After driving a diesel version of the Peugeot 508 with a range of 1,000 kilometres two weeks ago, I drove another gorgeous Peugeot last week where the total range was not as impressive. Of course range is always better in diesel cars, but I was still very happy with the 760km range offered in the petrol version of the Peugeot 2008.
The test car came in Vertigo Blue and the Monday I picked it up it up was definitely was one of the warmest days so far this year; the car definitely shone in the June sun.
Peugeot has two versions of their revamped 2008 available right now, petrol, which I drove last week and electric, which I am due to drive later in the year.
After driving so many electric cars, which of course are automatic and also automatic versions of new petrol and diesel cars, it was a bit strange last week to find myself back in a manual six-gear car. Some people love to work their way through the gears and I do feel that changing gears keeps a driver more alert.
We are told that petrol cars are now selling almost as well as they did before the Covid pandemic, with many preferring petrol to electric. People tell me they would consider a hybrid, but would be slow to make the switch to full electric.
The 2008 got a revamp at the end of 2023 and it was the tenth best-selling car in Europe for the first few months of 2024.
The car now sports a very bold front-end with sleek lines adorning every panel. And the new ‘three claw’ LED lights are really cute. You also get new style alloys.
As usual with most Peugeot cars the seven toggle switches underneath the infotainment screen dominate the dash and they are complimented with a good old-style button to adjust the radio volume.
The steering wheel is neat and has just a few slave controls, to avoid taking your eyes off the road even for a few seconds. Also the ten-inch infotainment screen on the dash is tilted slightly towards the driver, which is a good safety idea.
The seats are very comfortable and I had no problem finding a comfortable driving position. In the back there is plenty of room for three adults. The boot is decent, officially 434 litres, but sadly no spare wheel.
However, like a few recent cars I have driven, I did find the interior a bit dark with that very dark roofline. Once again the designer probably wanted a dark, classy look, whereas I like car interiors to be bright as they help me to ‘brighten my day.’ Two black roof rails add to what is an overall classy design.
Prices start at €30,740, while the Allure 1.2-litre Pure Tech version with 130bhp, that I drove will cost you €34,295. Road tax is €200. As usual with Peugeot the three trims offered are: Active, Allure and GT. Peugeot say that their e-2008 should get you up just over 400km on a full charge. But we will see later in the year.
The 2008 is a gorgeous car to drive and travel in and is slightly cheaper than the 508 diesel, but I think if you are doing a lot of mileage every week then the 508 might be a better bet.
