Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4

A couple of years ago this was the car that couldn’t be made, but here it is, defying conventional wisdom and on sale next year at a price of £26,995.

Peugeot’s 3008 Hybrid4 is the world’s first diesel hybrid passenger car, which short of running an engine on the principle of cold fusion is about as rare and exotic as it gets in the motor industry. Hybrid vehicles have effectively two engines and an expensive battery, which pushes up costs so that most examples use a small, cheap four-cylinder petrol engine to drive the car and charge the battery.

A modern turbodiesel engine is an expensive and economical unit (a diesel’s fuel injection and emissions equipment alone cost the same as an entire four-cylinder petrol engine) and, up to now, the small additional fuel savings and high costs of hybridising a diesel have not been deemed worth the effort. What also hasn’t helped the diesel hybrid cause is that hybrids have mainly been aimed at countries such as the USA and Japan where diesel is unpopular.

Things are changing, however. High fuel costs, plus stringent European fuel economy standards mean that hybrids are starting to be taken seriously and, as diesel occupies almost half of all European sales, diesel hybrids are now on the agenda. Volvo is planning to launch the world’s first plug-in diesel hybrid next year and the Peugeot/Citroën PSA group has invested heavily in this diesel/electric hybrid, with the 3008 the first example. This powertrain will also be launched in Peugeot’s 508 range next year, in the RXH, a boutique SUV arriving next spring, as well as equivalent Citroën models, which all helps make the considerable investment look more sensible to the company accountants.

Peugeot claims using diesel instead of petrol in a hybrid saves an additional 30 per cent in fuel economy and there are other benefits. The engine is a conventional 161bhp, two-litre, turbodiesel four cylinder, driving the front wheels through a robotised six-speed manual gearbox. A belt-driven 8kW generator charges the rear-mounted nickel-metal hydride battery, which supplies current to a 36bhp AC electric motor driving the rear wheels. So the 3008 Hybrid4 also gets four wheel drive for free, without the weight and expense of transfer boxes, propeller shafts and differentials. This isn’t a four-wheel-drive mud plugger, but it does give all-weather capability, which is a considerable attraction after last year’s early snow falls. Fleet managers will like the tax benefits of its 99g/km carbon dioxide emissions and its 74.3mpg Combined fuel consumption, and enthusiastic drivers will like 200bhp combined horsepower, which gives 0-62mph acceleration in 9.1sec.

It’s not all good news, though. That sticker price of £26,995 compares with the cheapest turbo diesel 3008 1.6HDi model, which costs just £18,895, delivers 54mpg and emits 135g/km of CO2. And, although the Hybrid4 has more power and performance, it also carries a weight penalty of 200kg, which is a rear seat’s worth of passengers

Starting involves a fiddly double twist with a conventional ignition key to get the systems up and running and the instrument needles swing up and down to show you it’s ready and waiting. The curiously shaped gear lever has conventional settings for drive, reverse, park and so on. Pull away and as long as there’s enough battery charge, the electric motor will do the donkey work for a maximum of 2.5 miles at speeds below 31mph. The motor will also maintain a 40mph cruise and while the diesel engine will start if you push the throttle too hard, the alternator/starter is so silent, it’s sometimes difficult to tell if when the engine is running.

The beauty of the system is the tricks you can play with it. There are four main operating modes: Auto, which optimises diesel and electric power for maximum fuel consumption; Sport, where the engine and electric motor combine to give maximum performance, but with an engine stop/start system remaining on; four-wheel drive, where the engine and motor act similarly to Sport but stop/start is disabled and the electric motor’s torque is limited to prevent wheelspin; and electric only where the 3008 remains on battery power for as long as possible. Switching between modes can be done on the move, although it takes a few seconds for the vehicle’s software to recalibrate the systems to suit.

If it sounds complicated, it isn’t. It is also extraordinarily refined, with a smooth transition between modes and electric and diesel power and between gears. This is mainly down to the vast amounts of calibration work done to the control software, which is one of the main issues with hybrids. Inconsistent braking effort is another hybrid Achilles heel, but the 3008’s pedal provides strong and linear stopping power. Light pedal applications use the generator to top up the battery, press harder and the friction brakes come into play, but it feels perfectly consistent. 

The extra weight of the battery can be felt at the back, especially through the turns, but the standard 3008’s good manners and safe handling are still in evidence with excellent steering and damping control of the body. It’s actually quite fun to drive and off the road, there’s a surprising agility and traction; on a set of winter tyres, there’s not going to be much to hinder the Hybrid4’s progress. It tackled a mild off-road test course with ease and restarted on a muddy test hill with just a hint of scrabble as the electric motor’s full 148lb ft hit the rear wheels.

The 3008 cabin is a classy mix of soft-touch plastics and leathers and the Hybrid4’s extra instrumentation for battery condition and charging/recharging mix is clear and attractive. The interior is light, airy and spacious, with clever folding options to enable loading right through to the front seats. Front and rear seats are comfortable and supportive, and the finish is a cut above Peugeot’s non-premium rivals. You lose 100 litres of space in the boot to accommodate the battery, but the boot still retains its split tailgate and hidden compartment under the floor.

Surprisingly practical, economical and attractive, it’s really only the price that stands between the most advanced hybrid in the world and a lot more buyers.