Those of the León have surprised with a prototype of the third body variant of the range of the new compact, a model they call 4008, 408 Coupé and 308 Cross, among others. At the same time a mule of a new SUV has also appeared. Are they the same car? We tell you everything behind.
The French are true masters of deception when it comes to developing new models. It had been a long time since they took so much pains in the art of confusion because, at the same time that we received the first spy photos of the new compact crossover, also appeared a mule of a future Lion brand SUV being tested in Sweden.
There are many questions that revolve around this model, which is known internally as «P54», a code located on the same scale of the 308 and 308 SW. We will break it all down below. The reality is that the high level of interest it has generated since we became aware of this unprecedented third variant of the compacthas woken up Peugeot by making a prototype and a mule appear at the same time, so the big million dollar question is whether it is a mule from the crossover or from the future 3008.
Peugeot’s new crossover can’t kill the 3008
With this strategy, Peugeot has gotten more attention and, at the same time, diverted it. But the move has not gone well at all because the advanced stage of development of the prototype shows that they have been working with this model for a long time. French information indicates that the presentation will take place in the middle of next Maywhile the marketing will be in autumn, which will not prevent the set-up and testing from continuing throughout the summer.
The C4, Mokka, 308 and 308 SW extended their tests between presentation and sale
If I really were a mule of this “crossoverized” 308, nor would it be presented in just a couple of months, but would need a longer period, but the French have taken advantage, like the great rest of the manufacturers, of part of the set-up. The objective is mediate a period of, between six and eight months, between the launch of the bodies. But it must also be taken into account that the sighted mule presents an important elongation in the wheelbaseand that future 3008 will be much bigger than the current one. Two conditions that tip the balance on the side that the mule is more typical of the future compact SUV than this crossover.
A great added reality is that Peugeot is not at all interested in it becoming a “bestseller” that ends the commercial success of the SUV. The current 3008 has achieved record numbers, with more than 800,000 units sold in just four years, so logic suggests that the successor has to be, at least as profitable or more. What is not in Peugeot’s plans is to kill a real goose that lays the golden eggs.
Regarding the commercial name, it is a secret. While some know him as4008», others by «408 Coupe», another one has also jumped to the fore, that of «308X» pronounced as «308Cross». It would not be strange at all, since you have to think about a couple of extremely important details.
The first, the design, which follows the same line as the two new compacts, and Peugeot is defined by the fact that each range of models has a specific and differentiated identity from the rest, like 3008. The second is the commercial destination. Thought only for Europe, the “4008” is a possibility, since it represented the first SUV of the brand, based on the Mitsubishi ASX. However, the 408 Coupe is more closely related to the compact sedan sold in China. Be that as it may, in a couple of months, we will know his name and all the details.