You Couldn’t Pay Me To Drive A Peugeot Until I Drove This Hybrid SUV

Let’s get something straight: I never planned to drive a Peugeot, let alone write about one. But when we picked up a hire car from Europcar (who generally suck btw) at Luton Airport after arriving back from Majorca, and got handed the keys to a gunmetal grey Peugeot 3008 GT Hybrid, a cheeky upgrade apparently, I was already eyeing the return counter.

I couldn’t shake the image of an ex’s rattly old convertable 206cc wheezing through an Australian summer with the AC on life support. This was 2004, mind you the brand had hopefully got itself together. After all, Peugot’s LeMans cars have not been winning but damn do they look good.

But the 3008? This was something else entirely.

Finished in a stealthy gunmetal grey with black trim, the 3008 GT makes a strong first impression. Up front, there’s a bold black grille patterned like a geometric mosaic, flanked by razor thin LED headlights and vertical daytime running lights that swipe downward like a lion’s claws.

Peugeot’s new lion badge actually feels at home here. Somehow, it doesn’t look out of place in a lineup of modern German SUVs and that’s saying something.

Inside the iCockpit – Yes it feels like a cockpit.

Stepping inside the 3008 GT is like walking into a European furniture showroom. The black and grey colour scheme continues, with soft woven fabric on the dash, textured contrast seats, and ambient lighting that gives the whole thing a quiet, lounge like mood. It doesn’t scream luxury, but it whispers it in French.

Then you clock the steering wheel. It’s tiny. Like, comically small. Flat on the top and bottom with tight leather stitching and GT badging, it looks like it belongs in a racing sim rig, not an airport rental SUV. But it actually works.

Peugeot’s iCockpit setup places the massive digital instrument display above the wheel, not behind it. Once you stop trying to adjust it like a regular car and just roll with the design, it starts to make sense. The driving position feels sportier, sharper, more involved.

The rest of the tech is equally slick. A wide format touchscreen controls navigation, media, climate, and connectivity, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

The piano style toggle switches underneath are satisfyingly tactile, giving you quick access without the usual menu diving frustration. There’s wireless charging, multiple USBs, and even massage seats. Not a bad way to tackle a few hours on the M1.

How Did it go? Like a cut cat through the English countryside

Here’s where the surprise really kicks in. The 3008 GT Hybrid is genuinely enjoyable to drive. It uses a 1.6 litre turbo petrol engine paired with a small electric motor for better fuel efficiency and smoother low speed driving.

You can’t plug it in, but that’s kind of the point. It charges itself while you drive, switching between petrol and electric assistance without any need for driver input.

It’s not fast, but it is smooth and it’s more than capable. The electric motor helps take the edge off in stop start traffic and low speed corners, and when you put your foot down, the petrol engine comes in without drama.

The steering is light but direct. Suspension is nicely tuned for British roads, even narrow country lanes feel manageable. The hybrid system is unobtrusive, which is probably the biggest compliment you can give it.

We drove from Luton to Oxford, then later downthrough through Notting Hill (with a quick lunch at Straker’s) and central London.

Over motorways, three trips to a hospital, B roads, and tight city traffic, it handled everything without fuss. There’s a calm to the 3008 that makes long drives feel shorter and short drives feel effortless. It’s never trying too hard, which is more than I can say for most mid sized SUVs these days.

Everyday use and would we buy one?

Back seat space is more than serviceable, with room for adults and plenty of headroom thanks to the squared off roofline.

There’s dual climate in the rear, USBs, and air vents. It’s properly sorted. The boot is a good size too with no big battery packs to steal space, so you can throw in Rimowa luggage, groceries, or whatever else you’ve picked up from the Oxfordshire / Cotswolds and carry on without compromise.

Fuel economy was also a pleasant surprise. We drove over 1,250 kilometres (800 miles) and barely made a dent in the tank. For anyone doing suburban driving, the hybrid system will do just enough to save fuel and smooth out your day without asking you to plug in or manage anything. It just works. A full tank was roughly $100 AUD.

The Peugeot 3008 GT Hybrid took every expectation I had and casually binned it. It’s sharp, efficient, well built, and delivers more driving pleasure than most would give it credit for.

This isn’t a car you drive to impress strangers. It’s a car you drive once and then quietly recommend to your mates when they ask what to buy next.

It’s not perfect. The steering wheel still looks like it belongs in a go kart and the infotainment can be a bit fussy at first. But as a surprise rental upgrade, it turned out to be the best decision Europcar made for me all year.

Peugeot, I owe you an apology. I thought you were all creaky interiors and quirky switches. Turns out you’ve been paying attention. And now, so am I.