Peugeot 2008 review

Sure, it’s decent to drive, but we reckon more fans will be won over by the inside of the 2008. It’s a big, big step up on its predecessor with plush materials, fancy stitching and some ambient lighting that doesn’t have a whiff of a cheap provincial town nightclub.

The star of the show is the 3D cockpit (standard on top-spec GT trim), which adds a double-layered, holographic feel to the 10-inch digital instrument display, and, says Peugeot, cuts 0.5 seconds from drivers’ reaction times. We can’t verify that, but we will tell you it looks as impressive as anything else out there.

The biggest compliment we can pay is that it makes sense of Peugeot’s diddy steering wheel, finally warranting the compromised driving position it brings taller drivers. Try before you buy is all we can really say.

Can it seat families comfortably?

Where some in the compact crossover sector suffer for rear seat space on account of their short wheelbase – the VW T-Roc springs to mind – the good news is the 2008 doesn’t fall into that sector, with most adults able to fit comfortably.

Luggage capacity is 434 litres with the seats up, slightly less than the Ford Puma and VW T-Roc (but edges both with the seats down at 1,467 litres), and it doesn’t change between petrol, diesel and electric variants, either. The boot floor is two-tiered too, which should make loading the weekly shop that little bit easier.

Anything else we should know?

The standard 10-inch infotainment display looks the part, but the OS is more than a little confusing to operate, while the bulk of the climate controls require delving into the touchscreen. Annoying. There are a couple of touch sensitive shortcut buttons and physical keys seated below to help matters though, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto fortunately come as standard.

A neat, forward-hinged cubby hole will also safely prop a phone up in portrait mode (and hides the wireless charger), thoughtful if you’re keen to use Google Maps while still viewing the car’s own media set-up; a distraction otherwise. There are four USB ports – three in the new-fangled USB-C format, one the old style – as well as optional wireless charging (£120, but standard on top-spec models), so you won’t be short of power for you and your passengers’ devices.

Perhaps the only other real negative comes if you swing a door open while the car’s still running (while checking your distance from a kerb, for example), a move which initiates the most dreadfully shrill noise in the history of motoring. It’s afflicted Peugeots for years and it’s awful.