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What's the difference?
The 2008 is kind of a big deal for Peugeot - the old car was a bit niche and people didn't really know what it was. It also had a whiff of last-decade Peugeot whereas this one is proper 2021, fashion-forward Peugeot. The brand has changed so much in the past few years that it's even going to slap a new logo in its big grilles in the coming months.
Peugeot's product strategy was missing that important, late-millenial/early Gen X grabbing compact SUV, a cheaper entry to the brand that attracts fans of good design with a plenty of readies in their pockets. Basically the people Mini's Countryman, BMW's X2, Audi's Q2 and VW's T-Roc and T-Cross are going after. So not an easy task, then.
The local importer knows it needs to find younger customers to hook into the brand, because the halo of its turn-of-the-century success, the 306, has now faded. People like me will buy Peugeots because they wanted a 306, are Francophiles or are just plain contrarian (in my case, all three). Peugeot needs an in. The 2008 might just be it.
The ZST is essentially an upgraded version of MG's popular small SUV, the ZS.
The ZST sees some tweaks to the overall design and some added standard safety features. So, if you like the original, there's a good chance you'll like the ZST and I've been driving the top-grade Essence variant with my family of three.
The ZST Essence has some stiff competition from similarly specified rivals like the GWM Haval Jolion Lux and Chery Omoda 5 EX offering affordable packages and similar driving experiences. So, what makes the ZST stand out?
The 2008's score is slightly hurt by the price and the lack of advanced safety features (mostly reverse cross-traffic alert) but is boosted by the fantastic looks, great dynamics and avant-garde interior. While it certainly isn't the cheapest compact SUV, it certainly is one of the most stylish and, in some ways, innovative.
Peugeot has a mountain to climb in Australia, a hangover from more than a decade of indifferent or oddball cars. The 2008 is a key plank of its premium strategy and that will become more important when it throws the full EV e-2008 at us later this year, or early next. This 2008 is the car to grab those younger buyers, I just wonder if they're keen enough to stump up the cash.
Will the MG ZST Essence fit a small family? Absolutely, and all but the middle seat passenger will be comfortable but there are areas open for improvement. Like it's safety, laggy tech and adding a few extra items in the back seat.
Yet, it still offers a good host of features and an attractive package for a reasonable price tag. Unfortunately, my son missed having the basic amenities but did like the sun roof.
The 2008 is a cracking looking machine, with a lot of what looks like Audi Q2 in profile (and detailing). It fooled a few passers-by, including the regular, "What have you got this week?" crew of neighbours. It's a brilliant design, sporting the 508's big light-up fangs and the cat's claw segmented taillights. Chunky but not self-conscious, it's great to look at.
Peugeot cabins are brilliant these days, with clever, interesting designs that I think are really challenging the way other carmakers think about what to put in front of the people in the front seat. The i-Cockpit works well in the SUVs (m'colleague Richard Berry will likely disagree), but the excessively cool 3D dashboard - with a screen that looks like it's floating in front of you like a hologram - really helps push the idea that the price being asked is actually quite reasonable. Lovely materials throughout, cool detailing, lots of thought and even usable cupholders. It's mad in all the right ways.
Being the newer and shinier version of the ZS, the ZST presents as a nice little package with its full suite of LED exterior lights, shiny chrome accents and its well-shaped body.
The front is distinctively different from its design muse with a darkened grille, and redesigned fog lights that feature new air intake vents. Other highlights include the 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels with sporty red brake calipers lurking behind them.
The interior is pleasant with a massive sunroof creating a light-filled space and giving the illusion that the cabin is larger than it is.
The synthetic leather upholstery and trims seem robust and perfect for families, but also feel quite plasticky under hand. The red badge embossing on the headrests is lovely, though.
The dashboard is well-proportioned and headlined by an upgraded 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system and fully digital instrument cluster.
The gearshift feels a tad too skinny and tall for the general aesthetic but the circular air-vents add some cute personality.
Starting with the bad stuff, what is it with carmakers - and fellow French carmaker Renault was front and centre in my head here - not putting a rear armrest and cupholders in SUVs? These are cars that can fit families, so neglecting the rear passengers seems weird and sloppy. You can kind of forgive a $25,000 Kona Go (RIP), but not a $35,000 premium product. A small but irritating detail.
Up front, you do get useful cupholders, a small centre console bin and glove box and the doors will hold bottles. There's a dedicated spot for your phone, too, which is nice.
The boot is a gigantic 434 litres, beating pretty much every other car in the space that's not from France, and with the 60/40 split-fold out of the way, you have 1467 litres at your disposal. There's also a false floor on the boot that you can either remove or use to separate valuables or muddy/stinky/sandy outdoorsy stuff.
Practicality is hurt by a lack of individual storage options and a back seat that has only two USB-A ports for its amenities.
The cabin space is spacious, though, and both rows have a decent amount of leg- and headroom despite the massive sunroof.
The steering wheel features height but not reach adjustment and to accommodate I have to sit much closer to the wheel than normal thanks to my poor little T-Rex arms.
Individual storage is the best up front with a small middle console and glove box, two cupholders and two drink bottle holders. The doors also feature large storage bins, which is great to keep the cockpit feeling neat.
The rear row gets two map pockets and a small storage bin in each door. There is also a (very) shallow storage nook at the back of the middle console… think a packet of gum or small wallet size.
My seven-year old isn't as comfortable in the rear because it lacks directional air vents, reading lights and a fold-down armrest. All items which will hinder an adult's comfort, too.
The boot space is a good size at 359L but you can bump it to 1187L with the rear seats folded, the backrest featuring a 60/40 split.
The height of the floor is adjustable and when set in the lowest position creates a deep well to tuck larger items, like luggage, into.
The hard cargo cover can be awkward to shift around or store but is otherwise out of the way when it counts.
Other amenities accentuate the premium-feeling the Essence is going for with the heated front seats and electric drivers seat offering well-padded comfort but on longer journeys, I miss having adjustable lumbar support.
The rear seats aren't as comfortable as the front only because the synthetic leather feels slippery, which is accentuated when you hit corners!
In terms of technology, you get two USB-A ports in each row but the front also gets a 12-volt port. You miss out on fast and wireless charging options.
The multimedia system looks great but can be sluggish to respond and the apps can be slow to load but I like the built-in satellite navigation.
The upgraded sound system has six speakers instead of four but the sound quality is a bit tinny with music and calls.
It was simple to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay. It also has Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and AM/FM radio.
Peugeot is trying to mark itself out as a premium offering, with no bait-and-switch entry-level machines displaying startling prices. The 2008 Allure costs about the same as the top-spec Renault Captur, which is loaded up with gear. It's also gunning at mid-spec Korean, Japanese and German compact crossovers.
For $34,990, you get 17-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, cruise control, 3D digital dashboard, auto LED headlights, fake leather trim along with cloth (nothing wrong with that), power windows and mirrors, a lot of safety gear and a space-saver spare.
The media system is an updated version of Peugeot's familiar stack and it's quite good on the small 7.0-inch touchscreen (small, as in "other cars this size are getting bigger ones") and has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and DAB. The screen is snappier than past offerings from Peugeot which is a good thing, because the old one in the 3008 was glacially slow.
There are four variants for the ZST and our test vehicle is the top-spec Essence model, priced at $33,990 drive-away.
Our example's 'Pebble Black' finish is an included colour but other paintwork options can cost an extra $700.
The price point positions it right in the middle of its rivals with the Omoda 5 costing $35,990 drive-away and the Jolion sliding into the most affordable spot at $30,990 drive-away.
To highlight the value-for-money comparison, the Kia Seltos Sport+ FWD model costs $38,790 drive-away and then you start creeping up into the $40K bracket for similarly specified small SUVs.
The ZST Essence is the top-grade and it has a decent number of premium features for its price tag, like a panoramic sunroof, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and an electric driver's seat, keyless entry, keyless start and a full suite of exterior LED lights.
Other standard features include wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system, digital instrument cluster, one-zone air-conditioning, built-in satellite navigation, 360-degree camera system and an upgraded sound system with six speakers.
The Puretech 1.2-litre three-cylinder is a cracker of an engine and I won't hear a bad word against it. Partly because nobody ever says bad things about it. In the Allure, it's in 130 specification, which means 96kW and 230Nm of torque. The power figure is in line with almost everything in the class and the torque figure is good for the segment, especially considering the 1267kg kerb weight.
Driving the front wheels via a six-speed Aisin-supplied automatic, the Allure will complete the sprint to 100km/h in under 10 seconds. It feels quick enough, but that might be the torque curve filling in after a tardy start. If you're willing to drop another nine grand, you can have 114kW, eight gears and a slightly quicker 0-100km/h time.
The Essence variant has a 1.3-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a maximum power output of 115kW and 230Nm of torque.
It's a front-wheel drive and features a six-speed auto transmission. Overall, it has enough power to keep up with traffic on the open road but you have to be firm with the accelerator to keep your speed consistent.
Peugeot says the Allure completed its government-mandated testing with a 6.5L/100km combined cycle figure while huffing out 148g/km of carbon dioxide.
I managed 6.8L/100km driving as I normally would around the suburbs and with some fast roads in the mix. That's an impressively close number to the official figures and lines up well with the more accurate WLTP findings.
The official combined cycle fuel figure is 7.3L/100km and my real-world average came in at 7.7L. That is after a good mix of urban and open-road driving, so the usage is good.
Based on the combined fuel cycle and the relatively small 45L fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 616km.
My first experience with the 2008 was in tipping rain on the same day I drove the 5008, so it was nice for the sun to shine during the time I had it. Dry roads and Peugeots are way more fun, although it was uncommonly wet on my first attempt.
What struck me about the 2008 is how sure-footed it is, even on the cheap-ish tyres fitted. It has that lovely, pointy Peugeot feel of the other cars in the range, which is partly to do with the hilariously small steering wheel but mostly because they're just so well set up.
The 2008 handles all the nastiness of suburban streets, even with torsion beams at the rear, something European cars somehow make work with almost magical effect. It's also very quiet inside, whether it's wind, tyre or engine noise, none of which make much impact on the occupants.
The transmission and engine work extremely well together, so well I don't think I resorted to the paddles even once to hurry things along. Quite a few cars in this class either have a whining continuously variable transmission or a sometimes-clunky twin-clutch auto. The smoothness of the Aisin six-speeder is excellent and it seems to know where the turbo lag is, and shifts accordingly. It also picks up when you want it to, wringing every last drop of torque out of the engine when you need it most. The car does slow noticeably when loaded up, but you'll get that in every other car in the class, too.
The ZST Essence has an okay amount of power relative to the car's small size.
It's an adequate cruiser when I ferry just my husband and son around, but feels a full load of luggage and people.
The steering is responsive and it's an easy car to manoeuvre in tight car parks or city streets, which is great. The visibility is pretty good despite the chunkier pillars and you feel confident when checking your blind-spots.
While the suspension is fairly forgiving and ride comfort is decent, you will still notice the bumps, especially when seated in the back.
The cabin suffers from some wind and road noise and at higher speeds we had to find we raise our voices a bit to be heard. Around town, you don't notice it.
This is just a personal preference but the brake and accelerator pedals are skinnier and more centrally positioned than I prefer. You get used to it, though.
The ZST is pretty easy to park and it's great that you have a 360-degree camera system but the image quality can be grainy. You get rear parking sensors, too, but miss out on ones at the front.
The Allure has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward AEB, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist.
The forward AEB works between 10km/h and 180km/h, with daytime pedestrian detection up to 60km/h and cyclist detection up to 80km/h.
It is missing reverse cross-traffic alert and if you want adaptive cruise, auto high beam, blind-spot monitoring or lane-keep assist, you have to step up to the GT Sport.
The ZST Essence has a good suite of safety features that now come standard like rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.
Other standard features include tyre pressure monitoring, LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, seatbelt reminders, a 360-degree camera system and rear parking sensors.
The ZST only features six airbags, while many of its rivals sport seven, including the newer front centre airbag. The ZST variant scored four- from a possible five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017 testing.
It's important to note that the tested ZS model did not have AEB or lane support systems at the time of testing, these were introduced from the 2020 model year onwards and the ZST has both.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tether anchor points but two child seats will fit best. There is enough room for front occupants when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.
Peugeot's five-year warranty, five-year capped-price servicing and five years of roadside assist is a solid, if unspectacular offering. Which is a bit rude, because three years ago we'd have been bowing at Peugeot's feet for such generosity. It's a thankless business.
Servicing comes around every 12 months/15,000km, which is pretty good going for a turbo engine in this class (except, of course, Renaults, which go for 30,000km) and you'll pay, on average, $447 per service, which isn't awful, but is not cheap either.
The ZST Essence comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is on par with coverage offered by a growing number of its rivals.
There is a seven-year or up to 70,000km servicing program for a total cost of $2339 or an average of $334 per service, which is very competitive for the class.
Servicing intervals are at every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, but could be annoying if you travel a lot.