Driven: New Peugeot 2008 – A Grown-Up 208 That Goes Off-Road

Wake up early, drive two hours to the airport, catch the flight to whatever destination the program dictates (in this case it’s Paris), though my trip doesn’t stop there. Peugeot has decided to launch the new 2008 small crossover in Strasbourg. This means another boarding, this time on the TGV – that’s train de grande vitesse, or high-speed train. Yep, it sure is high-speed, at one point reaching 326 km/h (203 mph) but, even so, it takes two and a half hours to get there. I hope it’s worth all the time and a sore bum.

Going Global

The 2008 is Peugeot’s entry in the expanding small SUV niche. At 4.16 m long, it’s 200 mm longer than the 208 hatchback on which it is based and is poised to take on rivals such as the Nissan Juke, the Renault Captur and the Ford EcoSport. Mind you, the wheelbase remains the same (2,538 mm) so the extra length is accounted for by the slightly increased front and, mostly, rear overhang that increases boot volume from 295 to 360 lt (VDA).

The design is a collaboration between Peugeot’s design centers around the globe, i.e. Europe, China and South America, which is a first for the company. The floating grille and taillights are clear indications of its lineage, as is the interior that’s lifted practically wholesale from the 208. However the 2008 sports different headlights, squared-off wheelarches, a high-rising roofline from the B- to the C-pillar accentuated by silver trim and some textbook SUV clues like the black-colored bumpers with metal plates and, of course, a 165mm ground clearance.

The carmaker concedes that 80 percent of B-segment car buyers opt for the default hatchback versions. It’s the remaining 20 percent that the 2008 is going after, since SUVs are booming and are set to overtake coupe-cabriolets and estates to become the second best-selling variant.

The multinational design effort is not a coincidence as the 2008 is aimed not only at Europe, but China and South America as well, where it will also be manufactured from 2015. Peugeot’s sales target is 200,000 units per year once the two plants join the one in Mulhouse, France, and at the short presentation before handing over the keys to the cars, claims that the 2008 will appeal to customers that want a multi-purpose, functional and at the same time “emotional” car.

Call me a cynic if you want but I’ve yet to hear a company proclaim that its new car is out to grab dull people who really hate driving but find it a necessary evil. Now, let’s go find out what it’s really like, shall we?

The Same, Only Different

Seeing a car in the metal, not at a show stand, but in its natural habitat, the road, for the first time is always something I look forward to. First impressions are of the mixed short. Nice headlights and an aggressive stance from the front three-quarter view, not so convinced about the profile, though, which to me at least, looks a bit too generic even with the 17-inch diamond-cut alloys fitted on plush versions.

Climb inside and I’m greeted by the familiar high-placed instrument pod, the small-diameter steering wheel, the multimedia touchscreen and the alloy gear lever of the six-speed gearbox. If the instrument surroundings didn’t light up in blue instead of red and the seats were more supportive, I could very well be in the 208 GTi. Sadly, the 2008’s top engine is a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter petrol unit with only 118HP (120PS). There’s a turbocharged petrol 1.2-liter three cylinder down the line with a bit more oomph but it won’t set the road on fire.

Compared to the 208, there’s one other difference and it’s a big one, too: the round knob for the Grip Control system, which lets you choose between different modes according to the road surface. It’s Peugeot’s way of mitigating for the lack of all-wheel drive that would increase the weight and, perhaps more importantly, the cost. Right now, I leave it well alone as we’re on nice French tarmac, fire the 1.6-liter 113HP (115 PS) turbo diesel engine, confirm the preprogrammed route in the easy to handle navigation system and…oops, I forgot to release the handbrake – which, by the way, is also different and chunkier than the 208’s. OK, off we go.

Für Elise

The first few miles take us into Obernai. The 2008’s suspension absorbs the city’s cobbled roads surprisingly well – a nice attribute for a car that will spend a large chunk of its life on urban environments. The higher seating position offers better visibility, as do the large mirrors, though the A-pillar is still too thick.

Peugeot’s CUV comes with Park Assist as an option, which enables automated parallel parking and is activated by the 7-inch touchscreen. There’s some short of festivities going on in the city and a parking space is impossible to find so it’s only the day after, at a dedicated workshop, that we find out how it operates (short answer: as advertised).

Once clear of the city the route takes us to Alsace’s mountain roads that (you guessed it) are a petrolhead’s dream. No disrespect to Peugeot, but I wish I wasn’t driving a small SUV but something sportier. Alas, the two 208 GTis that were present had departed the day before (yes, I did ask) and, in any case, I am here to test drive the 2008.

Initial impressions are of a light, yet quick, steering and quite some roll in corners. That’s the flipside of the comfortable ride and is to be expected with the increased height and raised center of gravity. The 2008 isn’t supposed to be a GTi but a versatile small family car so those marks don’t really count against it.

Suddenly, something very low and very black comes from behind at fairly high speed. It overtakes me with ease and I see it’s a Lotus Elise. Now that’s what I’m talking about. I figure he’s a local who knows the roads and decide to follow his lead – which means pushing some more.

I’m under no illusion that the 2008 can follow the Elise in these roads and, indeed, after a couple of corners it disappears. Soon, though, I catch up with it due to traffic.

On a long straight ahead of us, its driver is willing to overtake. I’m not, thus I drop a couple of gears and floor the throttle. The HDi engine’s 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque that are available from just 1,750 rpm (285 Nm / 210 lb-ft on overboost), allied to the low weight (1,180 kg / 2,600 pounds) enable me to swiftly complete the maneuver.

The Elise follows. I signal for it to pass, but the driver stays at a respectful distance. It’s not a race but, then again, maintaining a decent pace seems almost a no-brainer. Well, you would too, wouldn’t you?

Pushed hard the 2008 is agile and manages to hide its size quite well but it does roll even more and will eventually understeer. The ESP can’t really be deactivated as it is automatically engaged above 50 km/h (30 mph) and that’s a mixed blessing. On one hand, the electronic safety net intervenes when I am overoptimistic concerning the entry speed, on the other hand, you cannot adjust the rear with the throttle.

Many motorcycles, from BMWs to Japanese superbikes, appear from the opposite lane, some of the riders really giving it some stick. Then there’s the unexpected sight of a Porsche 356. Oh, there’s another one, a third, fourth, fifth…

Apparently, today is a holiday and the weather is fine so everyone has come out to play. No sooner had I learned this than three more Porsche 911s, a 997, a 996 and a 962 appear in a fast-moving convoy. If they had a 993, too, it would have made for four successive generations…

How About the Rest?

Switching to a 1.6-liter petrol-engined model without the plush, leather-lined dashboard, 16- instead of 17-inch wheels and no Grip Control system I find the engine to be free-revving, if short on torque compared to the diesel. The petrol car also has to do with a five-speed transmission but it’s a fine, accurate unit and I never miss a cog.

Now, the Grip Control itself has five settings; Normal, Snow, Off-Road, Sand and ESP Off. They are self-explanatory, really, and Peugeot had prepared a mud track to compare cars with and without the system. It worked pretty well though I doubt that many of the 2008’s potential customers will ever do something like that and, even so, the M+S (mud and snow) all-weather tires surely play a part. When I enquire about how many buyers are expected to opt for the system, Peugeot people admit that they are not quite sure.

The Bottom Line

A jack of all trades is, more often than not, a master of none. The 2008 is not quite an exception to the rule, but it comes pretty close to being more than competent in most areas. It’s versatile and roomy, handles pretty well, has excellent ride, can venture off the tarmac and comes with a modern and nicely-built cabin and a variety of engines to choose from.

It even offers 11 apps as an option, including Weather, Trip Advisor, Michelin Guide (for restaurants) and Fuel (for petrol stations), with more being developed right now. There’s also a personalization range of accessories for the sills, roof bars, mirror covers, vents, center console etc., though some of the colors (pink, yellow, orange) are too flashy for my taste.

What it does not have is the unique styling of, say, a Juke or the all-wheel drive of a MINI Countryman or both its rivals’ more powerful engine options. Peugeot says that low weight makes up for some of the HP deficit and deciding to ditch all-wheel drive enabled them to keep the pricing at low levels. After all, the car is targeted at Europe, China and South America and it belongs to a price-sensitive segment. It’s a sound reasoning so we’ll just have to wait and see how it pans out.