Peugeot 2008 Review

• July 2013 Peugeot launches the first-generation 2008
• March 2014 Peugeot rebrands engines as PureTech (petrols) and BlueHDi (diesels)
• September 2015 smart Urban Cross trim introduced
• July 2016 facelifted 2008 arrives – bringing refreshed styling and engines
• December 2019 the all-new second-generation Peugeot 2008 becomes available for order

Petrol: 1.2 PureTech Diesel: 1.5 BlueHDi Electric: 50 kWh 136

In line with consumer trends, Peugeot offers its 2008 with more petrol engines than any other fuel type. All are the same size but come with varying amounts of power output. Kicking off the range is the 1.2L PureTech 100 S&S which is solely available with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Performance from the PureTech 100 unit is adequate with 0 to 62mph taking 10.9 seconds and top speed of 115mph. That said, for a small economy and emissions penalty the PureTech 130 engine reduces 0 to 62mph time to 8.9 seconds with a manual gearbox or 9.1 seconds with an automatic.

If the best straight-line performance is all you want, Peugeot’s PureTech 155 engine (the most powerful engine available) manages to sprint from 0 to 62mph in 8.2 seconds and will reach 129mph flat out. This engine is only available with an automatic gearbox.

The sole diesel option, the 1.5-litre BlueHDi brings home the economy and emission figure bacon but trails most of the petrol units when it comes to performance. CO2 emissions are claimed to be as low as 96g/km and economy is as high as 62.7mpg.

Finishing off the engine options is the Electric 50kWh 136 which promises an official range of 206 miles under the latest - and most economical - economy test conditions. 

Active, Allure, GT Line, GT

If you want the most affordable 2008 then you will need to look at Active spec, which starts at £20,150. These models come with manual air-conditioning, electric (heated) wing mirrors, rear parking sensors, LED headlights, a leather steering wheel and 16-inch alloy wheels. As the table above shows, all fuel types can be had in Active trim. In fact, the only trim combination buyers cannot have is a diesel 2008 GT.

Electric e-2008 models come with a few extra features in Active spec compared to fossil-fuel-powered versions. The additional kit includes automatic air-conditioning, electric handbrake, central armrest with cubby space, four extra USB ports (one of which is a USB-C port), revised front grille and pre-heating functionality. Pre-heating refers to a feature where you can warm up or cool down your car’s cabin before getting in the vehicle – great for cold winter days. Another benefit is that if you have the car plugged in at home it uses mains power to warm or cool the cabin, rather than depleting the battery charge, to maximise how far you can travel until you need to charge.

Next up in the range is Allure trim which starts at £22,350. Allure builds upon Active with larger 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic air-conditioning, electric (heated and folding) wing mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, automatic dimming rearview mirror, electric handbrake, tinted rear windows, front LED fog lights and some subtle exterior design tweaks – such as a gloss black rear bumper.

Second from top is GT Line spec which bolsters cabin equipment further – with a subsequent starting price increase that sees buyers need to shell out at least £26,100. Additional equipment includes heated front seats, sat-nav, wireless phone charging pad, adjustable ambient lighting, automatic main beam lights, 18-inch alloy wheels and again, a number of exterior tweaks – for example, a chequered chrome and black front grille.

Sitting pretty at the top of the range it GT spec which costs from £31,575. The additional kit it comes with includes black 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control (with stop and go functionality), lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, opening panoramic roof and seats clad with Alcantara.

While there is no performance version per se, the further up the range a buyer goes the sportier the styling gets.

To help put buyers’ minds at rest, Peugeot offers a two-year unlimited mileage warranty but also states that there is a free optional additional year of cover provided by the Peugeot dealer network in the UK.

As Peugeot has only recently started delivering the latest-generation 2008, the used market isn’t awash with options yet. That said, those with a bit of patience may find that some nearly new/pre-registration deals cropping up.

What there is on the used market, though, is a whole host of old-shape 2008s. While these are a world away from the new model (especially when it comes to styling), this model was available for seven years so there are many options available – including petrols, diesels, automatics, manuals, affordable basic models and plush range-topping models.

If you want a specific first generation 2008 to focus on, the 1.5 BlueHDi 100 Allure is one of the sweet spots in the range. If you don’t want a diesel, then the PureTech 110 petrol engine is a great option as well