Peugeot 3008 is cute, but just too costly

There is no arguing that Peugeot make good looking cars these days. Following shortly after the launch of the smaller 2008, we now have the bigger 3008. And I got to spend some time getting to know this family orientated guy from Sochaux in France.

Car styling, just like looks, are completely subjective, and for me the 3008 works as eye candy. The most noticeable attributes in the bling department are the full LED head lamps, tail lamps, sequential indicators and 19-inch alloy wheels on this GT.

The futuristic theme continues on the inside, where bigger is better it would seem. The Peugeot i-Cockpit features a 12.3-inch fully customisable and configurable instrument cluster right in front of you, along with a new ten-inch central touchscreen.

There are also seven elegant piano key toggle switches that allow you easy access to the main comfort functions: radio, air conditioning, navigation with voice command, vehicle settings, telephone, mobile applications, and hazard warning lights.

What you will also find close at hand is a driving mode selector, and this allows for you to choose between Normal, Sport and Eco mode. Did I use it? Yes. Once to test it, and I feel many owners will do the same and then just drive the 3008 in Normal mode.

For this kind of mommy, family car, the 121kW/240Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a six-speed automatic gearbox is adequate. Its not fast, but it is comfortable and smooth, and that’s the part I liked most about the drive.

I am not even going to pretend that I knew all of this, or how most of it works, but it well worth noting that the 3008 GT includes all the latest generation driving aids and driving assistance equipment you could want in a car.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, Lane Keep assist that helps keep you in your lane, automatic emergency braking that detects the likes of pedestrians and cyclists and stops the car if you are not paying attention, extended recognition of traffic signs, 360° front and rear cameras, Park Assist, Driver Warning Alert, to detect driver alertness over long driving times, automatic switching to and from high beam, active blind spot monitoring system, hands-free tailgate, dual-pane sunroof, and a multi-point massage driver’s seat.

And a smartphone is an integral part of any girl’s life and the 3008 GT is well equipped in this department once again by offering screen mirroring for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless charging to go with multiple USB sockets.

There is literally nothing that this Peugeot 3008 GT does not come with as standard. I must admit that I was massively impressed. But and it is a big but, I almost fell off my chair when I saw that the price of owning the handsome Frenchy is R644 900. This is simply out of my league!