It seems the time has come for Peugeot Australia to gain more and more market share as it expands its Australian lineup. Apart from the Peugeot 4007 which has already been launched, the latest addition to the range is the Peugeot 3008 compact SUV which will make its first public appearance in Australia at this month’s Handa Women’s Australian Open golf championship in Melbourne.

The Peugeot 3008 will be launched later this year in May and features the best of both SUVs, family hatchbacks and MPVs. Having been launched in Europe last year, the Peugeot 3008 has won numerous awards such Car Of The Year for 2009 by British publication What Car? and the Auto Europa 2010 award.

The new Pug will come packed with the latest the French company has to offer, Grip Control, Dynamic Roll Control, Head-Up Display for the driver, Distance Alert, Automatic Electric Parking Brake and Hill Assist are just a few.

From the outside the 3008 follows on from the Peugeot design principle, taking inspiration from the 308 and 207 model range.

Australian buyers can pick between diesel or petrol variants with fuel economy figures as low as 5.6 litres per 100km combined for the manual 2.0-litre HDi diesel (146 grams/km CO2 emissions).

The Peugeot 3008 is safety rated at the maximum five stars with an array of airbags and active safety systems all standard. A brief demonstration of the systems in use can be seen below:

As with all Peugeots of late, the interior space is extremely flexible with its configuration, Peugeot says the 3008 offers a load capacity under the parcel shelf of 512 litres, or 1,604 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.

It has a huge rear load area that is extremely versatile thanks to its adjustable floor. Combined with the extra ride height and commanding driving position it offers an ideal proposition for almost any leisure activity.” Peugeot Automobiles Australia national marketing manager Richard Grant says

CarAdvice will soon bring you a review of the Peugeot 4007 and Peugeot 3008.