Yeap, that was basically my first 30 minutes in the Peugeot 3008 SUV. See, I drive a 7-year-old Perodua Viva that I absolutely love until this day because it has given me the freedom to adventure out onto the streets of Malaysia. Nonetheless, it isn’t as advanced as cars these days but fortunately, I had the honour of trying out the European Car of The Year 2017 for my first media drive. I was crazy excited!

THE PEUGEOT 3008 SUV

From The Eyes Of A 5'3

Is the Peugeot 3008 the ideal SUV for a lady?

words by BENG LIM

“What’s that sound?”

“What does this button do?”

“Where’s the button for that?”

“What does this mean?”

“I’m pressing it but why is nothing happening…”

“What was that?!”

During the media drive, I was grouped up with Chris Wee from Autofreaks and Kam Foo from TopGear, two very well-versed seniors in the automotive industry. Trying at best to not make a fool out of myself went out the door as soon as I stepped into the car. Having seen so many photos of the interior design of the car, I was excited to say the least. Excited puppy was what I would describe myself the minute I got behind the wheel, fiddling with every possible button.

Not knowing what to expect, I acted cool, calm and professional or so I would like to think. During the unveiling, I was in awe from the moment that black cloth slithered away from that sexy body revealing those glistering LED lights, new signature 3D rear claw taillight and dashes of chrome positioned at the right places on the beautifully moulded piece of metal that added up to the aesthetics of the new Peugeot 3008 SUV.

The latest generation of Peugeot i-Cockpit did not disappoint. Using fabric on the dashboard and door panels, chrome detailing with black as a base and compact steering wheel with paddle shift, it gives a very chic feel. The 12.3” Digital Head-Up Cluster Display screen left me feeling as though I went ahead in time especially with the electronic switch gear bouncing back in motion during engagement.

During my time behind the wheel, I found the handling of the car fairly smooth with a tight turning radius of 10.7m, it is almost as easy to manoeuvre as the Volkswagen Polo (10.6m), which will make 3 point turns a breeze. The seven ‘piano key’ toggle switches is such a brilliant idea as it gives the ease of accessibility eliminating the hassle of fiddling around the touch screen thus keeping focus on the road.

As a 5’3/5’4 tall female, I loved how cosy and compact the car felt though I can’t say the same for others especially those with long legs. As mentioned earlier, I drive a Perodua Viva and I can confidently say the space allocated in the Viva is equivalent to or even more than the Peugeot 3008. On the other hand, I can easily fit myself into the 590-litre boot which can increase to 1,670 litres should the back seats be folded. Hence, I’m postulating that there was a compromise of space allocation in front section of the vehicle in order for the boot to be that spacious.

With all these advanced technology, it gets a tad annoying at times when the cars go beeping away and we are left wondering what we are doing wrong. Nevertheless, the Lane Departure Assist beeps would be one that I would appreciate especially during those long “balik kampung” rides. It works as a reminder whenever we change lanes without signalling or when we unintentionally doze off and swerve to another lane.

From my standpoint, the Peugeot 3008 SUV is a user friendly car with beautifully designed interior and exterior despite the limitations of the space allotment at the front which compensated for the back. It is impressive with how much it had to offer with such a minimalistic design. Perhaps less really is more.

The highlight for me during the trip is finding out how wicked the sound system was! A six-speaker with 3D Arkamys sound staging system. I love my music, especially while driving and this just hit the soft spot for me! Imagine having a 240 Nm of torque SUV accompanied by an incredible sound system with beautifully design interior and exterior. What more can you ask for. Really.

"The seven ‘piano key’ toggle switches is such a brilliant idea as it gives the ease of accessibility eliminating the hassle of fiddling around the touch screen thus keeping focus on the road."

"I loved how cosy and compact the car felt though I can’t say the same for others especially those with long legs."

"It is impressive with how much it had to offer with such a minimalistic design. "