When Mitsubishi made the current Outlander, both Citroen and Peugeot were involved, and so, it was announced that they would be making their own versions of the Outlander platform. The Citroen C-Crosser was quietly released in 2007 - I say quietly because aside from the more Citroen-esque nose, the shape of the car was pure Outlander. Even the interior was identical to the Mitsubishi. Peugeot then released the 4007, which again, was virtually identical, except for the face. So don't say anything about the Mitsubishi Outlander in front of people that work for Peugeot or Citroen. And no-one's really buying the C-Crosser or 4007 because we can all see through their lies - they're not new cars in their own right, merely copies. So Peugeot didn't want that to happen again with their latest attempt at a Compact SUV. It is all new, based on the 308 platform, and got an extra 0 to its name.

Actually, I'm reasonably impressed by the 3008. The overall shape of the car is quite pleasing, if a bit bulky and chubby. Of course, because this is a Peugeot, the face of the car is horrible - how hard can it be to make a car with a nice nose? Oh, wait a minute, I forgot - the French have no inspiration for nice noses. The domestic trend is quite the opposite. On the other hand, because this is a Peugeot, it will look much better in real life than it does in pictures. Hopefully. Well, I hated the 407 in pictures, but when I see them out on the road, they somehow look elegant. This had baffled me for a long time, until I realised the truth - Peugeot have invested a lot of money in the paint finish of their cars. Have you ever seen a 407 with a boring looking paintjob? They're always sparkly and stunning, or glossy and classy. Perhaps this is what is blinding me to the true ugliness of a Peugeot.

Anyway, the 3008. In Europe, the 3008 will be offered in a vast range of petrol and diesel engines, but when it arrives here in 2010, the story will be a bit different. The petrol range of the 3008 only reaches 1.6 Litres and 115kw, so it is most likely that we'll only get the top-of-the-range 2.0Litre diesel engine, producing 120kW and 340Nm. In 2011, Peugeot plan to introduce a diesel-electric 3008, like the Prologue HYbrid4 concept shown last year. Don't expect that to come here though, sadly.

The new 3008 will be offered in 5-seat and 7-seat configurations, and Peugeot want the 3008 to fill the roles of SUV, people mover, and family hatchback. I personally think it will join the Nissan Dualis in a new market segment - a sort of 4x4, sort of hatchback kind of car. Perhaps then it would be a good idea to create a front wheel drive version of the 3008, Peugeot? In this way, the 3008 will save weight (increasing performance, economy, etc.) and hopefully also make some gains in the handling department. It's not like people who want a 3008 will want to go off-road, by any stretch of the imagination.

Like when they launched the 308, Peugeot are harping incessantly on about how their new cars are of vastly better quality. And though I'll admit that the interior looks pleasant, in an Audi R8 kind of way, time will be the judge of their claims. Wouldn't it be great if other car makers could make their more interesting cars as reliable as a Toyota?

But do you think that Peugeot really is purposely entering their car in a new market segment? Does the 3008 really compete with the Nissan Dualis? You know what I'm talking about when you see them next to each other. They both share the same low ride height, anyway. Let me know whether you think the concept will take off - I believe, providing the price is right, that it will.

NEWS: Peugeot 3008 Officially Launched into a New Market Segment