In the absence of the 208 hatch, the 2008 has become by default the baby of the Peugeot
range. But it’s a baby that the French company can justifiably be proud of, at once stylish,
fun to drive and technologically advanced. Even better, it uses very little fuel.
What’s not to like? Read on.
STYLING
The 2008 is a genuine work of automotive art. The detail that has gone into the design is
amazing with a black roof, concave radiator grille, sculpted front fascia and sharp plunging
LED lights.
Look closely and you will see even the surface of the doors has been pinched together to
form three different opposing planes.
Peugeot has rationalised the 2008 small SUV range with the launch of its first ever, fully-
electric passenger model, the $60,000 e-2008.
The GT Sport has been culled, with the entry Allure grade now starting from $38,945, the
GT from $43,397 and the e-2008 from $59,990, all before on-road costs.
Until recently the GT Sport sat $4000 above the GT, with more power, more gears and
more equipment.
But the story doesn’t end there, because some equipment has also been removed from
the GT and is now available only with the e-2008, no doubt to make it a more attractive
proposition.
At the top of that list is satellite navigation, previously standard.
You can of course use your mobile phone along with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for
the purposes of navigation, but that doesn’t always work well, especially without phone
reception.
In our case, it’s a moot point, because Android Auto simply refused to connect anyway. A
factory reset of the car was necessary.
The 10.0-inch touchscreen has also been downsized to the smaller 7.0-inch unit from
Allure and a smaller screen means a smaller camera which by the way is terrible at night.
You can re-add satnav and a larger screen, but it will cost $1990 as part of the Tech Pack.
Single zone climate air remains, but Alcantara replaces the previous fabric trim along with
a different coloured stitching, with real leather for the steering wheel and transmission
lever.
We’ve asked Peugeot for a full list of the changes.
Be that as it may, the 2008 remains an attractive package, with a comprehensive list of
safety features.
There are 17-inch alloys, two-tone paint, full privacy glass, keyless entry and start, walk-
away locking, electric parking brake, LED head and daytime running lights, the former with
auto high beam, 180 degree reversing camera with overhead view, auto lights and wipers,
front and rear parking sensors and a frameless auto dimming rear view mirror.
Inside, you’ll find Peugeot’s signature 3D i-Cockpit instrument panel, aluminium pedals,
LED lighting, eight-colour ambient lighting, 7.0-inch colour infotainment touchscreen and
the aforementioned Alcantara with green-coloured stitching.
The front seats are heated with power adjustment for the driver seat, which includes
lumbar and massage (all previously part of an option pack).
A sunroof adds $1990.
2008 comes with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, 5-year roadside assistance and 5-
year fixed price servicing.
Service is required every 15,000km or 12 months and averages $494 per year over five
years.
INFOTAINMENT
Infotainment consists of a 7.0-inch touchscreen with six-speaker audio, Bluetooth, voice
recognition for phone and radio, FM/DAB+ digital radio, wired Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto and a wireless charge pad.
There’s a USB-A and USB-C socket in the front, two USB-A sockets in the rear and a 12-
volt outlet.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
It’s powered by a 1.2-litre, turbocharged, three-cylinder PureTech 130 engine that
produces 96kW of power at 5500 rpm and 230Nm of torque at 1750 rpm.
It is paired with an Aisin six-speed Efficient Automatic Transmission (EAT6) with drive to
the front wheels, plus snow, sand and mud drive modes from which to choose.
SAFETY
Five-star safety consists of six airbags, a rear-view camera, autonomous emergency
braking and advanced grip control with snow, sand and mud modes.
There’s also driver attention alert, forward collision warning, blind spot warning, lane
departure warning, lane keeping assistance, in-crash braking, auto hazard light activation
and tyre pressure monitoring.
Missing is rear cross traffic alert and the camera as mentioned does not encompass a full
360 degrees.
Two ISOFIX child seat anchors along with three top tethers are provided.
DRIVING
Built on the Common Modular Platform (CMP) the second generation 2008 is 4300mm
long with a 2605mm wheelbase and weighs 1247kg.
It seats five, but realistically has room for two adults in the back, with limited legroom and
even less space for feet.
A larger than expected boot holds 434 litres with the back seat raised, and an impressive
1467 litres with the seats dropped.
The 2008 features the latest-generation 3D i-Cockpit complete with configurable head-up
3D instrument panel display, high definition colour touchscreen and compact multi-function
steering wheel.
Suspension is pseudo MacPherson struts at front with a deformable cross member at the
rear, and it rides on 17-inch wheels with 215/60 series rubber, and it has a space saver in
the boot.
With a 44-litre tank, it takes 95 premium unleaded, uses a claimed 6.5L/100km of fuel and
produces 148g/km of CO2.
While the 1.2-litre engine may sound tiny, the 2008 is actually quite zippy and fun to drive,
and can easily hold its own in traffic.
Top speed is 199km/h and the dash from 0-100km/h takes 9.3 seconds, which is three
tenths slower than the e-2008.
But both are slower than the GT Sport which was good for 8.7 seconds.
Again, with more power and torque (114kW/240Nm), Peugeot wouldn’t want the Sport
overshadowing the performance of the e-2008.
Ride quality is generally good, but reveals a lack of local tuning as it deteriorates quickly
on country roads, with small irregularities generating too much jitter or jarring that can be
felt in the cabin.
There’s also a little bit of hop and bounce as the wagon becomes unsettled at speed.
Overtaking requires planning and plenty of room before contemplating.
Handling however is excellent as are the brakes and steering.
The car points exactly where you want it and it turns into corners eagerly.
We didn’t have occasion to use any of the snow, sand or mud modes, but spent a bit of
time on dirt roads where the 2008 seemed more than happy apart from the jiggly ride.
The 3D i-Cockpit allows drivers to choose between six individual instrument panel modes,
including two personalised options, but only one includes a tacho.
And, to be honest, we’re a little over the i-Cockpit with its elevated instrument cluster and
tiny steering wheel.
For marginal gains at best, it makes getting in and out of the car more difficult than it
should be.
The steering wheel needs to be set high to provide room for thighs when getting into the
car, then needs to be dropped so the top of the steering wheel does not obscure the
instrument panel, particularly the digital speedo — in any mode.
It might work for slim young things, but not for full-figured Aussie adults.
The height of the instrument panel is at best a few centimetres higher than a standard
setup and the driver still needs to drop their eyes to see it.
In fact, if you add in time spent trying to avoid the steering wheel — and it actually takes
eyes away from the road for longer.
Get rid of it.
SUMMING UP
The 2008 is an easy car to live with. We just don’t like the cynical way Peugeot has
rejigged the lineup to make way for the expensive electric variant.
We’re basically being asked to pay the same price for the GT as we once did for the GT
Sport — but with less power and less equipment.
It’s okay to price your cars up, but please don’t spec them down.
No thanks.
RATINGS:
Looks: 8
Performance: 7
Safety: 7.5
Thirst: 7.5
Practicality: 7.5
Comfort: 7
Tech: 7.5
Value: 7
Overall: 7.4
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
2008 Allure 1.2-litre turbo-petrol: $38,945
2008 GT 1.2-litre turbo-petrol: $43,397
e-2008 GT, fully electric: $59,990
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your
local Peugeot dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Peugeot 2008 GT, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.2 litres
Configuration: Three cylinders in line, turbocharged
Maximum Power: 96 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 230 Nm @ 1750 rpm
Fuel Type: Premium unleaded
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.5 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 138 g/km
DRIVELINE: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4300 mm
Wheelbase: 2605 mm
Width: 1770 mm
Height: 1550 mm
Turning Circle: 10.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1247 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 44 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Five years / Unlimited kilometres
