If you’re after a sensible, European small SUV, Peugeot may have the answer for you in the new 3008, which just launched in the UAE.

While Peugeot calls the 3008 a ‘CUV’, it’s basically a compact SUV along the same lines as the Renault Kadjar and the Ford EcoSport. Those are pretty popular cars in the Middle East, thanks to being well-equipped and inexpensive. So the new 3008 has some tough competition.

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But it looks like the new car is indeed able of standing up to the Ford and the Renault – it was named European Car of the Year for 2017, and it’s had rafts of great reviews.

So what do you get? Well, you get a relatively high driving position, thanks to it being an SUV, plus decent looks (to our eyes), and a whole lot of tech. Indeed, Peugeot seems to be making in-car technology the main selling point of the 3008.

On that front, you get an eight-inch, tablet-like touch display as the main infotainment screen, plus what Peugeot calls the ‘i-Cockpit’. This replaces the traditional, analogue instrument panel with customisable screens, meaning you can see the information you want more easily. There’s also plenty of safety tech such as active park assist, adaptive cruise control and lane departure assist.

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The main engine available right now in the GCC is 1.6-litre turbocharged unit, generating 165 bhp and 240 Nm of torque – fed through a six-speed automatic gearbox. There are rumours that Peugeot is working on a hybrid, four-wheel-drive version of the 3008, but we haven’t had any confirmation on when or if that will make its way to the GCC.

There’s no word on prices yet, but expect the 3008 to cost around the same as the two competitors mentioned above.

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