The Peugeot 3008 is dead, long live the 2017 Peugeot 3008. But not yet my friend, not yet. For now the 3008 lives on like an amorphous ode to errmm… something… something. For now you may have noticed the current 3008 Crossover MPV has been given a number of mid-lifecycle tweaks, that was back in 2014. New front and rear headlight designs, slightly different look to the front and rear bumpers and that new corporate grille, that sort of thing. You may also have noticed the trend within the automotive industry for installing small capacity turbocharged petrol engines in place of normally aspirated petrol engines. It turns out that normally aspirated petrol engines emit far too many CO2s and the EU isn’t happy about that. The solution is to “downsize” so Peugeot’s normally aspirated 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre petrol engine has been replaced with a turbocharged 3-cylinder, 1.2-litre petrol unit. This will make the EU happier, provide cleaner air for all and therefore a more efficient mode of transportation. As a result many polar bears will be saved and many trees will no longer have to be felled. You would think installing a small engine to a ‘hunk-of-junk’ would be disadvantageous, after all these small capacity engines perform really well in small hatchbacks not a family sized transporter like the 3008 which has to deal with the school run, shopping trips, tip-trips or visiting relatives 100 miles away. That said the 1.2-litre turbo petrol unit just about punches above it’s weight, 130bhp and 230Nm is more than the average family will ever need. It’s the torque that’s the most important factor, torque gives you that shove in the back power. Without the turbo the dinky 1.2-litre petrol wouldn’t be able to cope with the 3008’s size and weight and you can thank the lord and the EU bureaucrats who have forced motoring manufacturers to go back to the drawing board and think again. Overall the engine is slightly more powerful than the larger engine it replaces. That small turbo is well suited to the 3008, you see its all about the power to weight ratio and despite this 1.2-litre, 3-pot turbo petrol being at a paper disadvantage, in reality there is life to be found. OK so you don’t have the lazy accessibility of power that a larger capacity engine gives you and if you want a turn of speed you will have to rev things up a bit and small engines tend to scream when throttled hard. But the 3008’s little wonder copes with whatever you throw at it. The 3008 comes in four trim levels including the Hybrid4 Limited Edition. The range of engines include that 1.2-litre- 3-cylinder turbo petrol. The diesel line up consists of the 1.6HDi which is available in two power derivatives and same for the 2.0-litre HDi. Prices start from £20k and can rise up to £24k, obviously optional extras can bump the price up. The 3008 Hybrid4 will set you back £27k. On the inside you get a spacious interior, it feels light and airy, the seats are comfortable so driving long distances is never arse-ache inducing. The dash design features Peugeot’s analogue past, its full of buttons and switches for this setting and that. The interior can look complicated but you soon acclimatise yourself with the setup and it’s number of design flaws. But every car interior ever made has had ergonomic and usability issues. The cabin space feels almost premium, build quality is good but overall the 3008 won’t dethrone an Audi or BMW but crucially you won’t feel short changed either and you  do get more toys for less money. The exterior design may resemble a Bumblebee on steroids but that aside it does have practicality going for it. The rear split-tail gate is one area that springs to mind, yes Peugeot have gone native, Range Rover style. Then there is the false boot floor and of course many people will appreciate the foldy-up and foldy down-down seats which reveals a reasonably behemoth sized loading bay. OK it’s 512-litres seats up, 1,604-litres seats down. What you do with that space is your business but it passes the Cappo-Di-Cappo test. Although the 3008’s suspension setup feels a little firm the 3008 rides and handles well enough for a car of this type. Its stable and predictable through the corners, but it’s no sports car and never will be. If you want a car that handles like a sports car buy a sports car. My initially feeling was that a small engine combined with a modestly big chassis would hurt the mpg rates, however 44mpg on a combined cycle was a reasonable rate of return. The advantages of driving a petrol car is yes the delivery of power is smoother and quieter compared to diesels. But if you want to get good mpg of the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol unit then you have to drive modestly and conservatively most of the times and isn’t that a dreary way to live? That means you have to think constantly about how you moderate your driving style too eek a bit of extra miles out of the tank because if you don’t you can easily drop down to around 34mpg and below Peugeot 3008 Allure PT 130 ending on your driving style. You don’t have to think do that in a diesel. OK so if you like piling up the miles and prefer distance over saving the planet, and you are into getting a 3008 it makes more sense to go diesel. If you want power and aren’t to worried about wasting money on fuel then get a V8 car of some type… That’s our advice. Or why not wait until 2017 when the all new 3008 come into play.