2009 Peugeot 3008

Basic engineering concepts

The Peugeot 3008 is a compact, spacious and responsible crossover. It represents a new and innovative offer, not only in the Peugeot range but also in today’s car market
as a whole. Manufactured in Eastern France at the Sochaux manufacturing plant, its concept and specifi cation has draw on all of Peugeot’s expertise and values.

The 3008 is positioned at the crossroads between several existing vehicles: the SUV, the MPV and hatchback. The car derives its strengths from this blend of motoring concepts while at the same adopting a number of new and original technologies (Dynamic Roll Control, Grip Control, etc) enabling it to combine specifi cations often deemed incompatible (driving pleasure inside a “tall” vehicle, improved traction while at the same time being eco-friendly, etc).

Solid and innovative choices

The T84 project is based on platform 2 of the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group. This platform, continually updated and optimised, benefits from exceptional rigidity and therefore
provides the best possible location for mechanical assemblies and the suspension, but also ensures excellent acoustic and vibration properties. In this instance the ‘‘short wheelbase’’ platform 2 was used, the same as the 308 hatchback, as it is able to meet the required objectives in terms of the car’s compactness and stylistic proportions.

‘‘STRUCTURAL’’ INNOVATIONS

The structure of the 3008 was carefully studied to ensure not only maximum secondary safety, but also – and herein lies the diffi culty with a large and tall vehicle – a rigidity worthy of a saloon, in order to get the very best from the suspension, enhance primary safety and guarantee the driving pleasure on which the company prides itself.

Other parameters which were also considered at the same time were, reducing the car’s weight, the integration of a glass roof and the ease of facilitating this for the stylists…
Here the 3008 benefi ts from the Group’s extensive experience and know-how (see section on ‘‘Safety’’) but also important innovations, both in the design of some of its components and in terms of industrial assembly processes.

Laser welding

The technique of laser welding is used for panel and metalwork during assembly of the car’s body. This process consists of welding in a continuous bead as opposed to tack welding. It is applied to the door frames and in particular parts of the rear structure. In addition to guaranteeing excellent body rigidity, this technique opens up new possibilities during the design stage by reducing the area of panel joins required for traditional welding. This results in a weight reduction of 5 kg for the car as a whole, optimisation of window size and therefore driver visibility.

The Bogé impact absorber

To obtain the smallest possible front overhang, both to enhance the car’s style and facilitate use of the vehicle on a day-to-day basis, it was necessary to use a more effi cient impact absorption beam. The introduction of an innovative Bogé impact absorber (the name comes from the patent holder) has allowed this specifi cation to be achieved.

It uses two conical absorbers, located between the impact absorption beam and the chassis leg, which is programmed with a controlled deformation in the event of collision and ‘‘collapses’’ internally without affecting the chassis leg and therefore the engine compartment.

Weight optimisation

With the objective of providing optimum safety – while ensuring minimal impact on the vehicle’s overall weight – led to the use of materials lighter than ordinary steel. High strength steel panels, including a new ‘‘three-phase’’ steel which becomes stronger the higher the impact speed, accounts for 12.5% of the vehicle’s weight.
Mention should also be made of the bonnet which is manufactured from aluminium (as is the front impact absorption beam) and the front wings, manufactured from a composite material. Along similar lines, the panoramic laminated glass roof, as on the 308 SW, uses a glass thickness of only 5 mm, allowing a gain of nearly 5 kg compared to traditional technology, while at the same time retaining the same level of safety.

AN IDEAL DRIVING POSITION

The goal of providing maximum driving pleasure involves fi rstly optimising the drivingposition. The desire to reproduce an ergonomic saloon-type driving position on a taller
vehicle, with a comfortable steering wheel angle allowing maximum appreciation of the vehicle’s road holding ability, led to a number of original technical solutions being aired at the very outset of the project.

For example, the steering column of the 3008 has three universal joints instead of two to ensure a perfect position of the steering wheel in relation to the driver.
As a result, while the nominal height of the ‘‘eye point’’ (height of the eye in relation to the road) rises to 1,046 mm (or 101 mm more than the 308), the steering wheel angle in relation to the centre line of the driver is 24.8°, i.e. identical to that of the 308. Everything is therefore in place to give the driver a raised and ergonomic position
for a new driving experience.

TO BE, OR NOT TO BE… 4 WHEEL DRIVE?

The question of the vehicle’s transmission system was raised at the initial design stage since it required some off-road capabilities.
The use of traditional ‘‘4x4’’ technology posed a number of constraints for the programme as a whole: its layout impacted on interior space, practicality and interior style, points of differentiation that were important for the vehicle. In addition, the operation of the power train and the associated weight increase went against
the objective of the project to reduce running costs, particularly in terms of fuel consumption and CO2, emissions to a minimum. To solve this problem, two solutions were implemented: Grip Control and HYbrid4.

Grip Control

Grip Control is an innovative package consisting of 16’’ M+S (Mud & Snow) tyres and intelligent traction control, able to control the front wheels to optimal effect at the driver’s request. This feature gives the vehicle a genuine ability to overcome diffi cult situations where the wheels have little grip. (see section ‘‘Wheels and suspension’’).
 

HYbrid4 technology

This name describes the hybridisation of a traditional engine with an electric motor, in an original layout in engineering terms that also allows the possibility of four wheel drive. While the traditional engine is located as usual under the bonnet and drives the front wheels, the electric motor is located under the load area fl oor near the axle and powers the rear wheels.

This technology not only represents a real breakthrough in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (a reduction of around 35%), but also in terms of four wheel drive.

At the Paris Motor Show, the Prologue HYbrid4 concept car was presented with a 2.0 litre HDi FAP engine with a power of 120 kW (163 bhp) and an electric motor with a maximum capacity of 27 kW (37 bhp) for a total power of 147 kW (200 bhp) and a maximum torque of 300 Nm at the front and 200 Nm at the rear. Despite this performance, directly comparable to that obtained with a single 2.2 litre HDi FAP dual-turbo engine, its fuel consumption in the combined cycle is lower at only 4.1 litres/100 km, with CO2 emissions of just 109 g/km! This technology makes it possible to combine dynamic performance of the highest order with respect for the environment, while at the same time maintaining the benefits of a spacious vehicle.

Another important benefit is that there are no mechanical connections between the front and the rear everything is controlled electronically (‘‘by wire’’). This avoids any architectural constraints affecting the interior space and style of the passenger compartment. This promising technology, which is still under development, was incorporated into the T84 programme from the very outset, since it is fully consistent with the approach adopted for the vehicle.

In accordance with the announcement made at the Paris Motor Show, the 3008 will be the Group’s fi rst vehicle to be equipped with HYbrid4 technology. The commercial launch
of this four wheel drive hybrid crossover is planned between now and 2011, making the 3008 an eco-effi cient crossover, in tune with the times and able to meet the aspirations
of numerous customer types.

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