Can diesel hybrid meet expectations?

The world’s first diesel hybrid promises power and fuel savings, but the reality is not as tempting as the idea

DIESEL HAS always been the greatest hurdle to hybrid sales up to now. While conscientious US motorists rushed to show their eco-credentials, Europeans remain perplexed at the marriage of clean electric with petrol engines. If you want to make a truly low-emissions fuel-sipping hybrid, why not marry the new electric technology to a diesel engine?

The answer showed that for all the green PR spin, costs came first for car firms. The real target market for such petrol-hybrid technology was the US and several Asian markets, where diesel is still seen as dirty, and the preserve of trucks not family cars. Why spend the extra money on a variant that will only sell in Europe?

The consequence of course, was that for motorists who spent a significant time on the continent’s motorways, diesel was not only more fun to drive than hybrids, but often more economical.

Remarkably, it is 13 years since Honda launched the hybrid format with its Insight, and now after all that time we have a diesel hybrid for sale. Strangely, it’s being launched in a hefty crossover. The reasoning behind this seems to be that the extra weight of those hybrid battery packs and system is easier cloaked in an already heavy car. By attaching the electric motor to the rear axle it can also be sold as a four-wheel-drive.

Given the advances on the electric side of hybrid technology over the last decade and the improvements in diesel efficiencies, this car should do a cross-country run on merely the whiff of a diesel pump. And when you mate the two motors together to garner 200bhp, it should also pack a serious punch.

However, expectation and reality are not easy bedfellows in the motoring world. The reality is that the extra weight of the electric motor and battery pack negates some of the fuel savings, while the performance is stifled by PSA’s annoying semi-automatic gearbox.

We’ve reviewed the 3008 before – and it’s a very good car – so let’s stick with how the new technology differs from the regular version. Up front is Peugeot’s well-regarded 2-litre diesel, powering the front wheels. However, in addition to this there is a 27Kw electric motor powering the rear axle.

This power combination is largely controlled by the car’s engine management system, although you do have a chance to influence it through a large dial below the gear stick. You can opt for ZEV (full electric); Auto; Sport; and 4WD. Full electric is limited to speeds below 60km/h and is largely dependent on the battery charge at any time. We rarely got more than two kilometres in full electric without the engine kicking in. Sport mode is perhaps the most natural in terms of performance, using the electric motor to boost power and the engine consistently keeping the battery charged.

The problem in all modes is that power delivery is not fluid, but comes in waves as the electric motor kicks in and out. This isn’t helped by a transmission that never seems sure which gear it should choose next and where it should draw the power from. It’s a silly slow-witted affair that, in the name of low emissions, features on several PSA models. It’s a real shame that they have sullied the diesel hybrid project by mating it with this dullard.

And so we come to the raison d’etre of the diesel hybrid: fuel economy. Officially the Hybrid4 boasts an impressive fuel economy of 3.8l/100km (74mpg). However, in a week where we spent a great deal of time driving in city traffic – which should be the natural home for a hybrid and where it reaps the greatest fuel-saving rewards – our average consumption, according to the on-board computer, was 6.5 l/100km (43.5mpg). We did flit between auto and sport mode, but we also drove it in ZEV mode as often as it allowed.

Hybrid fuel economy figures have always been a hot topic for debate, with the spread between official figures and reality often differing wildly. This is yet another example and no doubt the emails will come in from those who have mastered the art of achieving the official consumption rates. All I can say is the eco-medals are in the post.

In terms of emissions it achieves 99g/km in the entry-version and 104g/km in the better-equipped Level Two version we tested. Those are impressive figures, but in two years time the emissions on many new mainstream cars are expected to fall below the 100g/km range without the hybrid paraphenalia.

If you only managed mid-40 mpg consumption after spending €38,995 on a hybrid you would rightly have to ask yourself some hard questions. Either your driving style has to radically change or you would have been better off in the regular 1.6-litre diesel version for €6,585 less.

Admittedly the Hybrid4 has a four-wheel-drive advantage over its regular counterparts, but is off-roading really a priority on your purchase list when you look for a crossover Peugeot?

The regular 3008 is a top-class crossover that has the beating of its rivals in the €30,000 price range. The diesel hybrid format seemed a no-brainer for Europeans, but now it’s here, it simply doesn’t live up to the hype.

FACTFILE

ENGINE1,997cc four-cylinder turbodiesel, putting out 163bhp and combined with an electric motor putting out 27Kw (37bhp)

0-100km/h:9.2 secs

L/100km (mpg)3.8 (74mpg)

EMISSIONS104g/km (€160 motor tax)

FEATURESStandard equipment on the 99g/km version includes: cruise control, air con, 16" alloys, auto headlights and wipers, rear parking sensors, bluetooth and USB connectivity. The level-two 104g/km version adds side rear sunblinds, a head-up display, 17" alloys, and sat-nav.

PRICE€38,995 (€36,995 for 99g/km version)

RIVALSPeugeot 3008 1.6 HDI Allure €30,410 (€210); Toyota Prius Luxury €29,960 (€160)

OUR RATING6/10