Within a 4.3m overall length the 2008’s 2605mm wheelbase would normally make for tight passenger space but Peugeot has managed to provide relatively decent head and legroom for back seaters. The dash, seats and doors are given a decorative styling treatment to increase visual interest.

All 2008s are powered by a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine sending drive to the front wheels via an eight-speed auto transmission. Pure combustion models produce 96kW/230Nm, while mild-hybrid versions add a 15.6kW/51Nm electric motor to the 100kW/230Nm engine.

Both 2008 grades (Allure & GT) boast a standard features list including a 10-inch digital dash display, a leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, keyless entry and start, climate control air, a 10-inch central media screen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, alloy wheels, auto LED headlights and auto rain-sensing wipers.

The Peugeot 2008 is a city-sized five-seat SUV with the rear seat split-folding 60/40 to increase boot volume and load flexibility. In the entry Allure grade, the front seats are ‘Comfort Profile’ with fabric and synthetic leather trim across both rows, switching to ‘Bolstered Profile’ in the top-spec GT with Alcantara and synthetic seat trim.

Turbo-petrol versions of the 2008 are claimed to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.3 seconds with a top speed of 199km/h. Mild-hybrid variants lower the 100km/h time to 8.3 seconds and raise maximum velocity to 206km/h.

The pure-combustion 2008 has an official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) figure of 5.4L/100km, which with a 44-litre fuel tank translates to a theoretical range of around 800km. The mild-hybrid combined cycle claim is 4.4L/100km for a potential range of 1000km. Real-world testing of the GT Hybrid returned an average of 6.6L/100km for a range of approximately 665km.