Peugeot 3008 News

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Well, maybe just blown up a bit, because it remains front-wheel drive so we wouldn’t be taking it off road any time soon.But it’s now officially recognised as an SUV. Go figure.The maker claims the 3008 has always qualified as an SUV but with the arrival of an updated model it decided to have that status ratified by industry gamekeeper, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.The mid-life makeover rationalises the 3008 to one better equipped model, with new styling front and rear, standard satnav and rear-view camera and concealed underfloor storage.It’s available with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine or 2.0-litre turbodiesel, both of which carry over from the previous model. The transmission is a six-speed auto.The engines provide energetic performance and the car handles well tooThe petrol engine is shared with BMW and powers a Mini variant.Prices take a $1000 cut — the petrol model is from $35,490 and the diesel $38,990. Premium paint adds $990.Get aboard and there are some surprises — the engines provide energetic performance and the car handles well too, sitting flat in corners even when pushed enthusiastically.The seats are large and comfortable and the ride quality is pretty good for a European job that has not had the benefit of local tuning. Still, the 3008 can bounce around on country roads.Standard equipment includes cloth trim, dual climate- control air-con, seven-inch screen, LEDs, auto lights and wipers, electric brake and 17-inch alloys.There’s just the one Active grade this time around but a $3500 option pack adds leather trim, heated front seats, head-up display, rear sunblinds and a panoramic glass sunroof.The head-up display projects the information on to a transparent plastic screen that unfolds from the top of the dash.Price from: $35,490Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmCapped seriving: YesService Interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety: 5 starsEngine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo, 115kW/240Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbodiesel, 120kW/340NmTransmission: 6 speed autoThirst: 6.7L-7.8L/100kmDimensions: 4365mm (L) 1837mm (W) 1639mm (H)Weight: 1555kg-1614kgSpare: Full-size (temporary in diesel)

Australian will have to wait for Peugeot to perform hot weather testing on its two hybrid models before we get them here. Peugeot has a 3008h Hybrid4 model available overseas and is planning to release the 508 RXH diesel-hybrid. However, Peugeot Automobiles Australia spokeswoman Jaedene Hudson says neither is yet confirmed for Australia until hot weather testing has been completed. She could not confirm where the hot weather testing is being done. "They haven't come out here yet, but that's not to say that they won't," she says. "Once that is completed we can decide when we can take them. "We might take one, or both, or none." Peugeot currently only sells the "mild hybrid" 508 and 308 which have fuel-saving auto stop-start systems. Meanwhile, she says fuel-efficient diesel models are popular, representing a large proportion of their sales. "We were among the first with diesel technology and we continue to develop and redevelop the technology," she says. Sales of Peugeot are down 11.8 per cent so far this year to 1744, but Hudson says they are not panicking. "We had a lot of stuff to sort out at the start of the year with demo models," she says. "We sold a lot of demos which are not counted in the official figures because they're not new regos. We've now refreshed our demo fleet and there are plenty of demo models available." She says the early supply problems for the new 4008 compact SUV have been rectified and sales are on track for 900 by the end of the year. Hudson also expects the new 208 light car coming in October to finish the year off with a high. The slightly bigger and 150kg lighter 208 features a new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, plus a new interior with touch screen, redeveloped smaller and lower steering wheel and a higher dashboard "so you don't take the eyes off the road as much", she says. In the latest round of Euro NCAP testing, the Peugeot 208 received a maximum score as well as high pedestrian protection results. Australia will not be getting the 408 to be released in November, leaving a gap left by the departure of the 407. We also won't be getting the 301 which is only to be produced for left-hand-drive markets. However, we may get the Urban Crossover Concept which debuted at the Beijing motor show in April. The vehicle is built off the 208 platform and is even smaller than the 4008. Hudson says it's only a concept, but if it goes into production it would be the kind of car Australians want. "That small segment is definitely increasing in sales," she says. "The 4008 is going well, especially in two-wheel drive. "I guess it's the younger generation that want something bigger than a hatch but with off-road capability. It's the 30-40 age demographic that are quite affluent, like the urban lifestyle but also like the great outdoors. "They also like the high ride height and SUV styling." She says there is no official name for the concept vehicle at this stage, but it is likely to be 2008.  

Priced from 26,995 the new Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 is due here towards the middle of next year. This environmentally friendly, ground breaking car introduces a combination of diesel and electric power, a real breakthrough in technology and renewed driving sensations, while also delivering huge benefits in cost of ownership. The HYbrid4 power train delivers a lean 3.8 litres/100km low and low engine emissions of 99g/km of CO2, with four driving modes - Auto, ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle), Sport and 4WD. That's 35 per cent less than an internal combustion engine with the same output. The car features an unusual drive train arrangement, with a 121kW 2.0-litre HDi FAP diesel engine that drives the front wheels and an 27kW electric motor that powers the rear wheels, with a combined power output of 149kW. In the UK the car qualifies for an exemption from the London's prohibitive Congestion Charge. Having sold out of the 3008 HYbrid4 limited edition, the range offers two versions: a 99g/km CO2 at 26,995 and 104g/km CO2 at 28,495.

More than 80 per cent of dog owners take their canine companions along in their vehicles.

Peugeot's 3008 HYbrid4 will arrive in Australia about this time next year boasting fuel economy of 3.8 litres per 100km and pumping out only 99g of CO2 per kilometre which is better than some scooters.  Peugeot Automobiles Australia spokesperson Kirin Tipping says it will appeal to people who want an SUV "with a clear conscience". It's not the first Peugeot with a diesel-electric hybrid engine.  The company has made small numbers of 308CC diesel hybrids for testing in Madrid, one of which came to the Sydney Motor Show as a display vehicle. However, this will be the first full production model diesel hybrid. It will be followed by an RCZ sports car in early 2012, says Tipping.  "We are also definitely considering entering a diesel-hybrid in the Le Mans," she says. "We've done extremely well in the past, winning it last year. And we're actually going to have that car at the Sydney Motor Show in October."  The 3008 HYbrid4 is powered by a 2.0 litre 122kW HDi diesel engine driving the front wheels and a 27.5kW electric motor driving the back wheels with the ability to operate in all-electric mode and produce zero emissions. There is no mechanical transfer box or prop shaft connecting the two powertrains. Drive is controlled electronically. Tipping says the vehicle will have "better sales than a niche market product".  "We've been doing well with diesel sales in past five to 10 years," she says. "The 3008 has had good success for us so far so the introduction of diesel-hybrid will only strengthen the interest. Just look at the popularity of the Camry and Prius hybrids and this is promising much better economy and emissions results." She says the HYbrid4 will probably come in one spec close to or matching the top-spec 3008 XTE.  "There would be a premium price over the XTE ($39,990), but it will be minimal," Tipping says. "One of our big things is keeping prices in line with the CPI and with the reduction in exchange rates we've been able to drop our prices recently, so we don't want to make it a huge step up."  The HYbrid4 will feature new-generation high-voltage stop-start technology. Tipping says the new technology will avoid the problem of shuddering which occurs when diesel engines start and stop.  "There has been work to get rid of that," she says. "The electric motor has dissipated that shudder in combination with the Aisin AT6 (manual six-speed electronic sequential) gearbox which is on some 308 and 3008 models."  The HYbrid4 will feature a control selector on the centre console so drivers can choose between four operating modes. Auto mode allows the system to switch between the HDi diesel engine and electric motor.  ZEV mode (Zero Emission Vehicle) uses the electric motor for short periods when the battery is fully charged with the diesel cutting in only under hard and sustained acceleration. Four-wheel drive mode (4WD) operates both powertrains and Sport mode uses both powertrains and combines quicker gear changes and higher engine speeds.  The nickel-metal hydride batteries are under the boot floor, near the electric motor. To cope with the added weight in the rear, the multi-arm suspension houses the electric motor and reduction gearbox.  Despite the battery and motor in the rear, Peugeot claims load capacity under the parcel shelf of 420 litres and 66 litres under a flat boot floor. The HYbrid4 is expected to come with a range of high-tech gear such as jet-fighter-style head-up display on the windscreen, a distance alert system that helps the driver keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front, a parallel park system that evaluates the size of a parking space, an electric handbrake with hill assistance and a satellite navigation system that includes a juke-box, hard disc drive, USB connector, DVD player and Bluetooth. The 3008 HYbrid4 will be produced in Sochaux and Mulhouse, France.

The event was a landmark for endurance rallies in Australia and also for the French carmaker, whose little 203 model driven by Ken Tubman won the 10,500km slog around the country - a great deal of which, in those days was just a collection of tracks through remote areas.But bitumen roads will greet the two stock standard Peugeot 3008 compact all-wheel drives that take off this Friday to re-run most of the 1953 trial in the Redex Tribute as part of their 200th anniversary.Powered by a 80kW/240Nm 1.6 litre turbo-diesel mated to a six-speed semi-automatic transmission, the cars will travel from Sydney to Brisbane, then Bundaberg - Rockhampton - Mackay- Townsville - Mount Isa - Tennant Creek - Alice Springs - Adelaide- Melbourne - Albury and back to Sydney, missing only a side leg up to Darwin.Drivers in the 1953 trial included some that became household names, such as Sir Jack Brabham and Jack 'Gelignite' Murray, but Tubman's win became legend - and caused such a sales run that every new Peugeot in Australia sold within a week of the finish."It wasn't slick marketing - it was about the ability to demonstrate that the cars could cope with lots of pretty rugged conditions back then," says Peugeot Australia general manager Ken Thomas. "Australian roads outside Sydney and Melbourne were pretty ordinary in 1953 - they were just goat tracks."Thomas admits that the Peugeot cars of several years ago, beset by a spate of quality problems, may not have lived up to the reputation of the 1953 legends. But he says that the last two years have seen a return to high standards."There was an era where the quality wasn't up to our standard - and we had to deal with that," he says. "I think Peugeot themselves got a bit of a fright when they were experiencing issues not only in Australia but in the UK - particularly with electronics. We weren't alone. Mercedes was suffering and so were other brands. But in the last two years, it's been outstanding. Warranty costs are dropping like a stone... the costs for how many parts we import under warranty are the lowest they've ever been."Thomas says the 3008 model that will be doing the Redex rerun is an 'outstanding example' of a well-built car and will have no problem with the 8500km 15-day trek."We are approaching this in a way to prove that the 3008 is not an urban show pony - that it can emulate what its forebears did in the 203."