A long-term test is generally a fairly straightforward thing. Get a car, keep you all up to date every month for the duration, do some interesting things with it. Away you go.Â
This time, we tweaked the idea a little. Rather than going straight to the car my family and I would use for the next six months, we had a quick refresher on Peugeot's smaller 2008. A wiry little 1.2-litre thing, it's a fun car but comes from a time before Peugeot announced the new-generation 3008 and took a new design direction. There were a couple of clues to Peugeot's future in the 2008, though.
I quite like the plucky 2008. The twin-clutch transmission makes the most of the 1.2-litre turbo's limited output, if not with great finesse. It has a funky interior with few letdowns, a fizzy chassis and even a couple of SUV diversions like Grip Control, even though it was only front-wheel drive.
The 2008 is based on the ageing 208 platform, though, and feels it. It's likeable but it's not surprising it hasn't made a huge impression.
The 3008 is a completely different proposition. Well, not completely. It's a five-seat, front-wheel drive SUV with a good-sized boot and a fun chassis. The differences aren't just down to the fact ours is the 2.0-litre turbodiesel with a torque-converter six-speed auto. The 3008 is a totally different-looking car. Where the 2008 goes for a light touch, the 3008 is far stronger looking. Distinctive by its claw taillights, funky grille and tough, chunky stance, the 3008 is nothing like the dire duffer it replaces.
The 2008's interior is distinguished by its fun use of materials to lift an otherwise competent design, the 3008 is beamed straight from a concept car. The stacked look is quite avant-garde and here in the GT you also get a striking slash of silvery suede across the cabin starting in the doors and arcing across the front.
The stenographer-style switchgear is very clever - the 3008 has more buttons than the 308 and 208, making navigating the touchscreen far easier. Another line of buttons beneath further improves the experience and helps you keep your eyes on the road.
Peugeot's silly name for its unique driving position - i-Cockpit - persists, but the idea is one I have always liked. The tiny steering wheel sits low enough for you to look over its flattened rim to the high-set digital dashboard. That unit is configurable and very clever indeed. Peugeot says you don't need a head-up display as a result, and I'm okay with that.
The GT's interior feels like a higher-end car. While it looks nothing like an Audi, there is a very pleasant feel to most of the surfaces. There are few obvious switches from other Peugeots, which adds to the quality feel.
So we've got six months ahead of us. I'll cover some of the stuff in more detail, but it's worth knowing that this car is fully loaded and a tick under $50,000. We've got a couple of trips lined up and as luck would have it, we three are now a four - I somehow got talked into a dog, so Indy ("we named the dog Indiana") will likely feature heavily. Sorry. I don't make the rules.
Acquired:Â September 2018
Distance travelled this month:Â 478km
Odometer:Â 950km
Average fuel consumption for September:Â 8.81L/100 (measured at the pump)