Peugeot 3008 Active 2015 Review

Now effectively a generation old, the facelifted Peugeot 3008 finds itself facing bold new competition in the form of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and – from its own stable – the Citroen C4 Picasso. The competition is priced significantly higher and the 3008 was updated back in March, but only 52 have been sold for the year to date. That's a major slump for a car that sold over 500 in 2011.

When it came time for us to run a comparison of the new-generation of well packaged small cars intended primarily for families, we overlooked the Peugeot 3008. We weren't alone, it seems. The 3008 has also been overlooked by Australia's new-car-buying families since its sales peak of 511 units back in 2011. Over the past four years it has been in steady decline, selling just 115 last year.

It's probably no coincidence that in 2010 Mercedes-Benz cut the price of its B-Class to peg back sales of BMW's X1. The B-Class was no SUV, but there was some packaging overlap for buyers who wanted a high hip point, a roomy interior and some load-lugging ability. Perhaps the Peugeot 3008 was collateral damage. Canny buyers, given the choice of a B-Class for just under $37,000 or a 3008 starting from just under $36,000, presumably felt it was no contest.

The 3008 probably wasn't helped by chintzy, upright styling that promised at least some degree of off-road ability – but without the mechanicals to back that up.

Enter the facelifted model for 2015, still on the same (previous generation) 308 platform, but looking a bit smarter now and featuring satellite navigation and a reversing camera as standard. Other tweaks consist of new LED daytime running lights, dual storage bins under the floor and Arkamys digital sound processing. The 3008 is sold now in just the one ('Active') level of trim, but with two drivetrain choices, a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder, or a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. For this test, the 3008 was diesel powered.

A few cosmetic tweaks can't conceal that the updated 3008's footprint is largely as it was, which means it's the wooden spooner measured against B-Class, Active Tourer and C4 Picasso. The Peugeot's driving position and wheelbase combined restrict rear-seat legroom on the right side of the car.

Legroom in the rear was basically adequate for older kids (up to mid teens). It was marginal for adults of average height or taller. Rear-seat headroom was fine, however, even with the optional panoramic glass roof fitted. The 3008 provided easy entry and exit, although rain water did collect above the side doors during a downpour and the body of water dropped in when the doors were opened.

The front seats were flat and firm; they're not recommended for a long journey, and I would even go so far as to say the rear seats felt more comfortable than the seats in front. Finding a driving position to suit me was challenging. Tilting the seat base up and dragging it forward left enough legroom behind and placed me the right distance from the steering wheel. But then the pedals were too close. On the plus side, the way the instrument panel, centre fascia and console wrapped around was pleasing.

But the layout was marred by the stubby stalks for cruise control and audio system at 8 and 4 o'clock positions behind the wheel. It means the 3008's wheel is neat to look at, but the controls are concealed and difficult to use without longer familiarisation.

The 3008's optional head-up display was very easy to use, and provided simple adjustment for height and brightness. Unexpectedly, there was no accessory position for the key lock. The ignition had to be switched to 'On' for music to play through the audio system or for the map lights to be used. I tried operating the audio system with the car parked by pushing and even holding down the power button on the head unit, but to no avail.

In the luggage compartment is where the 3008 lifted its game. The false floor could be raised for additional storage underneath. The rear seats fall forward by operating the finger pulls in the sides of the load area, plus there were additional hand pulls on the seat backs for lowering the seats from the rear side doors. A two-piece tailgate was a nice touch. The upper section rose enough for easy loading, but without (necessarily) hitting the ceiling in the garage. The lower section was easily opened and closed too, with a small lever/handle to unlatch.

Facing out from the boot was the car's reversing camera, now a standard feature, but not providing a sufficiently bright view at night, despite the strong glare from the reversing lights.

Out on the road, the 3008 offered better dynamic strengths and performance than its family-friendly packaging had suggested. Coupled to a moderately adaptive and reasonably refined six-speed automatic transmission, the diesel engine was full of vim and vigour, whipping up torque almost immediately when the light turned green. There was little apparent turbo lag, in other words.

But the engine's performance didn't come at the expense of fuel consumption. Over the week the trip computer posted an average of 7.7L/100km, which was a little better than it might have been, with about 80km of freeway travel undertaken over the seven days.

Nor did the engine's healthy output provoke heaps of axle tramp or torque steer. Loss of traction only occurred as a consequence of provocation by the driver. Mostly the 3008 was surefooted in very wet conditions. That was the case not only under acceleration but also braking and cornering. The stability control system was configured to keep the engine on the boil, even in tight turns on wet roads.

The 3008 held on very well and even heavy use of the right pedal in the wet didn't result in significant push. While the 3008's roadholding was commendable, punting it a little harder in the first place was an act of faith. Quite simply, the steering was not very communicative and the initial response was slower than its three rivals tested in our comparo from last month. When it came to washing off speed, the brake pedal felt as mushy as the steering felt devoid of life.

The 3008 rode firmer than expected of a vehicle of this type, but that did translate to the better than expected roadholding. That roadholding did produce an unfortunate by-product however, road noise. But while the tyres were the major source of NVH in the 3008, the engine was also very clattery under full load from 3000rpm.

The 3008 was a bit rowdy too in other ways. In intermediate gears it emitted a strange whirring noise from the transmission and there were other similar noises when the electric parking brake grabbed, or the infotainment screen and the head-up display retracted.

Some of the features fitted to the test vehicle were part of a $3500 Premium Pack option. These included the colour head-up display, rear sunblinds, the panoramic glass sunroof (with an electrically-powered blind) and leather upholstery. Without that pack the 3008 would be priced at $38,990. If you can live without those features, the Peugeot would undercut the C4 Picasso by $2000.

That might be the argument that seals the deal in favour of the 3008. For my part, however, I would rather opt for the 308 Touring – a car that's an altogether better alternative than the aging 3008.

2015 Peugeot 3008 pricing and specifications:
Price: $42,490 (includes Premium Pack option, but excludes on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 120kW/340Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 173g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2010)