During the colourful unveiling ceremony, President Kenyatta, who reiterated his call on all state entities to buy and use locally assembled vehicles and spare parts, was full of praise of the French car.
He was particularly drawn by its great fuel consumption and lowest emission in its class while still being a high-performance vehicle.
“It is also a hardy vehicle, having been tested in several parts of Kenya,” President Kenyatta said.
Going forward President Kenyatta pointed out that his administration will continue to promote manufacturing and prioritise motor vehicle assembly and manufacturing of spare parts.
Business Insider SSA decided to hop along for the ride and while at it took a peek inside the 1600cc twin turbo SUV, which is one of Peugeot’s most advanced vehicle models assembled at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) assembly plant in Thika.
The first thing one notices about the 3008 SUV, which was named 2017 Car of the Year (CotY) in Geneva, is its futuristic look and feel that can mostly be attributed to its Peugeot i-Cockpit. This translates to a well-designed more intuitive technologically advanced interior.
The judging panel that comprised 50 European journalists were awed by its style, interior design and performance.
“The interior design, with the nice-looking dashboard, configurable 12.3-inch HR digital display, 8.0-inch top centre touch screen, console entirely oriented to the driver and the row of toggle switches, is among the main assets of the new 3008,” said the CotY jurors.
Not only does the 3008 look good with its sleek modern design, but it also offers a comfortable ride to the drivers and the passengers. The seats trimmed in leather and fabric come with a multi-massage function as well as an option to make them heated.
The 3008 comes with equipped with a PureTech control engines and EAT6 automatic gearbox, making it the most efficient SUV in its class. It can move from 0-60mph in 7.7-12.7 seconds.
3008 models from 2016 onwards have BHP (Brake Horse Power) of 97 - 178 bhp.
Based on 136 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months, the 2018 Peugeot 3008 price ranges between $28,900 - $60,990.
The assembling of Peugeot 3008 SUV commenced in September 2017 and two additional models, the Peugeot 2008 SUV and Peugeot 308SW, are set to commence in April and September 2019.
By the end of this year, the PSA Groupe, the second largest car manufacturer in Europe, is expected to assemble at least 1,000 vehicles in Kenya, up from the current 480 vehicles.
