Peugeot 3008 and 508 2019 hybrids detailed

Peugeot has announced three new plug-in hybrid models and confirmed plans to roll-out the powertrain to other models in a bid to reduce the company’s fuel consumption and emissions averages.

The French carmaker – which will offer the derivatives of the mid-size 508 liftback and wagon and the 3008 SUV early next year in Europe – will only produce a petrol-engined hybrid. The three models will use basically the same 1.6-litre engine and a single electric motor.

The three models are under investigation for the Australian market but Peugeot Cars Australia national PR and corporate affairs manager Tyson Bowen said there were no current plans to bring the cars Down Under.

“We have no allocation for the hybrids but that could change,” he told CarsGuide.

“We will however continue to monitor the availability and suitability of the drivetrain for Australian customers and if they were to become available we would certainly study the case for local introduction.”

Mr Bowen said Peugeot was only making the hybrid available with a petrol engine in response to European consumer demand against a backdrop of diesel emission concerns and ongoing diesel scandals.

Peugeot will launch the Hybrid and Hybrid4 (for all-wheel drive) models at the Paris motor show next week.

The Hybrid4 has an electric motor at the rear and it can operate together or separate to the front-drive petrol engine. In this layout, the car can be driven as a 100 per cent electric vehicle. It will also have a 'Sport' mode, 'Comfort' mode, and 'Hybrid' mode.

The EV has a 300-volt lithium-ion battery which has capacities between 11.8kWh and 13.2kWh, ensuring a range of up to 52km on EV alone.

Regenerative aids include the braking system – called 'i-Booster' – and 'e-Save' which allows owners to reserve electric energy for planned journeys.

Peugeot says the models can be recharged in less than two hours using a 6.6kW, 32-amp wallbox.

Peugeot has outfitted the three models with its latest 'i-Cockpit' dashboard system that uses a touchscreen to relay data on the hybrid engine’s efficiency, range and the fuel consumption of the petrol engine.

Power comes from Peugeot’s 1.6-litre petrol engine rated at 132kW and an electric motor at 80kW. The claimed emissions are 49 grams of CO2 per kilometre, equating to about 4.0 litres per 100km.

The Hybrid4 replaces the front-drive Hybrid’s rear torsion-bar suspension with a multi-link system and adds another 80kW motor for the equivalent of 220kW.

This version is capable of a 0-100km/h time of only 6.5 seconds.

The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that has been specifically made for the Hybrid versions.

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