2024 Peugeot e-3008 electric car review
Electric version of Peugeot’s new-generation family SUV comes with coupe-like styling and some impressive statistics...
On sale: April 2024 | Price: From £45,850
What does the new Peugeot e-3008 have in common with the Mercedes EQS? Not a lot, admittedly. One is a mainstream family SUV, while the other is a mega-money luxury limousine. But both are part of the exclusive 400-mile electric car club.
You see, until recently, if you wanted to travel more than 400 miles (officially) before needing to replenish your car’s battery, you needed over £100,000 to buy an EQS. The Fisker Ocean SUV and the updated Polestar 2 executive car have since broken through the 400-mile barrier, and hot on their heels – perhaps surprisingly – is the new 435-mile e-3008.
You might remember that the Peugeot 3008 started out as an MPV back in 2009 before transforming into an on-trend SUV for its second generation in 2016. This third-generation model has had yet another change in form – becoming what Peugeot calls a fastback.
That simply means it has a slightly sloping roofline, giving the 3008 more of a coupé SUV silhouette. The fundamental looks and dimensions are not radically different from before. However, there are far more substantial changes under the skin.
Not only is the e-3008 the first electric iteration of the 3008, but it’s also the first model built on new underpinnings that will be used over the next few year for numerous electric cars from Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS, Fiat, Jeep and Vauxhall (which are all part of the same group).
The e-3008's rivals include the Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model Y and Volvo EC40 (formerly known as the Volvo C40 Recharge).
What is the Peugeot e-3008 like to drive?
Initially, the sole e-3008 on offer is a 73kWh model with an official range of 326 miles, which is up on what entry-level versions of those rivals can manage. It has a single 207bhp motor driving the front wheels.
Next year, it will be joined by a slightly more powerful (228bhp) Long Range version with a larger, 98kWh (usable capacity) battery and that promised 435-mile range. A range-topping 316bhp dual-motor, four-wheel-drive model will be introduced at around the same time.
The new 3008 range isn’t solely electric: a 1.2-litre petrol model is available alongside the e-3008, priced from £34,650, and a plug-in hybrid model is on the way. But for now, we’re focusing on the all-electric e-3008.
As with smaller stablemates such as the Jeep Avenger, the e-3008 doesn’t feel as urgent off the line as a Tesla Model Y but acceleration is punchy enough when needed. A gentle whirr from the electric motor is the main soundtrack to your peaceful progress.
Like virtually all electric cars, the e-3008 slows down briskly when you lift off the accelerator pedal, as its regenerative braking system harvests otherwise wasted energy and sends it back into the battery to help eke out range.
There are three levels of regen to choose from, adjusted using paddles behind the steering wheel. Even the highest setting isn’t strong enough to bring the car to a complete standstill without pressing the brake pedal – something that is possible in some of its rivals and can prove very handy around town.
More of a concern at low speeds is the e-3008’s unsettled ride. The serenity of the interior is broken when passing over speed bumps or manhole covers with thumps and thwacks from the suspension, along with abrupt protestations from the firm suspension.
Thankfully, the ride settles down at higher speeds, making the e-3008 a fairly comfy motorway cruiser, although the Audi Q4 e-tron (before its 2024 update) and the Kia Niro EV are smoother still.
Light steering makes low-speed manoeuvres a doddle around town, but the steering fails to build up any weight as your speed increases and doesn’t offer much of a sense of connection to the front wheels. Switching to Sport driving mode adds an almost comically exaggerated artificial weight to the steering but doesn’t do anything to boost driver confidence.
At more than 2.1 tonnes, the e-3008 is heavier than many of its rivals, and feels that way from behind the wheel. The weight blunts its handling and any sense of driver enjoyment as you feel the car lurching from one side to the other as you go around a corner.
Still, the braking response is very well judged, so stopping smoothly requires minimal effort. The same can’t be said for some rivals, which have grabby or inconsistent brakes.
What is the Peugeot e-3008 like inside?
The e-3008 may be rather ordinary to drive, but it really stands out inside. Here, you’ll find a fresh, modern, tech-filled interpretation of Peugeot’s unusual dashboard layout, with a high-set instrument panel that’s meant to be viewed over a tiny steering wheel (rather than through it, as you do in most cars).
In the UK, all versions of the e-3008 will get a curved 21.0in LED panel across the top of the dashboard. That combines the digital instruments with the touchscreen infotainment screen and is mounted even higher than usual, which means important information (such as speed) falls naturally within the driver’s line of sight.
It also means that, unlike in earlier iterations of the layout, the driver’s view of the instrument panel is never likely to be blocked by the steering wheel, no matter how tall you are or where you have the seat and wheel positioned.
Likewise, the infotainment screen is easy to glance at on the move and falls comfortably within reach from the driver’s seat, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road for too long when you interact with it.
However, there are shortcomings with the system itself. The menus are convoluted, with many submenus to sift through, and the screen’s responses to inputs were a little inconsistent on our test car. Sometimes the swipes and prods would result in quickfire changes, but on other occasions there would be a slight hesitation.
Unfortunately, there are no physical buttons or knobs to adjust the air-con settings; the controls are all located on the touchscreen.
While the temperature controls are positioned conveniently enough on either side of the home screen, they disappear if you run Android Auto or Apple CarPlay phone mirroring (both of which come with wireless capability) – something we found highly irritating. What’s good, though, is the handy "i-toggle" feature that can be found on several Peugeot models.
It’s a separate touch panel on the dashboard below the infotainment screen that allows you to set up shortcuts for functions you want to access quickly (such as turning on a heated seat or calling a family member), and it makes the system easier to navigate. The icons are large and easy to hit on the move – although physical buttons would be more precise, of course.
One area in which the e-3008 can go toe to toe with most of its rivals is interior quality. While it’s not covered in plush, soft-touch materials, it has a pleasant fabric covering on the dashboard and doors, a robust feel throughout and snazzy ambient interior lighting on top-spec GT models. It’s a shame that the steering wheel controls now have very tacky-feeling plastic housings, though.
In terms of practicality, the e-3008 offers decent rear leg room for adults, and the floor is pretty flat in the back – but the centre console between the front seats encroaches on the available leg room for the middle rear passenger.
Head room in our GT-spec car, with its standard panoramic glass roof, didn’t impress much. Again, this is an area in which the Model Y is comfortably better.
It’s a similar story in the boot. While a 520-litre capacity, a height-adjustable floor and 40/20/40 split-folding rear seatbacks make the e-3008 more practical than the EC40, it’s still far behind the Model Y. There’s no additional storage space under the bonnet, either. But it’s the cost that mainly dampens enthusiasm for the e-3008.
Verdict
The Peugeot e-3008 is smart inside but ordinary in most other respects, and it’s pricey next to rivals in the ever-growing electric family SUV class.
Starting at more than £45,000, the cheapest e-3008 is more expensive than the equivalent Model Y and even the range-topping Niro EV. While the upcoming versions will no doubt be quicker and able to travel further between charges than this 73kWh e-3008, they will be even more expensive and therefore face an even harder job to impress.
What Car? rating 3 stars out of 5
Price and specs
Peugeot e-3008 73kWh GT
Price £49.650 Engine Electric motor Power 207bhp Torque 254 lb ft Gearbox 1-spd automatic Battery size 73kWh 0-62mph 8.8sec Top speed 105mph Range 326 miles CO2/tax 0g/km, 2%
Rivals:
Volvo C40
Renault Scenic E-Tech
Tesla Model Y
VW ID 5
Read more: All the electric cars coming soon
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