On paper a diesel-electric hybrid should be manna from heaven for motorists this side of the Atlantic.
Combining the frugality of a 163 bhp direct injection two-liter diesel with a 37 bhp electric motor in the rear axle combined with stop-start technology – which also charges the Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries located under the rear floor – and a six-speed automated manual should result in exceptional fuel consumption figures. And on paper it does: depending on whether the car is shod with low rolling resistant tires or not Peugeot quotes 74.4 and 70.6 mpg over the European combined drive cycle, that’s the equivalent of 104 g and 99 g/km Co2 emissions. Or 58.7 mpg city and 61.9 mpg highway, respectively – impressive figures I am sure you’d agree for a five seater crossover SUV hatch that has a modicum of all-wheel drive ability when the electric motor drives the rear wheels in conjunction with the front wheels being powered by the diesel.
Unfortunately the reality is somewhat different: over a day’s driving in urban settings, motorways and country roads barely did I see the average fuel consumption better 45 mpg, the equivalent of 37.5 U.S. mpg. Those are the sort of fuel consumption figures I regularly get from my five-year old Nissan X-Trail wagon, which isn’t blessed with the most sophisticated of diesels.
Moreover the Peugeot’s automated manual can be recalcitrant and its ride less than cosseting for a car nudging £29,000 ($45,800). Peugeot is asking customers to part with roughly an extra $8000 for a car that in most ways isn’t as good as the standard 2.0HDi 3008: the additional cost of the electric motor, the batteries (and their extra 440 lbs) just aren’t worth it.
It’s a brave attempt by Peugeot to deliver a hybrid tailored for the UK and European markets but most commentators and engineers believe that combining diesel technology (already more costly than gasoline) with batteries and electric motors is not the route to take and, on the evidence presented by this car, I wouldn’t disagree with them.
Related posts:
- Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 – The World’s First Diesel Hybrid
- Peugeot Unveils 508 RXH Diesel-Electric Hybrid
- 2012 Peugeot 208 Revealed
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