Peugeot crosses a divide with style

If you like the look of a 4x4 but don't need the off-road capability or the high running costs, Peugeot has an answer for you in the attractive form of its new 3008 Crossover. The black version Jacksons Garage provided for a test drive stood out everywhere it went in Cavan on Monday. This is a seriously good looking car, one with real road presence (and road manners too - we'll come back to that). Readers who remember Tonka toys will have some idea of what the 3008 looks like; it has a chunky solidity that inspires confidence in its ability. And that's all before you open the door... climb - and you do have to climb a bit; this is a high vehicle - inside and it feels more SUV-like than car-like, which appears to be the effect Peugeot was after. Its 3008 brochure says the car "has the vehicle dynamics of a family hatchback, the flexibility and space of an MPV and the rugged looks of an SUV". The driver enjoys a raised position to look down on other road users and the dash has a wrap-around effect to where it meets the high centre console, with a grab handle that will make it handy for front seat passengers to haul themselves aboard. There's plenty of space in the cabin and the enormous windscreen makes it feel even more roomy, while parking and manoeuvring are straightforward thanks to the light steering and short overhangs beyond front and rear wheels. The Crossover has an electric handbrake that will take a bit of getting used to, though it works perfectly well and saves the bother of having to manipulate it on upward starts because it has Hill Assist, which holds the car for up to two seconds while you get going. You have to press the clutch for the engine to fire up, so do that, pull the parking brake button and hear it whirr as release the clutch again. Then enjoy the sprightly 110bhp diesel as you move away and work your way up through the six-speed gearbox. The 3008 has a real Peugeot feel about it. The French manufacturer has long made cars that include fun-to-drive in their list of standard equipment and this one is no exception, despite its chunky build. On a spin from Jacksons Garage at Poles in towards Cavan town it was able to stick faithfully to its line at the roundabout and scoot up the bypass towards Belturbet with a such a willing attitude that long drives would seem like fun. The miles will fly by for another reason too - the technology and multimedia equipment you have to play with. The 3008 has Peugeot Connect Sound, radio/CD player, USB and Bluetooth, which allow you to connect to your MP3 player and make and receive phone calls through the car's audio system. The test car had a bit of cheeky French chic as well, as the dash reading was in its native language, though it thought it was 1 Janvier 2007. While that may be a bit out of date (it just needed to be programmed), the rest of the 3008 Crossover is as modern as they come. It's well priced and cheap to run and with its huge mesh grille, big headlights and fat wheelarches, it really stands out. The 3008 Crossover is similar in concept to the Nissan Qashqai, so we showed it to the owner of one of those cars. She loved the seating position and the great all-round visibility as well as the plentiful storage spaces for small items such as motorway toll coins. The enormous dash and its layout drew positive comment and the driving experience went down well too. Looks like Nissan might have a fight on its hands... • Contact Jacksons Garage on 049-4330800 to get more details and arrange a test drive.