French Fly

What we like:

Interior fit improved upon

New 8-speed automatic definitely welcome

Creative use of materials on the interior

Pleasant ride quality

What we dislike:

Transmission could still be that little bit better

“360” camera not very useful

Peugeot’s compact 5-seater SUV receives a mid-life update, with a new 8-speed transmission. The 3008 has been received with some mixed reactions, but mostly on the positive side. Peugeot took an ambitious risk in challenging the norms of what an SUV should look like, and have designed quite the handsome car.

The French manufacturer is quite generous with its chrome embellishments, including within its LED headlamp clusters. Rear-end styling is visually lifted by a pair of notched tail lamps, sited below the rear windshield.

For Singapore, we get two trim variants. The ‘Active’ receives 17” ‘Chicago Alloys’, while the higher-spec ‘Allure’,18” Detroit Alloys. The ‘Allure’ model also gets aluminium roof rails as standard equipment.

The 3008’s dashboard design is ambitious, with a fair mix of materials, soft-touch plastic surfaces blend well with metal and hard plastics. Compared to the pre-facelifted car, quality in assembly seems to have been greatly improved upon, with the odd shaped dash componentry fitting more accurately. Infotainment toggles, below the air-conditioning vents have good tactile feel to them, and complements the metal accented border they sit on.

The infotainment system is fronted by an 8” capacitive colour touchscreen, and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless smartphone charging through a Qi 1.1 charging pad is a plus for those who have compatible mobile devices.

Its digital i-Cockpit 12.3” TFT instrument cluster is customisable. For those who do not like too much clutter, the display can be minimised to show just the speed, engine temperature and fuel level.

Overall there is little visible change to the car, meaning that it keeps its tiny odd-shaped steering wheel, which I am personally not a fan of. Seats are factory-fitted with PEDIMONTE leather effect and cloth; are comfortable, and are supportive for both driver and front passenger. Legroom for rear adult passengers is sufficient.

Cargo room at 520 litres is respectable (in contrast, the sensible Skoda Karoq does 588 litres). Cargo space increases to a 1,580 litres of flat loading area, with the rear 60:60 style seats folded. There is also an adjustable floor, which adds a little more flexibility to the boot. An electric tailgate also adds to convenience.

Peugeot’s 1.6 litre turbocharged 4-cylinder powers the 3008, delivering 181hp, and 250Nm from 1,650rpm. The new 8-speed transmission, is not the smoothest, but does the job rather well, driving just the front wheels. It’s 100km/h yardstick timing stands at 8.8 seconds, a 0.1 second improvement over the 6-speed. More importantly, fuel economy has been improved upon, thanks to a taller 8th gear. The 3008 does 17.5km/l, slightly better than the 6-speed which stands at 17.2km/l.

Built for comfort, the 3008 soaks up the bumps well, and offers occupants a pleasant commuting experience; however, it does not take very well to quick multiple directional changes (not that you would normally do it). Fortunately, the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is able to keep the car in-check.

Driver aids like its Blind Spot Monitoring System and Lane Keeping Assist, are a standard on the higher-spec ‘Allure’. Unfortunately, Peugeot has not addressed the issue with its simulated birds eye camera, which delivers a not-so-clear image to the user, and depending on the situation, an incomplete top-down image. To make matters worse, it switches views to the rear camera at the last crucial moments when you are backing into a lot, meaning that you will need to reorientate yourself.

The 3008 is well equipped, and features a comfortable interior. Crucially, Peugeot has improved on its consistency in assembly, especially in its interior. While the new transmission helps to make the car more attractive, however it could certainly be a little better in terms of delivery. Its simulated 360 camera on the other hand, is poorly executed.

Overall, the 3008 is pleasant to live with, however it does come across as expensive, compared to the Skoda Karoq, although it does offer a better quality interior. Pricing brings it closer to the Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4, which is better built, and offers a better drive.

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