Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 2020 Review - The Best Family SUV?

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Peugeot wants to be a key player in the plug-in hybrid part of the mid-sized SUV segment with this car, the 3008 Hybrid. It looks smart, certainly makes the efficiency numbers and will work well as a package for a family buyer wanting a degree of EV tech but not quite ready to take the plunge into full-battery motoring. But though the plug-in technology on offer here is pretty cutting-edge, it's also pretty heavy and pricey.

Background

Plug-in Hybrid technology may turn out to be one of the more short-lived of the motor industry's propulsion options. The first plug-in hybrids didn't arrive until around 2015 and there's talk of future legislation banning them by 2035 (though in a post-Covid world, who knows how far that deadline might be extended?).

What we do know is that right here and now, plug-ins (or PHEVs) are often the undecided green motorist's preference, even though they're no longer government-incentivised. The fully electrified commuting mileage, the absence of range anxiety and low taxation of PHEVs are all tempting. But the elephant in the room remains the high cost of this technology, which reflects in the price of all current contenders, including the one we look at here, the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid. Can it stack up? Let's find out.

Driving Experience

This isn't the first time we've seen a Hybrid 3008 model. The first generation design was available in electrified form too, but that was a self-charging set-up mated to a diesel engine. This time round, a 1.6-litre petrol turbo powerplant mated to an 8-speed auto gearbox has been blended with more advanced plug-in hybrid technology that allows for 36 miles of WLTP-rated all-electric driving range. This powertrain features in two flavours: in 225hp form in the front-driven 3008 Hybrid. Or in 300hp guise in the AWD 3008 Hybrid4, the latter variant featuring two electric motors (a 108bhp unit on the front axle and a 111bhp motor on the rear axle - hence the nominal AWD capability). In both cases, the way that petrol progress is seamlessly integrated with electrified power is very impressive - and the whole package feels as quick as those output figures might suggest (rest to 62mph in the Hybrid4 takes just 5.9s en route to a 146mph maximum - or an 84mph all-electric maximum).

So it ought to feel pretty quick. Well it does to a point. But things are rather blunted, as is usual with this class of car, by a somewhat prodigious kerb weight. The plug-in powertrain adds a substantial 360kgs over the weight of a 2.0 diesel 3008; or around half a tonne over a base petrol version. That's an awful lot of extra bulk to carry around and even with 520Nm of pulling power on tap, you feel that from behind the wheel, especially if you try and chuck this car about in the kind of manner a typical owner never would. You get four driving modes, with the one you'll be using most of the time being the 'Hybrid' setting that chooses the best mix of electric and petrol propulsion to suit the driving style whilst optimising efficiency. The alternative settings are either 'Sport' (where the car combines the power of the electric and petrol motors to offer livelier performance). And 'All-Wheel Drive'.

Design and Build

As usual with plug-in models, visual differentiations from standard variants are few. In this case, that means special dichroic badging on the boot and front wings, an extra filler flap and a cyan light that shines from the interior mirror when the car is in all-electric motion. Otherwise, this is like any other second generation 3008, which means it's very sleekly styled but, at 4.4-metres long, remains one of the more compact crossovers in the mid-sized SUV segment.

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