Peugeot 2008 could be the best small SUV
It’s one of the biggest small SUV’s on the market, the Peugeot 2008 has a lot to compete with but, it definitely is up there with its competition. In terms of design, think of a Peugeot 208 but bigger. In fact, if you liked the 208’s design but want something bigger then this car is perfect.
Design
When you have a good-looking design, why not use it. This Peugeot 2008 uses a lot of features that the 208 has but bigger. They really scaled up everything from front to back. The head and taillights both have the lion’s claw effect and this Peugeot kept the lion’s fang daytime LEDs. The grill is big and vertical to emphasize the size. When you see this on the road, there will be no mistaking it.
The sized of the car has some sharp angles in the bodywork. Peugeot says it’s to make it look like a rock for the off-road capability, but I don’t know why they’d do that and not give it all-wheel drive. More on that later but it’s defiantly not the car if you want to drive off the road.
The wheel design is great, and it uses design elements of the body if you really stop to take a look. It’s a great looking car that puts it into the future while not jumping away from past designs.
Inside
The interior looks even better than the exterior, and that’s a tall order. Again, is uses the features and designs we see in the 208 which is perfectly fine by me. There’s a two-layer dashboard, lots of interesting shapes lined by great material and a decent infotainment system. The materials get a little bit cheaper lower down.
The infotainment system is great and comes with Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto. It’s just like the 208, not replacing the physical buttons and using piano keys to change the features of the car.
For a small SUV, you get some of the best rear passenger space. It will comfortably fit two adults in as well as give them USB ports. The Peugeot 2008 has two of those in the front and two in the back which honestly should be a standard with all cars.
The boot has 434-litres of space and has an adjustable boot floor that is very easy to use. It even has clips that can hold it up for you. That, unfortunately, is the end of the boots features, they skipped out on the regulars.
Performance
The engine you get with this car is a petrol 1.2-litre 3-cylinder that gives 81 kW and 205 Nm of torque. There is a diesel option and you can get both with a manual or automatic gearbox. This all gets driven into the front wheels. Like I mentioned before, there is no all-wheel-drive which is rather disappointing for an SUV.
The driving of this car is great, you do feel the size in comparison to other small SUV’s but that is because it’s bigger and it defiantly does feel smoother on open roads because of it. There is an electric e-2008 but I don’t think we can expect that in South Africa.
Range
Outside the regular model options, there are some other features that you can pay more for, like leather seating with massages and a better stereo. Let’s take a look at the model options.
Active
This is the standard option and it gets you reversing sensors, leather steering wheel and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Allure
Next up you get automatic climate control, upgraded seats, electronic parking brake and front parking sensors. You can also upgrade the infotainment system to 10-inches and get a digital driver display but that does cost more. The digital driver’s display is just as impressive at the 208 with its 3D features.
GT Line
The GT Line gets you another upgrade to the seats, giving them heating too, mood lighting, reversing camera and wireless charging for your phone.
Should you buy
It’s one of the biggest and will probably one of the most expensive small SUVs. That said, it’s one of the best looking and gives you some of the best features too. If a small SUV is what you are looking for, this is a great option to consider.
Source: Carwow | What Car?
Images: Top Gear
