Peugeot has revealed the all-new 3008 coupe-SUV in fully-electric E-3008 guise. It's part of the French company's drive to offer an electric version of every model in its product range by 2025, and to be selling nothing but electric cars across Europe by 2030. There will be hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of the 3008 which follow the fully electric launch cars.
A fastback SUV with 700km range
The current Peugeot 3008 is a compact crossover-SUV in the traditional shape with five doors, five seats, upright rear hatch housing a decent-sized boot. But, as there is currently not an all-electric model of the 3008 (there are plug-in hybrids only, while there's a smaller E-2008 below it in the Peugeot hierarchy), this time around it has been re-visioned as a coupe-SUV. This is to the benefit of aerodynamics, a fact which plays a part in the E-3008's headline one-shot driving range figure of 700km.
This is achievable because the E-3008 is the first model to use the Stellantis group's new 'STLA Medium' electric platform and powertrains. In various specifications, the STLA will underpin all of the group's electric vehicles (EVs) in the coming years, and it's a 400-volt architecture set-up with either front- or four-wheel drive, depending on whether the vehicle in question has one electric motor or two.
For the E-3008, there will be three options. There's the 157kW (214hp) Standard Range, then 170kW (231hp) Long Range and finally the 240kW (326hp) Dual Motor. Opt for the former two and peak torque is 343Nm from the front motor; the rear unit in the Dual Motor adds another 166Nm to the mix, for a 509Nm maximum.
Rapid performance assured
This then results in some serious performance stats. According to Peugeot, either of the Standard Range or Long Range models will hit 100km/h from rest in comfortably less than six seconds - specifically, 5.4 seconds for the lighter Standard Range car (despite its 17hp power deficit) and 5.5 seconds for the Long Range. The 326hp/509Nm Dual Motor, though, accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds - that's serious hot hatch pace these days.
However, both the Standard Range and Dual Motor use a smaller battery pack, rated at 73kWh usable - the Long Range increases that figure to 98kWh. Hence, it can do an official 700km, whereas the E-3008s with the more compact battery units can turn in a still-respectable 525km theoretical maximum between charges.
On which subject, the maximum charging speed of the E-3008 is 160kW. As standard, 11kW three-phase AC charging is fitted, while a 22kW uprated system is available as an option. Find a DC rapid charger that'll run at 160kW, and you're looking at a 20-80 per cent charge of all models in around 30 minutes. Peugeot is also going to fit the E-3008 with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), meaning you can power electrical devices from the car's high-voltage battery - the system can supply power at 3kW and 16A.
Sharp handling, sharper looks
Like any EV, the battery pack is sited low down between the axles, so the centre of gravity is low in the E-3008, while a range of driving aids - including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and speed limit sign detection - will be fitted to ensure it is a safe car too.
The smooth body registers a coefficient of drag of 0.28 and it's still not a huge vehicle physically, measuring 4.54 metres long, 1.89 metres wide and 1.64 metres tall. Peugeot is proud of the fact the E-3008 has the same 520-litre boot as the outgoing 3008, although that amount of space is only available to the single-motor models of the EV; the rear-mounted electric unit on the Dual Motor car reduces the capacity by 50 litres to 470 litres.
The styling of the E-3008 is a clear continuation of Peugeot's current corporate look, most recently espoused by the 408. It's an appearance characterised by very slim LED headlamps, as well as a sweeping grille arrangement. Wheels will be of the 19- and 20-inch-diameter variety, while at the back is a 'floating' rear spoiler arrangement that was inspired by the Quartz concept car. Six colours will be available, one of them - Obsession Blue - being a dichromatic finish that switches from looking blue to green, depending on the light.
Panoramic i-Cockpit makes its debut
Inside, it's a new evolution of Peugeot's i-Cockpit layout. This one's called Panoramic i-Cockpit, because there's a massive, curved, 21-inch high-def screen dominating the top of the dash and combining the driver's instrument cluster with the main touchscreen interface of the infotainment system.
In the middle are the i-Toggles, customisable touch-sensitive switches that can be programmed for quick access to ten of the user's favourite functions. Ambient LED lighting then suffuses the whole cabin with illumination in one of eight distinct colours, while there's a new design of steering wheel to go with the Panoramic i-Cockpit. Paddles behind the steering wheel can adjust the regenerative braking effect of the E-3008 through three different levels; choose either of the stronger two of these and the car will illuminate its brake lights for drivers behind when you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal.
No word on Irish prices for the new E-3008 range yet, as Peugeot isn't putting the car on sale until February 2024. Hoping that this new EV will pick up some of the customers who bought the 1.3 million-plus examples of the outgoing 3008 in the past seven years, Linda Jackson - Peugeot's CEO - said: "The launch of the next-level E-3008 is a major step in Peugeot's radical transformation into an alluring 100 per cent electric brand that sets new benchmarks for design, driving pleasure and efficiency. With its exterior design, spectacular Peugeot Panoramic i-Cockpit, driving pleasure and unprecedented electric performance, the next-level E-3008 ushers Peugeot into a new era as the French brand offering the widest range of mainstream electric vehicles on the market."