Peugeot’s compact crossover is currently available in the Philippines with a gasoline powertrain, but it’s the electric version—which the company has hinted at bringing into the market—that we’re focusing on here.
Even four years into its life (yes, this was a pre-COVID vehicle), the 2008 still looks pretty trim and smart. Its visual strut holds up in the face of electric rivals. Still, nothing’s unimprovable. So the 2008 has been made over with new three-claw front LEDs, a grille with texture in body color, and reshaped rear lights. Inside, we find a full 10-inch center touchscreen with better connectivity and graphics.
The facelift brings a brand-new motor and inverter that raises peak power to 154hp, and a marginally bigger battery, up from 47kWh to 51kWh (net). Those don’t sound like big improvements, but the new components are usefully more efficient. The WLTP range has gone up to 400km+ from around 340km.
And our real-world experience has been positive. We got 82km from a quarter of a battery on quickish back roads, which extrapolates to 328km.
What’s the Peugeot e-2008 like to drive?
First impressions don’t break from the electric-car norm, but if you’re new to EVs with the e-2008, there is much novelty value to be had here.
The e-2008 is an everyday family car. That makes itself apparent when you nail the throttle. It doesn’t have the ridiculous acceleration of some electric cars, which is definitely a good thing in this context.
Well, 0-100kph in 9.1sec isn’t going to get anyone particularly excited, but it’s exactly the same figure as the gasoline auto version of the 2008. It’s brisk enough for a crossover. That said, like all EVs, its acceleration tails off at speed, and you’ll want to be in Sport mode if you’re pulling sharply out into the outside lane of a highway before that blacked-out Audi Q8 plugs the gap.
Yes, you can switch drive modes between Eco (94hp), Normal (125hp), and Sport (the full 156hp), which allows you to balance performance and battery range as you see fit.
There are two reasons to call on Eco. First, obvs, when the next charger looks ominously far away—it softens off the aircon, too. But also for driving more smoothly in stop-and-go traffic, thanks to the more gentle accelerator take-up. A switch beside the transmission selector brings in B mode, for a little more regenerative braking, but it’s pretty subtle. More regen comes from using the top fraction of the brake pedal—a dial on the dash shows the limit of this before you start wasting energy with the discs.
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Mind you, the brake pedal isn’t completely progressive—as you reach this transition between regeneration and friction, the pedal droops a bit. Disconcerting at first, easy to get used to.
Now, some EVs don’t ride especially well, stiffened up to counter their extra weight over internal combustion. The e-2008 is absolutely fine. The fundamental springing is pretty soft, and it absorbs big hits well. Coarse sharp bumps cause a bit of wheel flutter, but it’s not an issue. The body will sometimes float as you cross big undulations, but that’s just the dampers allowing the springs to do their job. It even rolls and pitches a bit.
Yet once you’re accounting for the softness, it’s actually quite a fun thing to steer through snaky bends. Surprisingly, the e-2008 feels nimble and game, even if it lacks something in outright feel. You can feel the tires working beneath you, and if it’s wet or greasy, they’ll gently move about, with that characteristic Peugeot balance. The steering is quick but not nervous.
There’s a bit of torque steer and wheelspin if it’s bumpy or wet and you’re too generous with the accelerator in Sport mode. But conserving momentum can be fun in the car’s Eco mode.
What’s the Peugeot e-2008 like on the inside?
Good as it may be to drive, it’s the cabin where the e-2008 will most likely win a lot of people over. It’s a genuinely futuristic-feeling setup without going so far off the deep end that it’s gone all zany and unusable. It’s made of high-quality materials, too.
As with all Peugeots, you’ve got a small steering wheel and you look at the instruments above the rim. It is a grand idea, as the small wheel makes the car feel responsive and the high dials mean you don’t have to drop your eyes far from the road. Only issue is, if you like the seat reclined and the wheel high, the rim will cut across your sightline to the dials. Try before you buy.
On the GT version, the highlight is a 3D cockpit. It uses digital instruments, which is nothing new, but adds a double-layered holographic feel to them, and Peugeot says it cuts 0.5sec from driver reaction times. Which is noble and all, but we like it because it looks enchanting. Unfortunately, you’ve just got to take our word for that because 2D photos can’t show it.
Beyond a joyous set of dials, there are other goodies. On higher variants, you get four USB ports—including three USB-C sockets—as well as wireless charging on the top-spec trim, so you won’t be short of power for you and your passengers’ devices. All trims have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto projecting onto the central touchscreen. That screen is 10 inches across, and gets high resolution on all except the base trim.
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As for space, there’s enough leg and foot space in the rear seats for most sizes of adult, because the battery is shaped around the footwells. Headroom is fine, particularly if you’ve avoided the big panoramic glass roof. But there are no vents or center armrest back there.
Final thoughts and verdict
Crossovers don’t often impress us: They can’t help but feel like fatter, slower, more expensive versions of neat little hatchbacks. And sure, a Peugeot e-208 will do much of what the e-2008 does, for less money. So you’ll have to really want the extra space and ride height on offer here.
You’ve also got to want an electric car: The price premium over a gasoline 2008 is steep.
Yet Peugeot has made the e-2008 a properly appealing thing in its own right. It looks exciting, like a car you’d be happy to be seen in. And with the combination of spangly 3D dials and electric power, it feels futuristic without resorting to any naff touches.
It’s a cliche to imagine no EV is worth the bother if it can’t claim 300 miles (480km+) of range. And the e-2008 can’t. But it really doesn’t need it if a combination of quick charging capacity and good efficiency mean you won’t spend a lot of time or money charging its relatively bijou battery.
More photos of the Peugeot e-2008:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
