Test drive: Peugeot 3008 Hybrid, the best and worst of the best-selling plug-in hybrid

It’s no coincidence: the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid remains the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle on the Spanish market year to date, although rivals such as the Ford Kuga PHEV or the very MG EHS, which reached the top of the podium in April with its aggressive price, are making things increasingly difficult for it.

As we will see, the hybrid SUV from Peugeot has no shortage of virtues, with a very attractive design, a well-utilised cabin and a competent propulsion system, already known and used by many models in the Stellantis group, with versions to choose from.

1.- Range and prices of the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid

The 3008 Hybrid range has two versions: the 3008 Hybrid, with 225 CV and front-wheel drive; and the 3008 Hybrid4, with 300 CV and all-wheel drive. In both cases the combustion engine is the 1.6 Turbo four-cylinder petrol unit, producing 180 CV in the Hybrid and 200 CV in the Hybrid4, coupled to a 110 CV electric motor on the front axle. The Hybrid4 version adds a second electric motor on the rear axle.

Depending on the equipment level, the prices according to the brand’s configurator are as follows, without applying any possible MOVES Plan aid and without discounts, which according to the configurator itself, it does not have. What you can achieve at the dealership is another matter:

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 225 CV EAT8

• 3008 Hybrid Active pack: 43,430 euros
• 3008 Hybrid Allure: 44,230 euros
• 3008 Hybrid Allure pack: 44,730 euros
• 3008 Hybrid GT hybrid: 46,930 euros
• 3008 Hybrid GT pack hybrid: 48,930 euros

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 300 CV EAT8

• 3008 Hybrid4 Allure pack: 50,230 euros
• 3008 Hybrid4 GT hybrid: 52,430 euros
• 3008 Hybrid4 GT pack hybrid: 54,430 euros

The Pack versions on the Allure trim add a driver’s seat with manual height and lumbar adjustment, a passenger seat with height adjustment and a folding backrest, hands-free access and start, and special dashboard trim finished in fabric. In the case of the GT Pack, on top of the GT trim they add a motorised tailgate with hands-free opening, the 10-speaker FOCAL audio system and the Visiopark-2 camera parking assistant.

2.- Careful, without offers, the 3008 PHEV is an expensive car

Some important considerations about price. The first is that the Hybrid4 version, with equal equipment, costs 5,500 euros more. I can already tell you it is not worth it, the sensible purchase is the 225 CV 4×2 version. Another interesting reference is the price of its “sibling” in the range, the new Peugeot 308, also available with two plug-in hybrid versions.

The compact is always front-wheel drive, with either 180 CV or 225 CV. The entry-level 308 PHEV, with 180 CV -which already goes wonderfully- and Active Pack trim, starts at 34,680 euros; almost 9,000 euros less than the SUV, so it is worth thinking very carefully. Matching engine and trim, a 3008 Hybrid 225 CV GT Pack means paying more than 5,000 additional euros compared with the equivalent 308. It still seems to me a large difference to pay for the SUV bodywork.

And against its rivals? As I said, without discounts, at list prices the 3008 Hybrid is an expensive car. A Opel Grandland PHEV 225 CV, with which the 3008 PHEV shares its platform and propulsion system, is available from 41,000 euros, about 2,430 euros cheaper. And a Ford Kuga PHEV 225 CV, to mention one of the alternatives I find most interesting, brings the list price of 42,065 euros down to 35,415 euros with official discounts. That is 8,000 euros more than the 3008 Hybrid 225 CV.

I insist once more: watch the prices… and the possible discounts, because list prices are very high and not competitive at all. Without a discount, at these prices, the 3008 PHEV is not worth it. On the Peugeot Store website there are occasional offers on specific versions already configured and available for online purchase, with discounts of around 4,000 euros off the list price; that is another matter altogether.

3.- Electric-mode range and consumption of the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid

Among the main reasons to choose a plug-in hybrid like the Peugeot 3008 PHEV, one may be the fact that it has the DGT CERO emissions label. The other, usually, is related to the advantages these cars offer in terms of consumption, due to their ability to run in electric mode, or their low average consumption when operating in hybrid mode.

In the case of the 3008 Hybrid, the battery in both versions has a capacity of 13.2 kWh, which allows an announced electric range of about 59 km, with an approved average consumption of around 1.4 l/100 km.

As for the approved consumption of plug-in hybrids, we have said many times that it is practically impossible to achieve in real-world use, due to the homologation cycle; and the 3008 is no exception. Realistic consumption figures for this car are, with the battery charged, around 2.5 l/100 km on average for about 130-150 km, which is how long the electric energy lasts. From then on, in hybrid mode and until you recharge, the 3008 Hybrid settles for about 7.5 l/100 km on average, getting close to 7 l/100 km if you drive anticipatively and efficiently. If you ignore the accelerator and choose Sport mode, you will not go below 9.5 l/100 km.

And the electric-mode range? Of the plug-in hybrids we have tested, it is the one that moves furthest from the approved figure: exceeding 35 km of electric driving is very difficult. One of the points where I think this 3008 has room for improvement as a plug-in hybrid. Let us not forget that there are already cars such as the Toyota Rav-4 PHEV or the Suzuki Across (they are the same car) capable of exceeding 70 km in electric mode. With a Kuga PHEV, for example, it is not difficult to reach 50 km, which is close to the 56 km approved figure.

By the way, the standard charger of the 3008 PHEV is 3.7 kW, which allows a full charge in about four hours. Optionally it can be specified with a more powerful charger reaching 7.4 kW, which reduces charging time to 1 hour and 45 minutes using a Wallbox. With the standard charger you can comfortably recharge the 3008 PHEV at home overnight, even from a domestic socket.

4.- A striking design inside and out

Before moving on to the dynamic qualities, let us turn to one of the main strengths of the Peugeot 3008, and not only of the hybrid versions: its design. After the update it received at the end of 2020, Peugeot has produced a very appealing SUV, the kind of car that is hard to find anyone who dislikes. And we already know that for many buyers, purchasing a vehicle, especially at certain price levels, has an important emotional component.

Personally, I find the 3008 very attractive, especially the GT versions, with distinctive touches both on the bodywork and in the interior -seats, upholstery, floor mats, trim, etc.- that give a sporty yet luxurious look, with materials that convey a sense of great quality.

I have always been critical of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, recommending that you test-drive a car with this driving position layout before buying, as it does not suit every driver. But in the case of the 3008 it is in the Peugeot model where I like this format of very small steering wheel with the instrumentation above it the most.

Here, since you sit very high, I have no trouble finding a driving position where the steering wheel does not block the full instrument display. And you do not need to cover many kilometres to become very comfortable driving such a small wheel. I like the multimedia screen in its raised position, on the same horizontal line as the instrumentation. And also the row of buttons below the central air vent, with a very eye-catching design, which gives access to the main functions -climate control, phone, music, main menu- without navigating the touchscreen.

As for points to improve in the interior, the rear seats are not very spacious, something that cannot be remedied with the option to slide the rear bench longitudinally, which some of its rivals offer. And the boot, with a large capacity -up to 520 litres- in the versions with combustion engines, drops to under 400 litres in the PHEVs, which have the battery installed under the floor. It is not one of the biggest, but it may be sufficient; moreover, it has very regular shapes, and there is a space beneath the floor for storing the charging cables.

5.- An SUV that drives like a compact saloon

Other strong points of the Peugeot 3008 are the ease with which it is driven and the feel it offers through the steering wheel, with a magnificent balance between comfort and agility, which makes its dynamic behaviour very similar to the reactions of a lower car in which you sit lower down.

The key is a rather firm suspension that controls body movements but absorbs potholes very well, with quite sensible tyre sizing (225/55 on an 18-inch wheel) and quick steering that also makes manoeuvring very easy. Furthermore, it is well insulated, both from wind and mechanical noise.

The driver can choose between the usual driving modes for this type of car: electric, hybrid or Sport. In the case of the Hybrid4 there is an additional mode, 4WD. The “joystick”-type gear selector lever on the centre console makes it easy to switch between the “D” and “B” modes, the latter giving greater engine braking when driving in electric mode; from the steering-wheel paddles you can change gear when driving in hybrid mode. Asking for more, it would not hurt if in electric mode we could select the level of regeneration in several stages from the paddles.

The only thing that requires a longer period of adaptation is the feel of the brakes, with an initial phase when pressing the pedal in which the deceleration is provided by the energy recovery system, and it seems to lack bite. But you quickly get used to identifying the point at which the hydraulic brakes come into action.

As for performance, the 225 km/h top speed and the 8.7 seconds the 3008 Hybrid needs to go from 0 to 100 km/h are not the only figures that justify not needing to look towards the Hybrid4 and its 300 CV. On the road, the more powerful 4×4 3008 PHEV does not offer the sensations of a car that claims a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in under 6 seconds. And the 4×2 already offers a pleasant usability and a notable throttle response, enough not to miss more performance.

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

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