Review: Peugeot e-3008

Electric cars now come in all shapes and sizes but the majority of them are SUVs like the rather splendid Peugeot e-3008 tested here.

But, even though it is undoubtedly a family SUV it has been styled to look more like a sporty coupe with a dynamic and aerodynamic shape and a floating rear spoiler.

At 4.5m long, 1.89m wide and 1.65m high, it is one of the most compact cars in the sector.

Even so, the boot can swallow 588 litres of luggage, and with the seats folded flat, this can be increased to 1,663.

The front end is particularly impressive with the ‘three claws’ light signature and a massive grille.

The interior is quite lovely with lots of soft-touch materials and well-thought-out controls.

Central to this is the Peugeot i cockpit - a 21in HD panoramic screen that hovers above the dashboard and pulls everything together.

To the left and below this screen is a smaller one with shortcut links to the various systems like climate, navigation and media.

A common complaint in many modern cars is that not all functions are best accessed via a touchscreen, and the same can be said for the one in the 3008.

A few more buttons and switches for the important tasks would have been most welcome, although there are some shortcuts you can set up which help.

Conversely, putting the gear selector next to the ignition button and close to the steering wheel is a very clever idea.

Another upside is that this allows the space usually taken up by the transmission controls to be utilised for extra storage.

The steering wheel is compact and allows the driverto look over it towards the infotainment screen rather than through it.

Ride comfort is good, with long journeys proving relaxing, especially since the official range is a whopping 326 miles.

Even factoring in the reduction for real-world driving conditions, you’re unlikely to suffer from acute range anxiety. Charging times for a 100kW rapid charger are 30 minutes from 20-80 per cent capacity but if you are stuck with a home charger as your only means of power then it’s more like six hours.

The driver and front seat passenger will find little to complain about in the comfort department: there’s plenty of space and the seats are well-padded.

The rear is more of a squeeze, especially with three abreast.

The 3008 drives well and acceleration is brisk - particularly if you switch to sport mode.

It eats up motorway miles and is nimble enough for urban journeys

Speed bumps and poor road surfaces do not cause problems with the suspension.

Price-wise the car on test, the 73kwh 210 is £49,440. This was bumpewd up to £51,890 with the addition of a heat pump, metallic paint and black embossed Alcantara on the seats.

Specification

Price: £49,440 (£51,890 as tested)

Engine: 73kWh

Power: 212bhp

Torque: 254 lb/ft

Transmission: One-speed automatic

Top speed: 105mph

0-62mph: 8.8 seconds

Economy: 326-mile range

CO 2 emissions:0g/km