Peugeot 2008 review

Sure, it’s decent to drive, but we reckon more fans will be won inside 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 all but the entry Active trim, which adds a double-layered, holographic feel to the digital instruments, and, says Peugeot, cuts 0.5secs from drivers’ reaction times.

It needs to be seen to be believed, but think of it like Audi’s Virtual Cockpit if it was able to display a big satnav map and a big speedometer all at once, among a dizzying array of other functions. It’s particularly natty in the e-2008, where you can get a nice graphic showing the energy flow betwixt batteries and motors. 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.

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 1,456 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.

What’s the deal with phone charging?

There are four USB ports – one of them in the new-fangled USB-C format – as well as inductive charging, so you won’t be short of power for you and your passengers’ devices. One of which will also link seamlessly to the touchscreen via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though a neat forward-hinged cubby hole will also safely prop a phone up in portrait mode if you’re keen to use Google Maps while still viewing the car’s own media set-up. Thoughtful.

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