Rival to the Renault Arkana will sit between the new 308 hatchback and 3008 crossover.
Peugeot is readying an all-new, rakish-roofed SUV to fill the gap between the 308 hatchback and 3008 crossover – and sharing underpinnings with those models means it will offer a broad array of combustion and electrified powertrains.
The new car, which Automotive Daily understands is mechanically based on the new Peugeot 308 family hatchback, is now testing on public roads, giving clues as to how it has been styled with influence from traditional coupe, saloon and SUV models – in a similar vein to the new Citroën C5X, with which it shares Stellantis’s EMP2 architecture.
That platform can accomodate both pure-combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrains – the latter of which is being tested in these new spy shots, as evidenced by the camouflaged charging port at the rear – and the the model is expected to be offered with the same drivetrains as the EMP2-based 308: two plug-in hybrids, a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.2-litre petrol in two states of tune.
However, both the 308 and the closely related Vauxhall Astra will also be offered with pure-electric versions in 2023, paving the way for this new model to go down the same route, in line with Peugeot’s plan to go all-electric by 2030. The all-electric e-308 will offer 115kW of power and 400km of range from a 54kWh battery.
The new car, thought to be called the 4008, appears to be roughly the size of the Citroën C5 X, meaning it would rival some of the segment’s most popular models, such as the Kia Sportage, Renault Arkana and Volkswagen T-Roc, while an all-electric version would serve as a competitor to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volvo C40.
The new Peugeot model has entered testing not long after company CEO Linda Jackson suggested there were no plans to expand the French firm’s vehicle line-up with a 308-based coupé.
“We work on a core model strategy – that is, key models in the volume profit pool,” Jackson told Automotive Daily Network partner Autocar in February, explaining how the French firm would target global expansion.
“Peugeot is very fortunate to have representation in most of the key profit pools. I’m very happy with what we have.”
More details of its design will become clear as testing progresses and the camouflage starts to come off – but already it is clear that the new crossover will be a close visual relation to current Peugeot models including the 208 and 308, with distinctive ‘sabre-tooth’ running lights, angular headlights, a prominent front overhang and – inside – the driver-oriented i-Cockpit dashboard layout.
Felix Page