Peugeot E-3008 sets new standards for electric SUV design

This is the new Peugeot E-3008, an all-electric ‘fastback SUV’ that gives the French manufacturer one of the largest fleets of distinct pure EV models of any manufacturer. Following in the aesthetic footsteps of the larger Peugeot 408, and foreshadowing the even larger Peugeot E-5008, this new model joins the swollen ranks of compact SUVs that now seem to make up the majority of European car sales. 

First things first. Somehow, Peugeot has managed to eke a claimed 422-mile range for this machine, an impressive achievement for any contemporary electric car, let alone a mass market, non-luxury name. In the Stellantis pantheon of brands, Peugeot sits squarely in the middle, leaving luxury to Maserati, sports to Alfa Romeo and quirky mass market design to former sister company Citroën. 

Visually, the compact – or ‘urban’ – SUV is one of the toughest typologies to whittle into a piece of well-proportioned design. Peugeot has had a decent stab at it, with the E-3008’s rakish rear screen and the way body panels fold and crease and dive beneath elements like the rear lights. 

In fact, there are a plenty of visual tricks going on to keep the E-3008 evenly balanced, such as the blacked-out C-pillar, the dark sill detailing that compresses the height of the side elevations, and the multi-layered front end with its mildly triskaphobia-triggering grille. In the ‘Obsession Blue’ paintwork, seen here, we detected a hint of Gallic 1980s elegance. 

Inside the Peugeot E-3008

Inside, it’s a different story. For the past few years, Peugeot has been pushing what it calls the Panoramic i-Cockpit. This approach to cabin architecture places the main digital 21-inch display screen above the main body of the dash, a ribbon of information that can be irritatingly bisected by the small steering wheel. A separate touchscreen deals with key functions and favourites, while the gear and drive selector are set in the swooping asymmetric centre. 

The trick is to lower the wheel to just above your legs to get an uninterrupted view of the dash, an unconventional driving position that sets the Peugeot apart from its peers and encourages you to drive with a different mindset. It’s less car-like and more futuristic, an impression aided by the punchy electric motor.

The Electric 230 Long range Single Motor model, with its 98kWh battery, is the only specification that’ll get you that headline range (on a warm day with a following wind), but both the Electric 210 (with a single motor at 73kWh battery) and the Electric 320 (with twin motors, all-wheel drive and 73kWh) offer a very respectable 326 miles. All models come with steering wheel paddles to swap between three levels of regenerative braking. Fast charging up to 160kW is available for swift top-ups where available.

Although a petrol-hybrid model will be offered later in the year, Peugeot is issuing a strong signal of intent by releasing the EV model first. It’s a very easy car to live with, relatively compact at just over 4.5m in length, with a cavernous interior aided by fold-flat rear seats. 

Peugeots have traditionally been dynamically refined, and the E-3008 is no different, with well-weighted steering that doesn’t feel too light and feathery. The interior is different but not distracting, and the palette and detailing throughout have been pared back to reduce the number of parts and materials required (over 500kg of the car’s mass is made up of ‘green’ materials, including recycled plastic).

Although the E-3008 isn’t the affordable EV of everyone’s dreams – it represents a serious hike in prices from the brand’s usual range – it does its thing differently, with confidence and without compromise. The impressive range is the icing on a well-made cake.

Peugeot E-3008, from £45,850, Peugeot.co.uk, @PeugeotUK