Autozine – Auto Test: Peugeot e-2008

Looking for a Peugeot 2008 EV GT Package?
bynco has 195 of € 24,450,-

One of the success factors of Peugeot 2008 is undoubtedly its design. This is not an awkward or man-putter all-terrain vehicle, but an SUV that, despite its tall construction, is designed with style like any other Peugeot model. Height is not a hindrance for designers, but it gives space to prove themselves more. It is clear that this Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) is not meant to be a workhorse, as ground clearance and entry and exit angles clearly play a minor role. Therefore this SUV is not suitable for off-road driving.

Also inside, 2008 lacks the adventurous character that an SUV has. There is no high chair or strong feeling here and vice versa what is called “i-Cockpit”Despite its tall stature, the 2008 has low metal seats up to the shoulders. A small steering wheel pokes deep into the interior and the driver is almost forced to sit around it. Therefore 2008 does not give the feeling of an SUV, but rather a sports coupe!

i-Cockpit

The i-Cockpit has two advantages: due to the active seating position, the driver has optimal control over the car, which ensures more engagement and more safety. In addition, the small steering wheel makes it possible to place the bell above the steering column. For example, they are directly in the driver’s field of vision and easier to read than traditional clocks behind the wheel.

Despite the successful interpretation of the i-Cockpit in the SUV, 2008 gives off an artificial feeling. SUVs are often purchased for their ease of access, high seats, and good looks. However, with the i-Cockpit, that is (partially) dispensed with. However, this is also true for 2008: anyone comfortable with the i-Cockpit will never want to go back to a conventional interior.

Despite the unusual layout, the interior space is average for a car of this size. And since the battery is placed on the floor, the luggage compartment is the same size as in 2008 with a petrol or diesel engine. A minor downside to the battery on the floor is that there’s no more legroom under the front seat.

Equipment

Peugeot shows courage not only with the i-Cockpit, but also with its operation. Display with 3D view is the most special. This is actually two screens in a row, the front of which has a transparent background. This allows important data to be clearly displayed in the foreground and other items in the background. The driver is confronted with a lot of information and thanks to the three-dimensional display, it is a little easier to quickly extract the most important things.

Less intuitive is the row of toggle switches in the center of the dashboard. There are symbols above and below it, so one would expect one feature to be activated by flipping the switch up and the other down. However, there is an invisible row of touchpads that activate the function indicated by the top symbol. It took me a few days to understand that logic!

The menu structure on the center screen isn’t the most logical either. Partly for this reason, the choice was made during most test drives for their own smartphone via Apple CarPlay (Android Auto is also available). Unfortunately, the sound quality of the standard audio system is far below par. His voice had little detail and almost everything sounded like mumblings and grunts.

Supposedly, 2008 can help the driver with braking, steering and acceleration. However, electronics don’t do it very smoothly. Adaptive cruise control is so gentle that it can only be used on nearly empty roads. Steering assist is distracting and if the driver wishes to hand over the steering wheel, its functionality is limited and the assist stops in the middle of a corner (logically, however, it is an assistant and not a substitute).

Electric car

2008 is available with petrol, diesel and electric motors and Peugeot strives to make the difference between the various power sources as small as possible. Therefore, not only the price is the same, but also the character. Some electric cars like to show their superiority with fierce acceleration and firm grip when releasing the electric pedal (to recover as much energy as possible). The E-2008, on the other hand, has as much fun character as a regular car with a petrol engine. Power builds up incrementally and when the power pedal is released, the e-2008 just stores something to restore energy.

By opting for sport mode and “brake” on the automatic transmission, the e-2008 is more vibrant, agile and undeniably more decisive than the 2008 standard. Also, more energy is gained during roll-out, so the brake pedal should be much less required. . But the e-2008 was never quite as sharp as some other electric cars and that was a deliberate choice by Peugeot. In this way, the goal is to keep the electric driving threshold as low as possible. Those who are used to driving electric feel that Peugeot is not making full use of technology. For beginners, this is a useful option.

Charging and range

When charging, the car turned out to be a bit picky in communicating with the charging point. More than once the test car would not charge at a station where other cars could charge. However, as a rule, charging goes well and on average the e-2008 can charge quickly (up to 11 kW on common charging points, maximum 100 kW on fast chargers).

Thanks to minor changes, the e-2008 for the 2022 model year can theoretically cover 22 km more on a full battery than before. During testing, in moderate weather conditions, the range was 330 km. In practice, that’s more than enough to drive carefree without having to plan a trip in advance. Of course, because electric cars are generally charged at every bus stop (car parks, shopping centers, restaurants, etc.), the battery level is no longer taken into account at all. However, a warning: the navigation system has not (yet) been able to plan an automatic stop of charging if the destination is beyond the range of energy in the battery.

“Those who are comfortable with the active seating position and dynamic handling thanks to the small steering wheel will never want anything else”

Handling

Peugeot also tries to approach the familiar character of a car with a combustion engine in terms of handling. Thanks to effective chassis adjustments, the e-2008 doesn’t feel heavy despite its high battery weight. The suspension is neither too hard nor too soft, but most importantly it is smooth. Despite the fact that unevenness on the road surface is clearly visible, sharp edges are effectively filtered out, so the e-2008 is always comfortable.

2008 may have been built high, because the battery is incorporated in the floor, the center of gravity is low. Therefore e-2008 works almost like a “tumbler”. The E-2008 can be thrown into corners shamelessly hard, leaning back a little, but thanks to its low center of gravity and center it always safely returns to balance. Thanks to the small steering wheel, a little movement is enough to make sharp turns and it gives a dynamic character and superior feeling.

Conclusion

Are the best-selling compact SUVs also the best? It depends on personal preference. With the e-2008, Peugeot showed courage and character. And that means that a certain group of buyers will irrevocably exit. In addition, e-2008 is very conservative in some ways and very progressive in some ways.

Peugeot shows courage with its design. Due to their tall construction, most SUVs have a tough look, while Peugeot opts for elegance. i-Cockpit is a matter of hate or love. Anyone who is comfortable with the active seating position and dynamic control thanks to the small steering wheel will never want anything elseThose who choose an SUV for its high seating and off-road capabilities won’t find it in 2008.

Although electric drive is modern, Peugeot is trying to present it as conservatively as possible. For example, e-2008 looks the same as any other 2008. Moreover, this is not a lightning-fast electric car that can be driven with one pedal. In contrast, the e-2008 has a character familiar with gasoline-powered cars. Of course there are important differences: the e-2008 is quieter, smoother, more stable, cleaner and much cheaper per kilometer. Once you experience it, you will never want to come back again!

Looking for a Peugeot 2008 EV GT Package?
Netherlands Mobile has 8 of € 24,950,-