Peugeot’s 2008 has lost a little luster in the European car market. Go back to 2021 and it was the fifth best-selling car overall and the continent’s most popular SUV. But when the 2022 figures came in, it slipped outside the top 10.
Perfect time, then, to give the 208-based crossover a little nip and tuck. We’ve already seen spy shots of the refreshed car, but on that occasion, only the rear end was camouflaged. The nose had no need for any disguise because it was still fitted with the same lights, grille, and bumpers as the current car.
But this time we’ve got shots showing a car with camo at both ends, and despite the wrap over the 2008’s snout we can still make out at least one big difference between the face of the current car and the one Peugeot will reveal later this year.
On the current car, the DRL fangs mounted below each headlight unit slope inward as they descend toward the floor. But the fangs visible through this car’s disguise appear noticeably more vertical. Though these pictures don’t show it, the grille is likely to adopt a slightly different mesh pattern similar to the one seen on the new 308 sedan, and the new corporate grille badge, which made its production debut on that 308, will also find its way onto the refreshed 2008.
Related: Peugeot Launches 3008 And 5008 Hybrid, Details Electrified Powertrain
Heavy disguise at the rear prevents us from seeing what Peugeot has in store for us at the back of the revised crossover, but we’re not expecting to see any big changes beyond some redesigned taillights. The ugly big rear bumper, which reminds us of the nasty diving board bumpers fitted to federalized European cars imported to the U.S. in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is staying put.
Interior upgrades will likely include minor changes, including software updates, to the infotainment system, but some of the biggest changes will take place under the hood. Peugeot recently announced new 99 hp (100 PS) and 128 hp (130 PS) 1.2-liter mild-hybrid PureTech engines, each equipped with a 21 kW (28 hp / 29 PS) electric motor mounted inside the six-speed dual-clutch transmission that is reported to improve efficiency by 15 percent.
And following on from changes to the electric e-208, the e-2008 EV is sure to gain a 20 hp (20 PS) power boost to 156 hp (158 PS) and an improvement in EV driving range from 214 miles (344 km) to around 248 miles (400 km).
