The new Peugeot 2008 SUV launched last month and I got a chance to try it recently. My review is in two parts. Part 1 is about the stuff you need to know about the Peugeot 2008 SUV. Part 2 comes from the target market of the Peugeot 2008 SUV – ie couples in their early 30s. I kinda won’t be upset if you jump straight to part 2 if you fit this profile.

The stuff you need to know…
When I first saw the new Peugeot 2008 SUV, my first impression was that Peugeot is serious about turning around its fortunes. Peugeot has produced something that looks likes its ready to do the job whilst looking good in the process.

So I decided to name my test car Marie (French girl child name which means hoped for child). I set out to answer if the Peugeot 2008 SUV is the hoped for child for Peugeot South Africa. Let’s face it, the 31 cars sold nationally in March are not a fair reflection of where Peugeot should be.
Before we get very far, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Peugeot is aware of the negative perceptions associated with French brands. The company has committed to addressing these issues as part of their turnaround strategy and as a consumer, you should hold Peugeot to this commitment.

The Peugeot 2008 is a beautiful car inside out. The car has a bit of a premium feel to it thanks to the superior materials used in its interior. Step inside the front, you are greeted by an inviting dashboard which is dominated by the head-up instrument panel and touchscreen that complement each other well. The Peugeot SUV 2008 has one of the smallest steering wheels out there. Whilst this is initially a shock to the system, it comes in handy when cornering and doing tight steering manoeuvres in malls. I also enjoyed the uniquely designed hand break in the form of an upside down golf club driver with soft metal edges and a leather centre.

There’s ample cabin space for front and back passengers. The boot is also decently sized. Outside, the Peugeot 2008 SUV is quite a looker. Although not too different from the previous generation, the design tweaks will have you turning (compact SUV) heads everywhere you go.

The Peugeot 2008 SUV range is powered by two engines, a 1.6 litre turbodiesel engine (that is good for 68 kW and 230 Nm) and a 1.2 litre turbopetrol engine (which pumps out 81 kW and 205 Nm). The engines are offered in manual and automatic. Both are claimed to return a cheerful 4.0 L/100 km and a respectable 5.4 L/100 km. I enjoyed Marie’s 1.2 litre turbopetrol engine.
Having driven the pioneer in the segment, ie the Nissan Juke, my impression is that the Peugeot 2008 SUV is here to give foes a run for their money. No one is safe. Would you have ever thought of automatic lights, cornering assist fog-lights, automatic wipers, stop-start system, folding windows, touchscreen, etc. as standard kit in a compact SUV? Probably not but such is the potency of the compact SUV wars that Peugeot has decided to throw these as standard features in all models.
Peugeot are the first to concede that the Peugeot 2008 SUV is not a traditional off roader. This will not however hold back the Peugeot 2008 SUV from tackling all sorts of terrain thanks to its Grip Control traction control system. Unfortunately this system is only offered in the GT Line (interestingly the Allure 1.2 PureTech Automatic I tested had the Grip Control traction control system and I got to play with it and it worked well). The drawback for the Peugeot 2008 SUV is that it sits lower than most of its competitors. Buyers in the segment may not be as concerned about the off-road stuff as much as they are about a heightened ride position.
The Peugeot 2008 SUV is prized as follows:
Active 1.6 HDI Manual – R274 900
Allure 1.6 HDi Manual – R299 900
Allure 1.2 PureTech Automatic – R324 900
GT Line 1.2 PureTech Automatic – R349 900
The above prices are inclusive of a three-year or 100 000 km warranty and a three year 45 000 (really? Peugeot could do better) service plan.
After spending time with Marie, I got the impression that she is the hoped for child for Peugeot. She’s up there with the best in terms of tech and drive quality and worth looking at before you commit yourself to anything else.
The target market speaks…
Now that you know enough about the Peugeot 2008 SUV, what does the target market for the car this about it. I spent time with two couples who were pleased with the Peugeot 2008 SUV.
Couple 1
The first couple I spent time with drives a Jeep Compass. The Compass is a segment higher than the Peugeot 2008 SUV so you can imagine that the standard was pretty high. Being the ever prepared lawyers they are, they came to the test drive with two car seats. Their feedback – they loved the overall space of the car, especially the boot. They had thought the car was much smaller looking at it from outside but they were pleasantly surprised when they got inside the cabin. Surprisingly Vuvu*, the husband, liked the small steering wheel as he thought it increased visibility.

Couple 2
Like the first couple, the second couple have something that is bigger than the Peugeot 2008 SUV. They drive a 2017 Mercedes Benz GLC 250 d AMG. Surprisingly, their overall impression of the Peugeot 2008 SUV was positive. They also thought the Peugeot 2008 SUV it is bigger inside than it appears from outside (something for the Peugeot designers to take note of).

This is not scientific feedback but it is positive feedback nonetheless for Peugeot.
Major like: touch screen. Major dislikes: wobbly brake in automatic and low riding position. Party trick: roof lights inside the car.