Peugeot 2008 Active and Outdoor 2014 review

The Peugeot 2008 is the French brand’s baby SUV that sits beneath the bigger 3008, 4008 and 5008 double-o models. All of a sudden, these tiny trucks are popping up everywhere, including the Holden Trax, Nissan Juke, and Ford EcoSport, with the Renault Captur and Honda’s new HR-V just around the corner.

Design

Like its rivals, the 2008 is based on a light hatch, and in this case it’s the excellent Peugeot 208.

Also like most of its rivals, the 2008 is two-wheel drive only, but it’s got a bit of extra ride height, unique styling and a more wagon like body.

It’s also 20cm longer than the 208 which creates a pretty impressive 410-litre cargo area that expands to 1400-litres with the seats folded flat.

There’s another 20-litres of storage underneath the boot floor, above a space saver spare wheel.

Unlike some older Peugeots, there’s a great quality feel to the interior, and there’s nice little design details everywhere.

Value

We tested both the entry $21,990 Active and top-spec $31,990 Outdoor 2008s. Both the three-cylinder petrol Active and the turbodiesel tested here are five-speed manual only, with the also-available 1.6-litre petrol being the only engine available with an automatic transmission – albeit a four-speeder.

The Active comes with plenty of kit, for two-thirds the price of the Outdoor, but the Outdoor comes lavishly furnished for a European at this price level.

Outdoor features include partial leather trim, leather steering wheel, panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control, speed-limiting cruise control, auto headlights and wipers, a 7-inch touchscreen with satnav, Bluetooth phone and audio, reversing camera, and 17-inch alloys.

Our example also had the optional full leather trim, which also brings front seat heaters.

The Outdoor is also the only 2008 to come with the off-road Grip Control system, with the traction and stability control optimised for either Snow, Mud, or Sand modes despite being two-wheel drive only.

Engine/Transmission

The 60kW/118Nm 1.2-litre three cylinder is only available in the base Active grade, and the top Outdoor is your only way to combine a 2008 with the 68kW/230Nm 1.6-litre turbodiesel.

Both engines are only available with a five-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive.

Safety

All 2008 variants carry a full five-star ANCAP safety rating, with dual front, side and curtain airbags, along with ABS, EBD and stability control as standard.

Driving

The 1.6-litre turbodiesel has plenty of grunt for the little 2008, but it’s not quite as quick as the 1.6-litre petrol version.

The diesel also has a very impressive combined fuel figure of 4.0L/100km combined, which suggests a range of at least 1250km between fills and there’s a stop/start system to help save fuel around town.

At the other end of the scale, the Active does a mighty fine job for a three cylinder. It’s a smooth little unit for a triple and knocks back a combined 4.3L/100km.

One of the best Peugeots they’ve made in years

It’s more of an open road machine though, as the tall gearing makes first a little tall for quick getaways. The circa-1100kg kerb weight combined with the triple’s meagre outputs means that the gearbox does get a bit of a workout to maintain speed on hills.

The fact that both the three-cylinder and the diesel are limited to five-speed manuals is less of an issue than the fact that you can’t get either with an auto, which is exactly what Australians tend to prefer.

However if you do enjoy a manual, both the Active and Outdoor are a nice little things to drive, with great steering, and the narrow body makes it easy to jam into tight spaces. 

The extra suspension travel makes short work of bumps around town and on dirt roads, and there’s plenty of unpainted plastic around the body to help avoid damage.

Like the 208, the 2008 is one of the best Peugeots they’ve made in years. It’s not perfect, but it has a quality feel about it, and it’s a handy little tool both in and out of town.