French for Crossover

People-movers and MPVs are not renowned for big sales in New Zealand, but that was before the Peugeot 3008, writes DAVE MOORE.

The concept of a five-seater vehicle with high-rise seating, good load space, a long loping gait and pleasing car-like dynamics was made real by the French in the late 90s with the first Renault Scenic followed by the Citroen Picasso.

In recent times both those models have undergone a metamorphosis into larger, more expensive vehicles, which means the owners of the originals found it difficult to make the step up to the newer designs which now had more seats than they needed.

Enter the Peugeot 3008, a car closer to the original concept of a five-seater people-mover, and one that even manages to start at under $41,990 without looking like there's been some penny- pinching done.

The 3008 is based on the 308 hatch creating extra space by being slightly high-rise in its execution. For seven seats, Peugeot offers the 5008 in Europe, which was cultivated from the longer wheelbase 308 SW model.

The 3008 has an egg-crate grille that would look at home on a 1950s Ferrari sports car and a five- door body style that looks slightly chunky rather than stylish, with a distinctive upsweep of brightwork at the waistline as it meets the C-pillar which will become one of Peugeot's new signature points.

While it may not be particularly sexy, its rounded, well-detailed design looks to me particularly solid and trustworthy, and this may well be something that will attract the family customers it is looking for.

Inside, the Peugeot 3008 displays the best driving environment I've ever seen in a Peugeot. The asymmetry of the dash with its wraparound driver's area, quality, rattle-free plastics, and switches and levers that offer just the right kind of designed-in resistance seem somehow more German than French.

Also, an autocue-like panel of perspex can be made to pop up in front of the driver. On it is clearly projected the car's speed and other information in a heads-up display which is $1000 extra on the base car and included in the price on the others. Compared with the $3000 to $5000 we're expected to pay for some purely electronic heads-up displays which project onto the windscreen, this is a bargain.

Big seats with lots of adjustments feature up front, and the 3008 offers a tall, well placed perch for its driver, and with reach and rake adjustable steering all part of the package it would be a strangely shaped person who won't find a cosy place from which to drive this car.

It's not quite such good news out back. You'll get three across easily enough and the chairs are well-shaped, but there's no separate sliding feature for them, so elbows will clash when full up and ultimate legroom is adequate rather than expansive. However, if children are part of your package this will be less of a problem.

Luggage and stowage space is good, however. Even with the back seats in use, there's 512 litres of volume, and when they're folded down, you can get a massive 1604 litres of stuff in there. This means a couple of mountain bikes can be accommodated inside along with all your gear. For day-to-day young family work, the luggage area has two-level shelving so shopping and more precious items can be kept separate, and a two piece tailgate means you can sit under the open hatch, on the fold down lower portion or use it as picnic table or fish-gutting surface.

Two engine choices for the 3008 will be available for the New Zealand market, each with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The 115kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbopetrol unit was co-developed by Peugeot/Citroen and BMW, it's a staple unit in the current New Mini. With more torque and power, the 120kW/340Nm 2.0-litre HDi turbodiesel would normally be my automatic choice. However, the petrol unit is so flexible and willing to rev when needed, that even my normally diesel-biased attitude is challenged.

There's no doubt that the diesel is more punchy, but being $4000 cheaper and only a litre or so per 100km more thirsty, the petrol unit is an understandable choice. It's also quieter, though in terms of CO2 emissions, at 176g to 182g per kilometre the diesel is marginally cleaner.

So it's a relatively quick car, and you might think that's a tad out of character for something so tall and practical, but the 3008's chassis is well up to it.

When driving into a sequence of bends, the 3008 stays uncannily flat and stable, thanks to what Peugeot calls a dynamic roll control system which is attached to the rear suspension. When the car is cornering it automatically pressurises the shock absorber on the outside of the curve to counter body roll and mitigate understeer.

It works well, and the rest of the chassis is no let- down either, for after a run of fairly mediocre ride and handling set-ups in recent years, Peugeot appears to have chosen the 3008 as the car with which it returns to form as a maker of fine front- drive chassis.

With lovely communicative steering, and the ability to dispatch bumps and holes as if they aren't there, while delivering loads of grip and balance, the 3008 harks back to Peugeot's great all-round chassis, like those once used by the 405 and 406 models. It's a lovely drive.

The 3008's two engine line-up can be had in Active, Sport and Luxury forms, but even the entry-point $41,990 Active model doesn't leave much out. Half a dozen airbags, ABS, brake assist, stability control and that roll-control set-up are standard, as is a 5-star Euro NCAP crash-safety rating. A rear radar parking aid, automatic wipers and lights, 17 inch alloy wheels and cruise control also come as part of the base package along with a CD player with MP3 compatibility, a deep chilled centre console box, an automatic, parking brake and dual zone airconditioning.

For $46,990, the 3008 Sport adds front parking radar, lower profiled 18 inch alloy rims, a panoramic glass roof with power sunshade, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, and the heads-up display. Starting at $49,990, the 3008 Luxury adds heated front seats and leather upholstery to the package and diesel adds $4000 to each model.

The Active model is well enough equipped for me not to feel short-changed by only being able to afford this entry-point car. The 3008's closest competitors in New Zealand are Mazda's CX7, the Nissan Qashqai and the 2WD Mitsubishi Outlander. They're all less expensive than the new Frenchman, but none of them quite offers the sense of occasion you get when you enter the 3008. Its material choices, fit and finish are exemplary - and very un-French, I might add - while the sheer dynamism of its comfortable, accurate and commendably well-sorted chassis is a joy to experience.

True, I'd like a little more rear leg space, and no Bluetooth in a $40 grand-plus car is unforgiveable these days, but for young families or adventurous empty-nesters the 3008 is the pick of the current batch of new crossovers.

What a pity the French haven't created a name for this type - after all they have for everything else!

PEUGEOT 3008

* Drivetrain: Transverse FWD, turbocharged 16 valve DOHC fours, 6-speed automatic. 1.6 THP - 115kW at 6000rpm and 240Nm at 1400rpm. 2.0 HDi - 120kW at 3750rpm and 340Nm at 2000rpm.

* Performance: 1.6 THP - Max 202km/h, 0-100km/h 8.9secs, 7.8L/100km, 182g/km CO2. 2.0 HDi - Max 204km/h, 0-100kmh 10.2secs, 6.6L/100km, 176g/km CO2.

* Dimensions: L 4365mm, H 1639mm, W 2113mm, W/base 2613mm, Weight 1539kg, Fuel 60L.

* Pricing: Active $41,990, Sport $46,990, Luxury $49,990. Turbodiesels add $4000.

* Hot: Supple, chassis; best French interior ever; equipment, even in base model; flexible petrol engine.

* Not: More rear legroom, please; glass roof not optional in top models.

* Verdict: Kiwis find people- mover type crossovers hard to like. Well, here's one that's very easy to love.

- © Fairfax NZ News