Peugeot 2008 Reviews

French flair meets Japanese practicality in the battle of the mini softroaders, writes Peter Barnwell.

Suzuki S-Cross GLX and Peugeot 2008 Allure go head-to-head in this comparative review.

The Peugeot 2008 is the French brand’s baby SUV that sits beneath the bigger 3008, 4008 and 5008 double-o models.

Peugeot 2008 is small SUV based on the Peugeot 208 hatchback. It joins the sales fray in what has suddenly become a rather busy market category - that of sub-compact SUVs. In the last three months we've seen the introduction of the all-new Ford EcoSport, Holden Trax and Nissan Juke. Soon to arrive is the Renault

Small SUVs are the next big thing and car makers are literally falling over themselves to get theirs to market.

Nissan Juke ST and Peugeot 2008 Active go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

Peugeot's Australian model expansion has continued with the launch of its new 2008 small SUV.

It's not rocket science. If you want people to buy your car, it needs to look good, go well and carry a price that's hard to go past.

A rash of new sub-compact SUV style vehicles is about to flood into the country with Holden bringing in the Trax, Opel the Mokka, and Peugeot the 2008. Others will follow soon after. It's predicted to be the next big thing as people around the world downsize their vehicles and go for quality, features, practicality and compact size.The change makes sense particularly in our increasingly urbanised world.Peugeot's entrant is due here by October this year and will sell from a starting point in the low $20,000 range.At that money, the 2008 is a tempting proposition.We drove three versions of the car in France last week and came away sold on the idea of "small is good" in terms of SUVs.Why pay for more vehicle than you need.It's a front wheel drive five door wagon on stilts for want of a better description and is built in France using the same basic platform (stretched a tad) as the recently introduced 208 hatchback.It uses the same powertrains too with a big emphasis on a new three cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine that is available in turbo and non-turbo form. The turbo is actually the performance leader in the 2008 rangeWe drove the 1.6-litre turbo diesel and 1.6 litre naturally aspirated petrol four bangers and the 1.2-litre petrol triple non-turbo.All had their own character, strengths and weaknesses. The diesel has gobs of torque and pulls like a train rated at 84kW/270Nm but is a tad laggy at low revs and there's no auto, just a six speed manual which is fine.The 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol four was the best of the three we drove, with 88kW/160Nm it sings sweetly and gives the 2008 a light responsive feel.The 1.2 was a surprise as we were expecting it to be a dunger, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. It actually goes well and doesn't sound like a ride-on lawn mower.No decision on specification or the model range has been made for our cars yet. That will happen closer to the launch date.But we reckon the three we drove will be on the short list.It's a good looker with a pleasant face and stylish lines around the body including a stepped roof and roof rails.Peugeot built on knowledge gleaned from the ugly but good 3008 model for the creature features inside 2008 which isn't that much smaller inside.It has a decent boot, folding rear seats and comfortable driving position. All Aussie cars will get a reverse camera.All models also get a clever Grip Control system that splits drive between the front wheels and applies the brakes all round to optimise off road driving. It works pretty well but this is no mud plugging, stump jumping, rock crusher.The 2008 is a pleasant little all-rounder capable of delivering safe, entertaining, economical transport in multiple environments aided by the latest in multimedia connectivity and other tricky stuff with apps that may make it to Australia. Cruise control is standard and some models will likely get the big 7-inch info screen which also houses satnav if fitted or optioned as the case may be.We drove the cars over an extensive route through mountain roads, on auto-routes at high speed and on dirt roads. It was up for anything we demanded and was actually quite handy in the tight going, sporty even.The 2008 gets a five star Euro NCAP rating with all that brings and the engines are capable of sipping as little as 4.0-litres/100km depending on the model. The auto we are likely to get is a four speeder on the 1.6 petrol, possibly the only let down on this fine little car.  

Small could become the new big in SUVs. The subcompact Nissan Juke is taking off in Europe, and Peugeot has been quick with an answer in the form of the 2008 -- a softroader that will also be the wagon solution for the 208 range when it arrives here in October."The 2008 will enter into a yet to be defined market: the sub compact SUV. It captures the versatility of a hatch whilst combining the practicality and functionality of an SUV," Peugeot Australia boss Bill Gillespie says."The 2008 is a product for the inner urban resident with its compact dimensions. We believe it will appeal to buyers who would have traditionally bought a hatch due to price and fuel economy as it offers the option of an SUV-like vehicle at similar pricing to a hatch."The 2008 range will start in the low $20k area, with equipment and fit-out levels to echo the hatch. That means the chunky little steering wheel, a raised instrument binnacle, clear 7-in touchscreen and all the expected safety equipment. Overseas models get an automatic parking system but Peugeot Australia is likely to drop that in favour of locally fitting a reversing camera -- there isn't one on the French options list.Peugeot says it doesn't have any true rivals here yet, but people are likely to shop it against the $18,990 Suzuki SX4,  the $26,290 Skoda Yeti and even the $34,100 Mini Countryman.  The real competition is on the way from the Nissan Juke arriving by the end of this year or early 2014 -- the vehicle against which the French carmaker benchmarked the 2008.Based on a version of the 208 hatch platform stretched 20cm longer and 5cm wider, the 2.5cm higher-riding five-door is also 9.6cm taller -- set up to give you the practicality of an SUV in a petite package that targets metropolitan adventurers.There's a strong design cue in the stepped roofline topping tall windows that are joined by a panoramic sunroof to flood light into the cabin. Vodka-bar blue LED lighting sets off the instrument bezels and sunroof, and there are similarly stylish chrome and saddle-stitching details.But some of the materials are budget ones, and the pinstripe finish across one test vehicle's dash and door grabs will date quickly -- although the black mock-weave in another is handsome and will have more longevity.The 2008 sports the hatch's scalloped bonnet and swept-back headlights, but gives a nod to the 'parks and rec' lifestyle with beefed-up arches housing 17-in wheels shod with 'mud and snow' rubber. A wide tailgate promises easy loading  into a 360-litre boot that balloons to 1194-litres with the rear seats dropped.Black bumpers and body sills, plus and front and rear stainless steel scuff plates will help protect paintwork from scrapes with nature -- and urban obstacles.Of the eight drivetrain choices offered overseas, we're confirmed to get the 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder in both manual and auto, and the likely chance of the 60kW/118Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder in manual only. One of the diesel options is also on the cards -- hopefully the 1.6-litre e-HDi we tested with 84kW and 270Nm that rises to 285Nm on overboost.It doesn't get all-wheel drive, but instead the front-wheel drive range has the option of the multi-mode Peugeot Grip Control we already get on the 3008.  The system uses a smart traction control to alter the torque sent to each of the front wheels, meaning you'll be safe tackling soft and greasy surfaces as long as you don't want to venture into really rough stuff.There has been some tinkering with the suspension -- a pseudo-McPherson front and a rear set-up with deformable crossmember -- to give more stability to the taller package.Since the 208 gets the full five crash stars, you can expect the same of its toughed-up sibling, with similar airbag complement, stability and traction controls, and anti-skid brakes with extra tech for panic stops and to allow for extra force needed for wheels under uneven loading.Those looking for a teaspoon taste of SUV won't be disappointed. The slightly higher ride height and jacked-up driving position mean the 2008 delivers the crossover feeling.The 1.6-litre diesel behaved most like an SUV on the road: slightly heavy but with a huge serving of torque via the six-speed manual to keep the 2008 humming. Peugeot does great diesels, and it shows in the sound of this one: smooth and refined with no agricultural clatter -- and with an almost seamless stop-start system keeping an eye on economy.However the four-cylinder petrol engine that followed was even better, despite having lower outputs. Being 100kg lighter helped, but largely the five-speed manual dovetailed neatly with the engine to keep the response sprightly -- which raises the question of whether it will do as well with the four-speed automatic transmission we'll also get.The 1.2-litre promises good economy at 4.9L/100km (although the diesels are the leaders at 4L) and despite being only a tiny unit it gets along well as long as you keep the revs up to it.Being a tallish box, it wasn't surprising to feel the body tipping a little going into corners, but it's still surefooted and you'd have to try very hard to get it out of order. Over the wet and winding launch route it showed good grip, only briefly scrabbling for traction in one very extreme exit.The ultra-compact size makes this a great proposition for city dwellers who want the SUV looks and practicality, but realise that a true 4WD would be entirely without point. The only unknown will be how well the sparkling petrol engine performs with the auto transmission that is likely to be a popular choice in our market.