Here’s a chance to meet the 2008 Peugeot again: the popular compact crossover has undergone a scheduled update, which usually means the middle of the model’s life cycle. What did this update bring – radical improvements or subtle changes? I’ll tell you in a moment.
Design: cross-universal
In my opinion, the second-generation Peugeot 2008 is not only a crossover similar to the Peugeot 208, but also a descendant of the Peugeot 206 SW and Peugeot 207 SW station wagons. After all, what was it like in the early 2000s? If you like the Peugeot 206 or Peugeot 207, but don’t have enough space in the cabin or trunk, you can take a station wagon. However, the Peugeot 208 model was released only with a hatchback body. And if you need more, the Peugeot 2008 crossover is now responsible for this “more”.
This is to explain the proportions of the Peugeot 2008: an elongated body, low height, and a clearly defined hood. This was the case with the first generation of the Peugeot 2008, and it remains the same with the second generation, which debuted in 2019 and arrived in Ukraine in 2020. A lot of time has passed, a lot of cars have been sold, and to maintain customer attention, the crossover needed to be updated. For example, thanks to a new bumper with large “cheeks” where triple lines of LED stripes are visible. This is probably the most noticeable change in the appearance of the 2008 Peugeot; however, it is not the only one: there is a new grille, new headlights and lights, new dark gray door trims, new wheels, and even new logos.
Crossover Peugeot 2008 with its body profile resembles a station wagon: stretched in length, but not too high. To be precise: length – 4.3 meters; width – 1.77 meters; height – 1.55 meters; wheelbase – 2.605 meters. The new front bumper and grille are immediately noticeable, while the rest of the updates need to be looked at closely. Yes, the headlights and lights have not changed in shape, but the elements inside them have changed, new wheels and decor have appeared. With small changes, the appearance of the car Peugeot 2008 really managed to be noticeably “refreshed”. However, there are also some misses, such as the black glossy insert on the trunk lid: it can be touched by hands, and the protruding camera lens (previously the camera was hidden in the license plate niche) now quickly gets dirty in rainy weather.
And what about the interior? The interior of the 2008 Peugeot has been chic from the very beginning: a combination of interesting shapes, high-quality materials, cool displays (and even a 3D dashboard), and a signature small steering wheel. The scheduled update brought new seat trim with green stitching, a miniature joystick for the automatic transmission (previously found only on electric versions of the Peugeot e-2008), and a larger 10-inch center display with a new multimedia system, like the older Peugeot 308.
So: it was good up front and it got even better; but what’s behind? Behind the rear, there’s enough space, but not too much, and updated seat trim. There are no ventilation or heating deflectors here, but USB ports and pockets on the backs of the front seats are present – it turns out to be a minimum program. The trunk is a similar story: the volume is not impressive (434 liters), but there are a couple of side pockets and a two-level floor, which is enough to match the class.
The update gave Peugeot 2008 a larger central display and a few other minor changes, but the front of the cabin is already simply gorgeous: interesting panel shapes, pleasant materials, and an invention in details (the 3D dashboard display is worth a look). There is less of this imagination in the rear, but there is still enough space. The only thing to note is that the body shape of the Peugeot 2008 dictates not a cross-high seat, but a more passenger car and low seat. The trunk is sufficient – both in terms of volume and functionality.
Equipment: familiar platform, engines, boxes…
A few words about Peugeot 2008 technology and the car’s updates. So: the Peugeot 2008 crossover is built on the SMR platform, which means independent front suspension and semi-dependent rear suspension, as well as front-wheel drive. The engines are transversely mounted and can be either a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine or a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine. In both cases, the declared power is the same at 130 hp; but the turbodiesel engine produces 300 Nm of torque against 230 Nm of the gasoline engine. And in both cases, the engines are mated to a traditional hydromechanical automatic; but the gasoline engine is offered with a 6-speed box, while the turbodiesel engine gets an 8-speed transmission. This is what is available now in Ukraine.
However, similar technology was available before the Peugeot 2008 was updated; what changed then? Firstly, a hybrid version was added to the Peugeot 2008 range: a combination of a 1.2-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor should provide 136 hp of power. Secondly, the technology of the electric version of Peugeot e-2008 has been significantly updated: the battery and the power of the electric motor have been increased – in fact, this new technology has already been described on the example of Citroen e-C4.
The second-generation Peugeot 2008 crossover was originally built on the SMR platform and offered a 3-cylinder gasoline engine or a 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The update brought a hybrid version and improvements for the electric car Peugeot e-2008, but (so far?) there are no such options in Ukraine. What is available now and installed under the hood of the test car is the familiar 1.5-liter turbodiesel BlueHDi with an output of 130 hp (3750 rpm) and 300 Nm (1750 rpm) of torque, working with an 8-speed automatic Aisin. This pair promises us acceleration to “hundreds” in 10.3 seconds, a top speed of 195 km/h, fuel consumption in the city at 4.4 liters per 100 km, and fuel consumption on the highway at 4.0 liters per 100 km. What will happen in reality?
Behind the wheel: good balance with emphasis on comfort
The full name of the test car was Peugeot 2008 GT, and these last two letters seemed to hint at a certain sporty character. But no: in the case of the Peugeot 2008, it is better to talk about the balance between handling and comfort, and perhaps even with a slight emphasis on the latter. The car is able to drive smoothly and carefully on uneven roads, leaving only barely noticeable jolts and sounds in the cabin.
In fact, the engine is much more audible during acceleration. There’s no outright diesel rattle, but there’s a noticeable hum and growl. Smooth and monotonous – just like the acceleration itself. The imperceptible shifts of the automatic only complement this picture. By the way, when you reach a certain steady speed, the automatic tends to select a high gear – this reduces engine speed and fuel consumption. However, if you then need to accelerate, you will have to press the accelerator pedal more actively and wait for not just one, but several gears to be reset.
The Sport mode saves you from this to some extent, making acceleration and engine response more active, but it still doesn’t turn the Peugeot 2008 GT into a sports car. At the same time, the relatively low body height ensures small rolls in corners. And a small steering wheel means small ranges of hand movement – this creates the impression (but only an impression!) of sharpness of control. So once again: the Peugeot 2008 crossover, even in the GT version, is not about sporty hotness, but definitely about a pleasant character “for every day”.
The turbo diesel and automatic provide smooth acceleration, which is quite well combined with a sense of overall suspension comfort. However, don’t expect any impressive dynamics; rather, expect good economy. My observations: acceleration to the “hundred” – about 10 seconds; fuel consumption in the city – consistently 6.5-7 liters; consumption on the usual “highway hundred” – up to 5 liters.
How much does a Peugeot 2008 cost and who are the competitors
The car is offered in Ukraine with two variants of powertrains (1.2 PureTech 130 ACP-6 or 1.5 BlueHDi 130 S&S ACP-8) and in three configurations (ACTIVE, ALLURE, GT). Below are examples for Peugeot 2008 cars already produced in 2024; however, there are also offers for cars produced in 2023, which will be slightly cheaper.
The start is given by the Peugeot 2008 ACTIVE, which already has a sufficient list of equipment: ABS and ESP systems, cruise control and climate control, front and side airbags, heated front seats, a 10-inch touchscreen display (720×576 dots), EcoLED headlights and 16-inch alloy wheels, etc. The cost of Peugeot 2008 1.2 PureTech 130 ACP-6 ACTIVE – from 959 thousand UAH or $ 24 thousand; the cost of Peugeot 2008 1.5 BlueHDi 130 S&S 8 speed automatic transmission ACTIVE – from 1.05 million UAH or $26.3 thousand.
One level higher is the Peugeot 2008 ALLURE, which adds a 180-degree rearview camera, keyless entry and start, a 10-inch digital instrument panel, a 10-inch touchscreen display (1366×768 dots), tinted rear windows and 17-inch wheels. The cost of Peugeot 2008 1.2 PureTech 130 ACP-6 ALLURE – from 1.07 million UAH or $26.8 thousand; the cost of Peugeot 2008 1.5 BlueHDi 130 S&S8AT-8ALLURE – from 1.16 million UAH or $29 thousand
The maximum variant is the Peugeot 2008 GT, which features the following: 360-degree surround view cameras, a digital 3D instrument cluster, adaptive cruise, active lane keeping system, traffic sign recognition, front collision warning and emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, ALCANTARA seats with back massage, full LED headlights and 18-inch wheels. The cost of Peugeot 2008 1.5 BlueHDi 130 S&S8AT starts from 1.28 million UAH or $32 thousand.
In short: crossover Peugeot 2008 is an option for those buyers who find comfortable seats with massage, a good display, a modern multimedia system, a wide package of security systems more important than the presence of all-wheel drive, interior space, or a more powerful engine. Why do I say this?
Because fans of all-wheel drive for less money can consider Suzuki S-Cross or Suzuki Vitara. Because if you need a bigger car for the same money, you can look at Opel Grandland or Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. Because demanding buyers who want the best of everything can pay attention to Volkswagen T-Roc, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Qashqai.
There are a lot of competitors, and new ones are constantly being added: Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V and Honda ZR-V. But the good news is that the class of compact crossovers is also constantly growing in terms of sales and customer interest – so everyone is trying to find a place for themselves, offering their own advantages to these same customers.
The car was provided by The representative office of Peugeot in Ukraine
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