2021 Peugeot 3008 to offer plug-in hybrid for Australia

Peugeot Australia has confirmed it will bring in a plug-in hybrid version of its 3008 medium SUV to Australia.

Updated petrol and diesel versions will arrive first, though, along with the 2021 5008 seven-seat SUV.

Revealed last year, the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions use the existing 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and add electric assistance via a motor and a 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery.

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The more powerful Hybrid4 300 uses a 147kW tune of the four-cylinder engine, combining it with an 80kW electric motor on the front axle and an 83kW version on the rear axle to generate 224kW combined.

It also offers 59km of pure electric range.

A second, less potent Hybrid 225 uses a detuned 1.6-litre turbo with 132kW, paired with a single 80kW electric motor on the front axle for a total of 167kW and a pure EV range of 56km.

The Australia-bound 3008 five-seater and 5008 seven-seater will initially arrive with the current models' prosaic but punchy 1.6-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel powertrains that are bolted to six- and eight-speed automatic transmissions respectively.

A Peugeot Australia spokesperson told WhichCar the 3008 and Peugeot 508 sedan/wagon will gain PHEV variants later this year, but wouldn't reveal which of the two powertrains will be in either model.

There are no plans to bring an electrified 5008 to Australia.

Fresh faces

When the 2021 3008 and 5008 models arrive in Australia, they will come with a cat-inspired exterior redesign, featuring a new frameless front grille flanked by gloss black side scoops.

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Fog lights have been deleted in favour of ‘foggy mode’ headlight tech, which instead switches on reduced-intensity low-beam lights when the rear fog lights are activated.

Their rear ends, meanwhile, gain new full LED lights that include resculpted '3D lion claw' lighting signature and scrolling indicators.

The lights feature a smoked glass lens, extending the black boot strip on either side of the vehicle.

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The new lighting is complemented by a black boot hatch to visually widen their stance, says Peugeot.

Subtle interior updates are highlighted by a new central touchscreen that has been refreshed with a larger 10-inch display (growing from 8.0 inches), while the fully digital driver’s i-Cockpit instrument cluster remains the same size at 12.3-inches but with higher resolution graphics.

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The 3008 also gains a new GT Sport variant which includes a Black Pack option to the tread plates, bumpers and roof, and a unique wheel design Peugeot has dubbed ‘Washington’.

The 3008 GT Sport spec also includes Nappa leather and Focal premium 10-speaker system audio as standard.

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Full Australian specifications and pricing will be released closer to the on-sale date.