such engines come, and then a little more. And the 6-speed manual transmission with which it is usually matched doesn't give way anything to those which are the best in the shifter business.

Add in a handling experience which is, bluntly, better than many a mainstream hatch, and you know that the 3008 is exceptional in its all-round capability.

As a family car—and we're now in an era where many families are forced to consider only having one car—the 3008 still offers a real balance between hatch, estate, MPV and compact SUV. Without having to sacrifice anything in requirement or experience.

As a member of the Irish Motoring Writers Association and therefore one of the judges of the Continental ICOY, the 3008 two years on shows that we can get it right.

That feels good.