Cars are generally cast into rigid segments, each featuring a set range of competitors with the same bodystyles, virtually identical dimensions, similar engine capacities and carefully-matched performance and fuel efficiency figures. The advent of the crossover with its off-road-ready exterior shrouding a resolutely on-road chassis has muddied things a little bit, but by and large, shopping for a particular car is still almost always fairly straightforward.
Not so the Peugeot 3008, introduced here back in 2010. Built on the bones of the previous-generation 308, it featured a small, turbocharged engine and promised the rufty-tufty looks and high driving position of an SUV, the versatility of an MPV and the driving manners and compact dimensions of a family hatchback. Even against its immediate rivals in the crossover sector the 3008 was a fairly oddball choice, and combined with the, um, challenging aesthetics it looked like a recipe for disaster.
Except it wasn't – the 3008 found homes in many Malaysian households over the past four years, appealing to people who wanted a commanding view from the driver's seat without having to suffer the ordeal of parking and manoeuvring an actual SUV. For them, the appearance was easy to overlook – it did at least look rather tough, and to most people buying a crossover, that was exactly what they wanted.
And now the 3008 has been given a refresh, with a number of subtle tweaks inside and out as well as a bit more power. Hopes for the new model run high, with official distributor Nasim expecting it to play a vital role in the company's plan to shift 7,000 Peugeots this year. So, have the upgrades brought anything new to the crossover table?
Read on to find out, and browse the full gallery
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