The 3008 is not Peugeot's most recent MPV, because the 5008 is, but it's still pretty new, having gone on sale in the UK at the end of 2009. The near-coincidence of their arrivals should not come as much of a surprise, since despite their different looks (the 3008 looks more like a conventional car than the 5008, which looks more like an MPV than the 3008) they are very closely related.Both are based on the 308 platform, with the slight difference that the 5008 uses the extended version which also underpins the 308 SW. That means that the 5008 can be offered as a seven-seater - and in fact it's offered as nothing but in the UK. The 3008 is available only as a five-seater, which of course is perfectly reasonable to anyone who doesn't have to transport small people to and from school on a daily basis.I would have to say that this is not my favourite compact MPV, for a number of reasons. To start at a fairly trivial level, I don't think it looks particularly good, certainly not in comparison with the more elegant 5008. And, like that car, it is a surprisingly tight fit for drivers above six feet in height, while rear passenger space is limited too.(Luggage room isn't bad, though, ranging from 512 litres with the rear seats in place to 1604 litres when they're folded down, and there's a two-piece tailgate whose lower platform gives you somewhere to sit if you're out doing lifestyley things.)Much more annoying, and potentially dangerous, is the difficulty in seeing out. Peugeot's designers - unlike those of sister company Citroen - don't seem to give a great deal of thought to this, and the results can be alarming. My worst experience during this test came when I had to reverse into a passing place on a single-track road at night to let an oncoming vehicle past.I had to get out, walk round to the back of the car and check where the passing place was, because I simply couldn't see it through the tiny rear windows, and the prospect of using guesswork (when a wrong move might have sent me crashing down a hillside into one of the most famously dangerous bodies of water in my local area) was not one I intended to investigate.It really isn't good enough, and I don't intend to give Peugeot any credit for the fact that most other manufacturers are equally dreadful in this respect nowadays.I did, however, enjoy the fact that Peugeot had provided us with this particular model to review. It has the most powerful engine the range, a 156bhp 1.6-litre petrol turbo co-developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and the BMW Group, and although there are much more sensible choices in the range - all the diesels soundly thrash it in terms of combined fuel economy and CO2 emissions - I do rather like this one.That's not so much because it's reasonably quick, though it certainly outperforms all other 3008s, but because the car can handle the power easily. Spirited driving may not be what most customers have in mind when they buy the car, but it can be achieved quite happily, and not at the expense of good ride quality.The word "Exclusive" in this car's name denotes the highest trim level in the range, above Active and Sport. My favourite piece of Exclusive equipment is the head-up display, which shines information on to a little perspex (I think) panel which slides up from the fascia as you turn on the engine, but you might prefer the panoramic sunroof, the automatic headlights and wipers, the distance alert system, the sun visor curtains for rear passengers, the tyre pressure sensor, the exterior aluminium finish, the additional storage of the Family Pack, the Thatcham Category 1 approved alarm or the dual-zone climate control air-conditioning. Engine 1598 cc, 4 cylinders Power 150 bhp @5800 rpm Torque 177 ib/ft @1400 rpm Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 38.2 mpg / 176 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 8.9sec Top speed 125 mph Price From £18919.00 approx Release date 01/08/2009
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