Vehicles are becoming increasingly hard to categorise these days and as much as it can cause confusion sometimes, I actually like it when fresh thinking and innovation override traditional segmentation.
Today our roads are littered with SUVs that are more closely related to cars than traditional 4x4s, the 'four-door coupe' is becoming the buzzword at the higher end and there's even an SUV convertible (based on the Nissan Murano) available overseas.
The Peugeot 3008 is another vehicle that blurs traditional boundaries and in my eyes it seems too SUV-like to qualify as a mini-MPV and too MPV like to cut it as an SUV. But has this French crossover struck the right balance?
While the 3008 is not new to our market, this publication has never tested the diesel version and this provided a perfect opportunity to further ponder its place in the market and how it works with diesel power.
Its external design is, no doubt, more rugged and macho than that of your everyday MPV and thankfully it doesn't shout "I'm doing the school run" to fellow motorists. Yet there are a few details that make it look too fussy and bulky - particularly the over-use of plastic in the front end and then there are other shapes (like the headlights) that I would have sharpened to lend a more rugged effect.
Let's not pretend that this is a real SUV by any stretch of the imagination, but the 3008 does clearly boast a higher ground clearance than a car or MPV - although the exact number is strangely missing from Peugeot's specification sheets. The options sheet also boasts a special traction control system called Grip Control, which can optimise the traction of both front wheels in all driving conditions.
I was impressed by how this Peugeot handled a badly rutted and very muddy farm road that I threw at it, but I would never put this vehicle on a proper off-road trail.
So it is a bit more useful than an MPV off the beaten track, but how handy is it on the MPV's turf?
Yes, it has a split tailgate and a cargo space divider that can slot into many different positions, but the rear legroom is nowhere near as ample as in other mini-MPVs like the Renault Scenic and VW Touran and the 512-litre boot is quite useful but nothing to really boast about. Peugeot also failed to install the fancy back seat (with slide and recline functions) that we all but expect in MPVs and SUVs these days.
While function might have been skimped on, form certainly has not - this Peugeot easily has the most stylish and elegant interior in the MPV class and even if they appear to have nicked the dashboard from an Audi R8, that large, driver-focussed expanse of soft-touch plastic is something I enjoyed looking at on a daily basis.
Another pleasant surprise was the performance offered by its 2-litre turbodiesel engine. There was no lag off the mark and it felt extremely smooth and punchy throughout the rev range. It's definitely one of the stronger performers in this segment.
Just so you know, the high-pressure common-rail-injected engine is good for 110kW at 3750rpm and 340Nm of torque at 2000rpm, while Peugeot claims a combined sipping figure of 5.6 litres per hundred kays.
There was also absolutely nothing out of place in the way this Peugeot soaked up the bumps or steered through corners. A pleasant driving experience all round.
Peugeot really created this car with some clever intentions and they definitely got the driving dynamics box ticked correctly, but the rest of the package is not the happiest of marriages between the two segments.
I do hope that the designers of the next generation 3008 can learn more about SUV style, MPV practicality and how to blend the two.