Peugeot 3008 Hybrid Review and Prices

Every car range these days needs a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in the line-up and Peugeot’s smart mid-sized crossover, the 3008, has decided to go overboard – there’s not one, but two PHEV choices on offer for buyers.

One’s called the Hybrid (makes sense), while the other is the Hybrid4; and that model has four-wheel drive and 300hp.

These two aim to offer all the luxury and style of the regular range, only with a bit of ecological goodness. Kind of like going on a glamping holiday – it’s perceived as upmarket, but you’re basically in a posh tent, reducing your carbon emissions and getting closer to nature.

Luckily, in the case of the 3008 Hybrids, it’s a very attractive-looking tent. All 3008s have just been facelifted and the Peugeot wasn’t exactly a bad-looking car to begin with. Now it’s got a glittery metallic grille and those big claw-like running lights, it’s certainly the sort of striking crossover to put dowdy rivals like the Skoda Karoq and Nissan Qashqai in the shade.

The same goes for the interior, which is class-leading in terms of design, right up there for fit and finish, and really good in terms of ergonomics – unless you’re tall, in which case you might not get on with Peugeot’s unusual iCockpit format.

This necessitates the fitment of a diddy steering wheel with a high-set instrument cluster, and not everyone can always see the 3008’s fab 12.3-inch digital dials once they’ve got their driving position just so, as the wheel itself gets in the way.

Still, no arguing with the tech onboard the 3008 Hybrid pairing. They’re not available in the base trim grade you can get on other 3008 models, so they both come with the bigger 10-inch infotainment screen – complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – plus dual-zone climate control, a frameless rear-view mirror, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and Blind Spot Detection.

People in the front will be happier than those in the back, though. It’s OK in the second row of the 3008 Hybrid but the Peugeot’s not the most accommodating of vehicles in this regard anyway. A Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V or Skoda Karoq are all roomier.

The Hybrid4 feels pretty fast, but for better value and practicality, you're better sticking with the entry-level Hybrid

Go for the Hybrid4 and there’s even worse news on the practicality front, as its secondary rear-mounted electric motor saps 125 litres of boot space in the process. Either PHEV also has a 10-litre-smaller fuel tank than a regular 3008, too.

Both 3008 Hybrid models claim an all-electric range of around 40 miles, but good luck hitting that. They also have a single-phase onboard charger rated at 3.7kW, which means a full charge will take around three-and-three-quarter hours. You can optionally upgrade to a 7.4kW unit, which will trim that time by two hours. Fuel economy on both plug-in Peugeots is officially claimed as being in excess of 200mpg; again, fantasy figures.

The Hybrid, with 225hp, and the Hybrid4, with 300hp the most powerful production Peugeot SUV yet seen, are both fast – but they’re also 300kg heavier than any other model in the range. This means they’re not that much fun in the corners, where the standard cars feel more alert and agile.

The mass of the two of them also affects the comfort levels, which aren’t quite as impressive as those on the petrol and diesel 3008s. In essence, choose either if you’re after some tax breaks and zero-emissions driving. Otherwise, stick with the sweet 1.2-litre petrol.

Which is a bit like glamping, really. The idea of a yurt might seem all noble, but once you’re booked into it and experiencing all the compromises sleeping under canvas brings, you might soon wish you’d just got yourself into a nice, comfy hotel instead.

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