It’s remarkable to note that the Peugeot’s 2008 has exactly the same wheel-base – 2538 mm — as its 208 hatchback sibling. Driving the car, and living with it for a couple of days on this week’s launch, it feels far bigger.

Dimensions

In length it has grown by nearly 200 mm, and it is almost 10 cm taller than the small, sporty hatch, but of course by using the same208 platform without any extension of wheelbase the cost benefits to Peugeot are enormous. Thus the very stylish new cross-over, half-hatch, half SUV, comes in at a South African launch price of R269900. That’s right in there in Nissan Juke territory, Juke being the market-leader in terms of sales in the so-called crossover division for some time now.

Peugeot 2008 styling

The 2008 has pleasing, non-frivolous exterior lines, the most notable feature being the squared off wheel-arches, which give the vehicle a gravitas it may not otherwise have enjoyed with the sort of ‘raised-eyebrow’ wheel-arches favoured by most other cross-over and compact SUV builders. In fact the overall style is very much shades of Mazda CX-5 in profile, while from the front the 2008 has a very clean front end with a sharp grille-intake profile dominating in bright metal. The headlights are endowed with an interesting, but somewhat frivolous zig-zag outline.

Build quality

Build quality is a vast improvement over Peugeots of just some five years ago.The materials used in the interior have an extremely high quality feel, especially the seat upholstery, which is a mix of leather and rugged textile. The same goes for the dash and door fittings to a large degree. There is still the occasional panel that employs a rather brittle-looking dimpled plastic, but these are minimal (notably on the door cappings) and the overall effect, high-lighted by a type of rugged carbon-weave-looking dash trimming, is classy and modern, without in any way being over boy-racer-ish.

Peugeot staffers are proud of their new minimalist instrumentation-pod and steering wheel arrangement. I am still not convinced by this layout, both in the 208 hatch and the new 2008 cross -over. I find that with my 1,83 metre height I have to drop the steering column way down so that I can get a decent view of the instrument panel. A bigger steering wheel would solve this problem. On the plus side, in the 2008, the steering wheel is small enough not to snag on my thighs as I drop it down far enough to see the dials (which is only just possible).

Peugeot 2008 engine and gearbox

The powertrain package on the new 2008 has a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre motor, which is very lively at sea level. In fact initially I felt we might have been sitting behind a low-pressure turbo version of the Peugeot 16-valve motor, which incidentally is also used in the Mini Cooper in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged form.

Okay, we were at sea-level, which accounts for 17% more power than we enjoy up on the Reef, but I still felt the initial throttle response was excellent. Interestingly, this large, full-five-seater car weighs 1080 kg, which is appreciably lower than many workaday hatchbacks, and impressive for a car that has a pretty full specification.

Thus the power-to-weight ratio is much more impressive than one would assume for a car of this size, given that the engine is rated at just 88 kW and 160 Nm of torque.What is impressive is that the engine spins very pleasantly to over 6500 rpm.It is interesting, too, that Peugeot is only offering the one model here, in 1,6-litre petrol form, and with a five-speed manual transmission.

Initially I was surprised that there is only a five-speeder available, in this age where manufacturers are going to six-speeders on manuals and eight or even nine speeds on automatic ‘boxes. Peugeot’s SA management team said that this is the only model available to them.

On the one-hand, some motorists may feel that the engine is buzzing a little too hard at the 120 km/h speed limits – a little under the 3500 rpm mark – and thus using too much fuel at highway cruising speeds. But on the other hand, having only a five-speeder makes highway cruising and overtaking a more relaxed chore, for the simple reason that you stick it in fifth and leave it there – with the overall gearing, there is enough on tap to manage fifth-gear overtakes, and thus you don’t need to scramble between fifth and sixth as you do on some lower-powered six-speed models. Also, the engine is particularly smooth at cruising speeds.

Ride and handling

The launch route for the Peugeot 2008 took us from Port Elizabeth to Port Alfred and then into the interior via Bathurst and the outskirts of Grahamstown. The road surface is that light-grey tar peculiar to the Eastern Cape, commendably pot-hole-free but replete with many ripples and camber changes, not to mention bumps right in the apex of a corner.

The 2008 handles this with aplomb. Marc Bocque, Peugeot’s international Head of Communications, was on the SA launch and he remarked to assembled journos at a stop in Kenton on Sea that we had no doubt experienced the “excellent ride quality Peugeot had achieved with this car.” Indeed, Peugeot have done just that, allied to a steering system that is ultra-light at parking speeds and very quick on turn-in at highway speeds, making for accurate placement of the car. Combined with the small steering wheel diameter, this gives the Peugeot 2008 a very-un-granny-like attitude when pitching it into a corner.

Summary

Overall I found the Peugeot 2008 satisfying in a refreshingly non-SUV or MPV fashion. Give its utility of excellent rear leg and head-room, and a 350 litre boot that is easily loadable(and expandable) thanks to a hatch lid that extends all the way down to the bumper, this is a car that really can be used happily as an active-lifestyle conveyance. Mountain bikes, suba gear and the like.

Peugeot 2008 price in South Africa

The very good price of R269900 includes a touch-screen NAV system, audio, six airbags, ESP and EBD, and a maintenance plan good for three years/60 000 km (that distance seems a little short for three years) and a three-year/100 000 km warranty. This car is going to surprise a lot of people who have consigned the French brands to those of also-rans and haven’t kept up with the strides they have made in recent years.

Peugeot 2008 gallery