Peugeot E-3008 Electric (2023 - )

With more than 1.3 million customers to date, Peugeot has launched its all-new 3008 SUV and for now it will be sold in EV-only guise. The E-3008 is available in two trim grades called Allure and GT.

The car will initially feature a 73kWh 210hp Standard Range battery, with a 230hp Long Range model and an 320hp version with dual motors for all-wheel drive to follow.

It is the first time the vehicle has been offered with pure electric power although the third generation 3008 will go on sale later this year in mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid guise.

Stellantis designers have certainly worked their magic when developing the E-3008 as it boasts dynamic Sportback styling but has the practicality of a five-seat family SUV.

With an all-new front end, it is an attention-grabber and there is Peugeot’s signature three-claw lighting at both the front and rear of the car. There is a black bar connecting the lights at the front with ‘3008’ in its centre and similarly at the rear with ‘PEUGEOT’ in neat lettering.

The GT model, as tested, features gloss black wheel arches and lower body mouldings, along with very stylish 21-inch diamond cut alloy wheels.

Moving inside, the main focal point is a 21-inch curved infotainment display that is floating on the dashboard and this is the car’s nerve centre and access point to the many on-board systems.

Features include full smartphone connectivity, sat nav, Bluetooth with connections for two devices, natural voice recognition, DAB radio, a pitch perfect sound system, six USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad. 

The seats offer ample support and it’s easy to get comfy with plenty of manual seat and wheel adjustment. There are i-Toggles which can be personalised and these offer quick access to certain features rather than sweeping through the touchscreen icons. And the squircle steering wheel is typically Peugeot.

Designers wanted a ‘lounge-like’ feel and they have certainly achieved that with a combination mesh-effect and material dashboard. This changes colour according to which drive mode you are in – Eco is turquoise, Normal is blue and Sport is green. It all looks very futuristic but can be a bit too much with the overload of touchscreen information and graphics. Sometimes less really is more.

The all-new E-3008 is built on a new Stellantis platform called STLA and this is going to be vitally important to the brand moving forward as it will be the building block for many future vehicles. There will be STLA Small, Medium and Large with the E-3008 using the STLA Medium platform which has been designed initially for electric models, but will feature other powertrains further down the line.

Powering the front-wheel drive E-3008 is a 73kWh battery with a front motor developing 210hp and a WLTP-tested combined range of 318-327 miles. This increases to 392-407 for city driving, but these figures, like with all EVs, would depend on a number of factors such as the roads, driving style and temperature etc.

With 230Nm of torque, the car can complete the 0-62mph sprint in a fairly respectable 8.8 seconds and it tops out at 105mph. It is quick enough out the starting blocks without pinning you to the seat, and it effortlessly delivers bursts of instant pace to overtake a slower moving vehicle.

With a kerb weight of 2.1 tonnes the E-3008 is quite a heavy car to drive which makes it feel really grounded, but also less exciting than some competitors. But it’s a very confident motorway cruiser and the cabin remains refined at higher speeds.

The fairly light steering means driving in town a breeze and there is all manner of sensors, along with a rearview camera, to make light work of squeezing into tight parking spaces. 

Drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport alter the dynamics slightly and there are three levels of regenerative braking that are adjusted via the steering wheel paddles.

The suspension set-up is quite firm which means you do feel the bumps and dips along the way, but apart from that the E-3008 is a comfortable car to drive. And in all honesty, people looking to buy this car will be prioritising practicality and quality over blistering pace and performance.

The Peugeot E-3008 has a strong road presence without being too aggressive in its styling. It’s a practical family car stretching 2,542mm in length, 2,108mm wide (including mirrors), 1,641mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,739mm.

There is plenty of headroom up front for a couple of six-foot-plus adults to sit comfortably and a trio of passengers will fit in the back where the seats slope backwards. The space has not been compromised by the EV technology as the battery packs are stored flat beneath the floor of the car.

The rear doors open wide making it easy to fit a child seat and there are Isofix anchors to the outer rear seats.

The boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, can swallow 520 litres of luggage and there is room to store all the cables beneath the floor. Drop the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats and that capacity increases to 1,480 litres with four luggage tie down rings to prevent them rolling around, plus two bag hooks.

Elsewhere, there are a number of practical storage compartments throughout the cabin, including a glovebox with LED lighting, wide door bins with space for a bottle, seat back nets, a wireless charging pad and two central cubbies.

Charging the 73kWh 440v lithium-ion battery from 20 to 100 per cent using a 7.4kW wallbox takes 8 hours or from 0 to 100 per cent in 35 minutes via a 160kW fast charger.

The fully-electrified Peugeot E-3008 line-up costs £45,850 for the 73kWh Allure 210 and £49,650 for the GT model, as tested. Owners can add a number of optional packs, including a heat pump at £700, or full grain leather upholstery with 10-way powered seats that can be heated, ventilated and features a massage function. This adds £1,600 to the price-tag.

The 3008 mild hybrid model will be available from June costing £34,650 for the Allure or £38,150 for the GT. While the plug-in hybrid version will go on sale later in the year with prices yet to be confirmed.

With its zero carbon emissions, the Peugeot E-3008 is an attractive car for business drivers thanks to its Benefit in Kind tax rating of just two per cent and, at present, it will bring with it a number of financial incentives. These include being exempt from Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone fees and also free road tax. 

In addition, there is no penalty for purchasing a car costing in excess of £40k. But unfortunately, this will all be changing next year with the Government reducing or withdrawing many incentives completely. 

All in all, the Peugeot E-3008 is a beautifully styled five-door family car that perfectly blends all the design cues of a fastback and an SUV. It’s spacious and practical for the active family and packed with all the latest technology imaginable.

With an impressive driving range between charges and many functions that can be controlled remotely via the MyPeugeot app, the E-3008 is also available with different power outputs, with a four-wheel drive version arriving soon.

And for anyone not quite ready to take the leap to full electrification, mild and plug-in hybrid cars will be available very soon too.