Peugeot's Prologue to 3008 SUV

The centrepiece of Peugeot's stand at the Paris motor show will undoubtedly be the as-yet-unnamed RC concept, but the French carmaker also has up its sleeve the more utilitarian Prologue concept.

The company is for now giving away precious little information about the SUV concept, other than announcing that its new-generation hybrid engine will eke out 147kW and emit just 109g/km of CO2 -- or zero in electric-only mode.

Although Peugeot is keeping mum about the vehicle's exact raison d'etre, word around the traps is that the design study is indeed a wheeled prologue (hence the name) to the upcoming 3008 SUV.

It would slot into the line-up below the 4007 (a badge-engineered Mitsubishi Outlander), which launched internationally last year to help fill Peugeot's glaring SUV void.

The addition of the 3008 would further bolster the French brand's range, enabling it to compete against the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan.

It will be based on the same underpinnings as the recently launched 308 hatchback, and Euro sources suggest it will land in showrooms in 2010.

It's believed the 3008 will be offered in front-drive and all-wheel-drive formats, enabling buyers seeking cabin space but not necessarily all-terrain ability to opt for the former -- and yield greater economy in the process.

Visually, the showroom-spec 3008 isn't expected to differ greatly from the Prologue, which features the usual Peugeot hallmarks -- a gaping mouth, elongated headlights and a curvaceous derriere.

The arrival of the eventual production version will undoubtedly be a shot in the arm for Peugeot as the compact SUV segment continues to prosper, even in the face of high fuel prices.

And although the Gallic brand doesn't offer the larger 4007 in Oz, it seems a no-brainer the 3008 would eventually join Peugeot's range in our SUV-hungry market.

Total compact SUV sales until the end of August amounted to 59,957 vehicles, equating to 8.5 per cent of the total market -- so manufacturers who ignore this segment clearly do so to their own detriment.

Visit the Carsales Network again for our news coverage from this year's Paris Mondial de L'Automobile.