Used 2012 Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 Sedan Hybrid Wagon Review & Ratings

Peugeot's 3008 Hybrid 4 Sedan Wagon made its first public appearance in the summer of 2011, and went into production later in the year. The 3008 Hybrid 4 Sedan Wagon carries the distinction of being the first vehicle in the World to be powered by a combination diesel and battery engine.

From the outside, there is very little to distinguish the 3008 Hybrid from the standard 3008 totally fuel driven well proportioned SUV. At the front the Hybrid features the now typical new black matt grille, oversized LED headlights, sleeker front and rear bumpers are all in place topped off with Peugeot's now trademark Lion motif. The rear end of the car is marked by a very attractive tow toned spoiler. The only way that any casual observer could know that the 3008 Sport Wagon was hybrid driven would be by the chrome badges strategically placed on the car's side and rear.

It's under the hood where the difference lies, and that is in Peugeot's standard 2.0 liter turbo-diesel engine producing 161 horsepower and 148 pounds per feet of torque paired with a manual six-speed transmission whose role it is to provide power to the 3008's front wheels. The rear wheels are operated through a 36 horsepower AC electric motor, which in itself is powered by a robust nickel hybrid battery that is re-charged through an on-board eight kilowatt generator.

When working in tandem these two separate power sources provide a highly efficient four wheel drive combination of super quiet but extremely powerful 200 horse power while providing incredibly high levels of fuel economy and almost impossibly low emission levels. If operated in electric power mode only, the 3008 Hybrid will cruise along silently for 2.5 miles at a maximum speed of 31 miles per hour. If switched to "cruise "mode on the highway, the 3008 will reach as high as 40 miles per hour. As soon as the battery charge begins to run down, the hybrid engine will automatically switch back to diesel powered four wheel drive and the battery will begin to re-charge.

As a people carrier or light cargo bearer, the Peugeot 3008 is required to pay very little tariff for the undoubted fiscal advantages of being hybrid driven. The, Hybrid 3008 remains a comfortable five seater with more than enough head and leg room for five adults to travel in comfort. As far as storage space is concerned the generator and battery combination takes away just 3.5 cubic feet of the 3008's storage space. There is still a fairly massive 52.5 cube left after the back seats are folded flat and fully forward, easily accessed thanks to the 3008's standard design split tailgate as well as a considerable storage area available under the large flat floor.

There is no doubt that the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 represents a breakthrough in motoring and will open the way for a many other similarly powered vehicles hitting the roads in the coming years, not only from Peugeot and their partners Citroen, but from most of the World's leading auto producers. The 3008 Hybrid earns generally solid reviews as a first class car to drive. The leading question that hangs over the car is it worth laying out sixty percent more for the hybrid version than a petrol driven or even forty percent for a diesel engined 3008 that doesn't fall that far behind in terms of fuel consumption. It will take a lot of fuel saving to justify the investment in a diesel/hybrid powered concept that is still in its infancy.