Peugeot e-3008 review

The single-motor version is smooth and quiet, but not a car for drivers who like to crack on. Getting from 0-62mph, hampered by that kerbweight, occupies 8.7 seconds. Still, thanks to good aero, things don't tail off too much at motorway speed.

Neither does it take too kindly to being hustled down a tricky road. The mass shows up again when you pitch it into a tight corner or ride over a crest. It takes a while to settle after either of those events. And the steering doesn't confide any sense of what's happening where the rubber meets the road.

But it is an accurate and fluent car that's easy to thread along neatly: it doesn't lurch when taking on its modest roll, understeer is well contained and traction strong. In the dry you'd hardly know which end the motor lives. Steering weight and progression are just fine. So are the brakes. And paddles give a choice of regeneration levels.

The ride is generally pretty supple unless you hit a really big bump, and anyway the tyres' and suspension's quietness make it feel better than it is.

What about the twin motor?

This isn't on sale yet, but we did have a quick go on a short-lap track. It gets away more smartly, though still not what you'd call rapidly for an EV, taking 6.4 seconds to 62mph instead of 8.7s. It has a 110bhp front motor to add to the 210bhp out back. It clings on more gamely out of tight corners, but the basic character is the same. The WLTP range is the same too. It’ll hit showrooms in 2025, as will the 98kWh Long Range.

That reminds me, what’s efficiency like?

Decent, if not mind-blowing. We spent a couple of hours driving the 73kWh Standard Range car on a mix of country roads and town stuff, and got 3.5mi/kWh from it on a warm day. That points to real-world range of 255 miles against a claim of 326. Not a bad return by any means. That suggests the 98kWh Long Range model will bulldoze through the magic 300-mile mark when it gets here.

Are the driver aids a help or hindrance?

There's a pretty comprehensive suite of them but beyond the legally mandated ones they're optional so if you don't like them – many don't – they’re simple to switch off. They work smoothly without many bings and bongs or nudges of the steering. You can set up shortcuts to switch out any of them if you're regularly on a road where they're unhelpful. Many Peugeots we’ve driven recently are far more intrusive, so this is a welcome sign of progress.