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PRESS RELEASE
19th September 2011
PEUGEOT URGES NEW CAR BUYERS TO GET A GRIP
With snow conditions in recent winters becoming increasingly severe, Peugeot has proved its 3008
Crossover with Grip Control is more than up to the job of keeping motorists safe in snowy conditions
by becoming the first two wheel drive car to scale the one-in-three steep ski slope at the Snowdome
in Tamworth, the UK’s original indoor snow-covered ski slope.
A short video of the 3008’s exploits on the 170 metre ice and snow covered slope can be viewed here,
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While the Snowdome has been scaled by four wheeled drive cars clad with tyres specifically
designed for snow, the standard 3008’s success was purely down to the advanced technology
available in the multi-award winning family car.
The 3008 Crossover complete with Peugeot’s innovative Grip Control system could solve the carbuying conundrum, especially those wanting to stay on the move without the added financial and
environmental costs of driving a traditional 4x4.
Standard on the 3008 SR Crossover and as a £470 option on the 3008 Sport and Exclusive HDi 112
and HDi 150 models, Grip Control is an intelligent traction control system, automatically improving
the vehicle’s traction on difficult surfaces such as snow, mud, dirt tracks and wet grass, making it a
car for all conditions without the disadvantages of increased weight and emissions of a standard
mechanical 4x4 system.
The system works with the vehicle’s Electronic Stability Programme – ESP – to maintain the best
possible traction from both front wheels. It has five selectable operating modes which can be chosen
by the driver from a dedicated control mounted on the centre console.
Grip Control is also aided by the standard fitment of 215/60 R16 Michelin Latitude Tour HP "Mud &
Snow" tyres, which are suitable for off-road use. These tyres have special ‘StabiliGrip’ blades within
the tread pattern that can lock together to maintain good tread contact with the given terrain,
whatever challenges it poses.
James Smith, Operations Manager at Tamworth’s Snowdome, who drove the 3008 up the slope,
said: “I was totally astounded at its ability. The 3008 felt totally at home on the slope, more so in
fact than some 4x4s that I’ve driven. It made relatively light work of the slope and that is no mean
feat.”
Morgan Lecoupeur, Marketing Director, Peugeot UK, said: “This is has been a terrific exercise to
demonstrate just how effective the Peugeot 3008 Grip Control is in winter conditions and offers an
ideal compromise for buyers looking for 4x4 capabilities but without the associated penalties in fuel
economy and higher CO2.”
In Standard mode, the vehicle’s ESP system is calibrated for typical grip levels found on normal road
surfaces, where there are low levels of wheel slip.
Snow mode adapts the system to gain the best traction from each of the front wheels when the car
is pulling away. As the car increases speed, the system constantly tweaks the traction control to
maintain acceleration in the face of variable grip conditions. The system returns to Standard mode
once you are over 31 mph.
All-terrain mode copes with mud, dirt tracks and wet grass by allowing a high level of slip on the
least stable wheel when pulling away to remove excess mud and improve grip. At the same time, the
wheel with the strongest grip level is given as much torque as possible. As the system is
electronically controlled the torque offset between the front wheels can be as much as 100 %, well
beyond normal limits for a limited slip differential. As the car gains speed, the system continually
optimises wheel slip to give the driver the best possible control over the vehicle up to 50 mph.
Sand mode allows slight wheel slip on both drive wheels simultaneously, to allow the vehicle to
make headway and reduce the risk of getting stuck in the sand. Here again, the control provided by
this mode is superior to that of a limited slip differential. In this mode, Standard mode kicks in
automatically above a speed of 75 mph.
There is also an ESP Off setting, which disconnects ESP and Grip Control up to 31 mph, giving full
control to the driver. Above this speed, "ESP Standard" mode is selected automatically.
Ends
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