Peugeot 3008: Three Generations of Peugeot's Family Crossover

The Peugeot 3008 is a compact crossover that has carried the French brand through three generations since 2008. It has won awards in several countries and was European Car of the Year in 2017. Its latest version is a coupe-style SUV built on Stellantis's STLA Medium platform.

Where did the 3008 come from?

The 3008 was first presented to the public in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 2008, and it was shown again at the 2010 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. It fills a gap in Peugeot's line-up between the 308, which it shares its platform with, and the larger 5008. The 5008 is a three-row MPV and the 3008's bigger counterpart.

Launched in 2008, the 3008 was styled in a way that drew criticism at first. Over time, however, the car earned praise from automotive magazines, which judged it well above its looks.

The model's early success was marked by awards. In January 2010 the British motoring magazine What Car? named the 3008 its Car of the Year for 2010. The car also won the Semperit Irish Car of the Year title in Ireland that year, and it added the Continental Irish Car of the Year award in 2018.

A crossover that began as a styling argument and ended up as one of the most decorated models in its class.

What was special about the first-generation HYbrid4?

The Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 went on sale in February 2012, and the company described it as the world's first mass production diesel-electric hybrid. It used the only 2.0-litre DW10 diesel engine in the PSA line-up, rated at 163 PS (120 kW; 161 hp) at 3750 rpm, with 340 N-m (251 lb-ft) of torque at 2000 rpm.

The hybrid system paired that diesel with an electric motor and a 6-speed automatic transmission. Drivers could choose between four operating modes, including an all-electric ZEV setting, a four-wheel-drive mode and a Sport mode that allowed higher engine speeds than normal. The battery was a nickel-metal hydride pack mounted in the rear of the car.

The Auto mode let the electronics manage the whole system automatically. The ZEV mode ran the car on electric power alone, while the four-wheel-drive setting added traction on the front and rear axles.

How did the first generation differ in China?

Buyers in China received the car in different forms over time. From 2010 to late 2012 the 3008 was imported from Europe, keeping the original styling. From late 2012 to 2019 Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen built the car locally, and the Chinese car stretched beyond the global version.

The Chinese 3008 received its own facelifts. The first facelift gave it a different design, and an April 2016 update made the front look more aggressive.

The global car went through its own facelift between 2013 and 2016, with a different look from the original 2008 styling. That split between the Chinese and global versions shows how a single model could take several paths depending on the region it was sold in.

What made the second generation different?

The second-generation 3008 was announced by Peugeot in May 2016 and was first shown to the public at the Paris Motor Show in September 2016. Its design was intended to compete with larger rivals in the C-segment SUV market, which had become prominent in recent years. The car was based on the EMP2 platform first seen on the second-generation 308.

The new model introduced Peugeot's iCockpit, an improved version of the layout found in the 208, 2008 and 308. It featured an 8-inch touchscreen in the centre console, a 12.3-inch customisable head-up display and the small-style steering wheel that had become standard across the Peugeot range by then.

Production began in 2016, and sales started in January 2017. Some 100,000 orders were placed in Europe between October 2016 and March 2017. Half of those buyers did not already own a Peugeot, which suggested the car was attracting new customers to the brand.

Which awards did the second-generation 3008 win?

In November 2016 the new 3008 was named overall CarBuyer Car of the Year for 2017, and it also won the best category for SUVs. Diesel Car Magazine gave it the overall Car of the Year title for 2017 and the Best Medium SUV award in the same year.

In March 2017 the car was crowned European Car of the Year. A jury of 58 motoring journalists from across Europe chose it. The same day, the PSA Group announced a deal worth US$2.3 billion to buy GM's Opel division, which led the chief executive to describe the two wins as an alliance of winners.

The Opel link was notable because Opel's Astra had taken the continental prize in 2016.

What changed with the 2020 facelift and the 2023 hybrid?

The facelift was unveiled on 1 September 2020. It brought new styling for the front fascia, more technology, a refreshed interior with an enlarged touchscreen and revised rear lighting.

In February 2023 Peugeot launched the 3008 Hybrid, a mild-hybrid version that reduced fuel consumption by up to 15 percent compared with the petrol equivalent.

What is the third-generation 3008?

The third-generation 3008 was officially revealed on 12 September 2023. It is the first vehicle built on Stellantis's STLA Medium platform, which it shares with a wide range of Stellantis models. Sales of the mild-hybrid versions began in February 2024, and electrified versions were due in the second half of 2024.

Compared with its predecessors, the third generation has evolved into a coupe-style SUV with an aerodynamic shape, rated at a drag coefficient (Cx) of 0.28. The car uses Peugeot's Claw Effect lighting front and rear, with Pixel LED technology, and an enlarged logo on the grille. A fastback roofline with a floating spoiler reflects the Quartz Concept that previewed the design.

The 3008 is the first Peugeot to feature the Panoramic i-Cockpit, which combines a curved 21-inch HD screen with the head-up display, the driver's instrument cluster and the central touchscreen. An extra touchscreen gives access to ten customisable iToggles shortcut buttons. The touch-sensitive steering wheel controls have a tactile clicking feature, and the gear selector has moved to the dashboard.

The e-3008 versions are built exclusively at the PSA Sochaux plant, which also makes their battery packs.

Where does the 3008 sit between the 308 and the 5008?

The 3008 sits between the 308 and the 5008 in Peugeot's range. It shares its first-generation platform with the 308, while the 5008 is the larger three-row MPV alongside it. The second generation kept the same position, sized between the two models.

The 3008 therefore fills a gap in the line-up rather than duplicating either car. Buyers who wanted a raised body and more interior space could look at the 3008, while those who needed seating for more passengers could move up to the 5008.

What driver aids did the first 3008 offer?

Exclusive and Allure models of the first-generation car had a head-up display, which projected a reading onto a small screen just in front of the driver. A distance alert warned the driver when the car was too close to the vehicle ahead.

The head-up display also showed details for cruise control and the speed limiter, so drivers could check those settings without looking down at the dashboard. The system was a notable feature for a crossover of that era, and it fitted the car's position as a higher-spec family model.

Peugeot 3008 specifications at a glance