DOSSIER CAR OF THE YEAR : Peugeot 3008

This is the one. C’est tout.

Firstly, I do think I must qualify our bold statement of Car of the year. I come from a car crazy family; my dad drove Porsches, the 356 being the most collectable but unreliable. It needed attention my ad man dad could not give. More 911’s followed. We had Fiats, Lancias, Volvos, Peugeots, Citroens, Jeeps, Chryslers, Ford Rangers, Toyota Land Cruisers, Merc, Beemers, and my heart belonged to a 1980’s Mercedes 500 SL. I am not going to rest till I own one. I have moved into a dingy apartment without central heating in winter to live with my then-husband, so he could be employed by Mercedes Benz in Stuttgart … and then made it through two years in PE so he could work at VW. We drove Sarel van der Merwe’s car through the dunes, me screaming around every corner. My son now owns a trucking company, and my other son has a car blog. I deserve to be able to write about cars just because I was the fueling station on the carpet for 7 years while my kids vroom-vroomed around me. My eldest forced me to go buy cars every Friday afternoon, we would pick a dealership, and to my dismay even get evaluations on my cars (Mercs and Audis) and then get the emails with prices, had to decline the offer… the next week we did it all again at another dealership. Phew.  

So yes, we picked our car of the year. 

We tested many fantastic cars this year. Mostly SUV’s as I think that what we want in this country. They were all worthy of praise, but this French number stole our hearts.  

My first, and biggest reason for giving this car a standing ovation, is the price point. We drove many cars worth two million and more. But the Peugeots’ price starting at R518 000, means a lot of “fantastique” for the price. It has everything the zillion rand cars have.

The French do cars that are quirky and different, and that sets them apart. Stylish details, lovely lines, it is also a car that is more artistically styled than its competitors.  

The small steering wheel is a big surprise. Firstly, it makes for very comfortable drive, all the digital dials are standard and are customised via a simple scroll button.  

Top Gear says, “This is where the 3008 is likely to win most sales. The interior is impressive for so many reasons, and the mid-life update has only served to improve it. Few carmakers who’ve attempted to outfox the Volkswagen empire by employing quirky design have done so successfully, yet Peugeot nailed it. The dashboard looks spectacular but (nearly) everything works properly, and it’s laid out with plausible sense given how wild it looks on first impression.” It is not just us; the big guys concur.  

Here is the list of what stood out for us: 

1. High-end detailing 

2.The frameless grille, headlights and tail lights  

3.Eight-inch infotainment touchscreen has a crisp high-resolution with shortcut buttons below

4. Seats are sportingly firm and supportive 

5. Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity is perfection 

6. Automatic headlights and wipers and rear parking sensors 

7. LED ambient interior lighting. 

8. Wireless smartphone charging plate. 

9. Tailgate that opens and closes at the wave of a foot 

10. Superior interior trims - leather seats and steering wheel 

11. Priced extremely well to similar cars in this segment 

12. 19" Alloy wheels 

13. Great fuel economy compared to segment 

14. Space, lots of it. 

peugeot.co.za 

Architectural drawings : Christo Du Plessis