There are more new SUVs on the way this year than you can shake a stick at. Here’s our guide to the imminent arrivals
Doug Revolta doug.revolta@haymarket.com
FIRST DRIVE Peugeot e-3008
Electric version of Peugeot’s new-generation family SUV comes with some impressive stats On sale Spring Price from £45,850
WHAT DOES THE new Peugeot e-3008 have in common with the Mercedes-Benz EQS? Not a lot, admittedly. One is a mainstream family SUV, while the other is a mega-money luxury limousine. But both are part of the exclusive 400-mile electric car club.
You see, until recently, if you wanted to travel for more than 400 miles (officially) before needing to replenish your car’s battery, you needed more than £100,000 to buy an EQS. However, the new Fisker Ocean SUV and the updated version of the Polestar 2 executive car have since broken through the 400-mile barrier too – and hot on their heels is the new 435-mile e-3008.
You might remember that the 3008 started out as an MPV back in 2009 before being transformed into an on-trend SUV for its second generation in 2016. This third-generation model has had yet another change in form – becoming what Peugeot calls a ‘fastback’. This means it has a slightly sloping roofline, giving the 3008 more of a coupé SUV silhouette, even though the dimensions aren’t radically different from before.
However, there are far more substantial changes under the skin. Not only is the e-3008 the first electric iteration of the 3008, but it’s also the first model built on new underpinnings that will be used for numerous electric models from Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS, Fiat, Jeep and Vauxhall (which are all part of the same group) over the next few years. Rivals include the Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model Y and Volvo EC40 (formerly known as the C40 Recharge).
Initially, the sole e-3008 on offer is a 73kWh model with an official range of 326 miles, which is farther than what entry-level versions of those rivals can manage. It has a single 207bhp motor driving the front wheels. Next year, it will be joined by a slightly more powerful (228bhp) Long Range version with a larger, 98kWh (usable capacity) battery and that promised 435-mile range. A flagship 316bhp dual-motor, four-wheel-drive model will be introduced at around the same time.
The new 3008 range
