Peugeot 3008 vs Mazda CX-5 - What happens when two world apart SUVs stand face-to-face?

Anyone who says that all modern mid-size SUVs are the same needs to be shown these two vehicles. The new Peugeot 3008 and the Mazda CX-5 are worlds apart in many different and confusing ways. Anyone looking to choose one of these two needs to read this.

Styling

Both the cars will undeniably appeal to different tastes. Putting it in a nutshell, the Mazda has a nice and elegant front end with slim headlights and sophisticated looking grille. On the other end is a rather ugly swollen rear. The Peugeot, however, scores on both ends. The rear lights look like claw marks and get our instant vote. The front may be deemed a bit too busy for some. Although it does have a decidedly urban and European touch to its design.

Interior

There is simply no question here. The Peugeot has this hands down. Get behind the steering wheel of the 3008 and you’d be forgiven to think you were in a supercar. Everything is focused on the driver. The leather covered steering wheel is compact and chunky. Behind it lies a digital instrument cluster from the future. There is also a 12.3” head up display that makes checking numbers effortlessly. And finally, there is an 8” touchscreen infotainment display in the middle for everyone else. The leather seats are worth their price for their looks alone. There is Alcantara on the doors and switches that remind you of Lamborghinis. The center console could store a laptop if you want and there is also a USB plug-in point for your phone. The space in the back is good too except for the optional sunroof that eats into the headroom. The middle seat also loses some knee room due to the center console. The cargo space is generous at 520-litre and more than the Mazda’s 442-litre. The Mazda is, however, better laid out with 40:20:40 split folding seats.

That last sentence characterizes the Mazda quite well. It might not seem as innovative or smart as the Pug but it is practical and intuitive. Up front, the display is only partly digital. But then there are things like 2 USB ports for both front and rear. A definite plus on the family-friendly score. There is premium material everywhere you touch. The CX-5 also gets Mazda’s MZD Connect infotainment system with 6 speakers and a 7” touchscreen. Space in the rear is optimum for the tallest passengers. Overall it’s not a bad place to be in by any measure but it just misses that little extra that the Peugeot comes with.

Engine and Performance

Engine wise both the SUVs are pretty evenly matched even when the Pug gets just the one turbocharged 1.6-litre unit producing 121 kW at 6000 rpm and 240 Nm at 1400 rpm. But that lowdown torque is enough to trump the three engine options from Mazda. These are the 2L making 162 hp and 210 Nm and the 2.5L producing 192 hp and 257 Nm. There is also the 2.2L SkyActiv-D turbodiesel making 173 hp and 420 Nm of torque which if you want a diesel, is your only option here. Both the SUVs come with 6-speed automatics but the Mazda comes with selectable AWD for the 2.2 GLS while the Peugeot only has the FWD on offer. This might seem like a huge disadvantage but how many of us are actually ever going to need the AWD in our day to day driving.

Safety and Miscellaneous

Across Peugeot’s two variants, all the stuff talked about was standard. On top of that, you get parking sensors in both front & rear, reverse camera with 180-degree view, paddle shifts and an automatic dual-zone air-conditioning system. On the safety front, there are 6 Airbags and all the latest abbreviations like ABS, EBD, EBA, ASR, DSC, and ESP with Hill Assist. Driver assistance aids include automatic electric parking brake, programmable cruise control with speed limiter, drive mode selector with 5 modes for normal, mud, sand, snow and ESP off along with hill assist descent control.

The Mazda CX-5 does have the option of AWD but only on the 2.2L Skyactiv Diesel which sells for a much higher RM 176239. The more comparable variant here is the 2.0L GLS at RM 147000 compared to the Peugeot 3008 Active selling for RM 145238. At this price, the Mazda comes with much the same stuff as on the 3008 with the addition of LED headlights and DRLs, adaptive lighting, G-Vectoring which is Mazda’s stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and smart city braking system.

Deciding which car to buy from a comparison like this not exactly something anyone would recommend. The Peugeot seems like a very exciting prospect indeed. But a little bit of clarity will make you realize why the Mazda sells so well everywhere it operates. The final decision is yours to take.