Despite my limited experience with children, I will nevertheless conclude that they generally fall into two categories: “kid” kids and “adult” kids. The former, as you would imagine, are those children who act their age – they run about, scream and harass the grown-ups. Children in the latter category, on the other hand, behave as if they were much older (they are quieter and have longer attention spans) and they also tend to emulate the actions of the adults around them.
The same “phenomenon” also exists in the automotive world, and the Peugeot 2008 is proof of this. For despite its position as the brand’s entry-level crossover, there’s nothing “entry-level” about the way it looks. Chalk this one up to the vehicle’s designers, who must have intentionally disregarded their design briefs and insisted on making the 2008 look more sophisticated than the 208 supermini that it’s based on.
Put the 2008 crossover beside the 208 hatchback, and you’ll see that there’s little resemblance between them. The 2008’s grille and headlamps differ from the 208’s, and the only noticeable similarities between them are their tail-lights. Dimensionally, the 2008 is bigger than the 208 as well, for the former is 195mm longer and 99mm taller than the latter.
Meanwhile, the 2008’s main rival, the Volkswagen CrossPolo, merely looks like a taller version of the Polo supermini that it’s based on.
You only realise how close the 2008 and 208 are when you step into the former, because both cabins are exactly the same. However, that’s not a bad thing, because the 2008’s interior also belies the car’s position in the brand’s lineup. Details such as the pretty dials, infotainment system with satellite navigation and air-conditioning with dual-zone climate control make the 2008 feel more expensive than it is. There’s even a panoramic sunroof that also helps to create an airier atmosphere.
Now, while all these goodies are most welcome, it seems that the designers and engineers completely forgot about the ergonomics. The missing grab handles, for instance, mean that passengers must cling to each other if the driver decides to perform “dynamic manoeuvres”, while the lack of cup holders is just downright inconvenient. The most glaring oversight, however, is how the top part of the petite (and rather cute) steering wheel blocks the gauges no matter how you adjust it. Considering how Peugeot is one of the world’s oldest carmakers, it’s strange that the marque couldn’t get this detail right.
Peugeot 2008’s turbo-diesel powerplant might “only” have 98bhp, but it has a stout 230Nm available from just 1750rpm.
What the 2008 excels in, however, is delivering the ride/handling balance that we’ve come to expect from French cars. The pliant dampers deal with uneven road surfaces in a composed manner, and thanks to the longer travel of the suspension, annoying speed bumps are more easily dispatched, too.
Complementing the cushy ride is the laid-back 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine. Producing a modest 98bhp, darting in-and-out of traffic is never going to be its forte, for this diesel lump was built to be frugal. Now, while Peugeot’s official economy figure of 26.3km/L is likely to only be realised on an empty test track, we managed to coax the 2008 to a respectable 16km/L during our three days with the car.
Peugeot 2008 has a maximum boot capacity of 1194 litres, 451 litres more than what the Peugeot 208 offers.
Making this task easier is the car’s transmission – a 6-speed automated manual. Because it shifts with the aid of a robotised clutch, you can’t accelerate rapidly because of the momentary pause that accompanies every gearchange.
There’s a manual override function (and a nice pair of paddle-shifters) to speed up the process, and we recommend using it to downshift from second to first just as you’re about to climb up a carpark ramp. This is because when left in default “D” mode, the gearbox performs said downshift as you crest the ramp, leading to a momentary (and irritating) loss of power just when it’s needed.
But you can’t really blame the 2008 for its archaic transmission. After all, this crossover is still a “cub” in the Peugeot range, even if it has the looks and equipment of its “fully grown” siblings.
2014 Peugeot 2008 1.6 (A)
ENGINE 1560cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbo-diesel
MAX POWER 98bhp at 4000rpm
MAX TORQUE 230Nm at 1750rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automated manual
0-100KM/H 11.8 seconds
TOP SPEED 180km/h
FUEL CONSUMPTION 26.3km/L
CO2 EMISSION 98g/km
Check out the turbocharged petrol version of the Peugeot 2008 here
Check out our review of the Peugeot 208 here
