Driven: Peugeot hits refresh on 3008 crossover

PEUGEOT Australia has tweaked its quirky 3008 crossover by introducing a fresh face, halving the available model range, upping standard equipment and safety features, and dropping prices of the remaining variants.

Range-topping Allure variants have been deleted, with Peugeot now only offering the 3008 in Active guise with a choice of either a 115kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine or a 120kW/340Nm 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.

In Australian Peugeot dealerships now, the updated 3008 kicks off at $35,490, before on-road costs, for the petrol and $38,990 for the oil burner, representing a $1000 price reduction for each.

Supplementing the removal of top-spec Allure, the French car-maker has introduced a new optional Premium Pack – which adds leather seats, heated front seats, a head-up display (HUD), rear window sun-blind and a panoramic glass roof – for an additional $3500.

Standard equipment is boosted by the inclusion of a reversing camera and satellite navigation, on top of a list that includes cruise control, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, seven-inch display screen, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, full-sized spare wheel, dual-zone climate control, and split-folding tailgate.

Options available include metallic paint for $990, pearlescent paint for $1050 and a no-cost Grip Control pack – available exclusively to petrol models – which sees the standard 17-inch alloys replaced with 16-inchers fitted with mud and snow tyres.

Peugeot Australia general manager John Startari said the new-look 3008, with revised headlights, a new front grille and restyled tail-lights, offers great value to perspective buyers.

“Previously, the 3008 was unavailable with reverse camera and we have worked closely with Peugeot to ensure that this potentially life-saving feature was available at the redesign,” he said.

“In addition to its new-look and enhanced safety, prices across the range have been lowered, making the Peugeot 3008 even better value for money.”Peugeot sold 115 examples of the 3008 last year, a 36.1 per cent decline over the 180 units sold in 2013, with just 16 units shifted in the first two months of 2015.

The high-riding hatch has a number of perceived rivals, including high-end offerings such as the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer as well as models from mainstream brands, such as the Kia Rondo MPV.

Other rivals include compact SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai and Mitsubishi ASX.

Peugeot 3008 pricing*

Active 1.6 petrol (a)	$35,490
Active 2.0 diesel (a)	$38,990

*Excludes on-road costs.