Peugeot 2008 vs Hyundai Inster

What's the difference?

The Peugeot 2008 is a handsome and accomplished little SUV that’s fun to drive and has a cabin that feels a little bit special.

In reality the 2008 is too expensive and isn’t as practical as most of the mainstream compact SUVs.

This is the car you buy with your heart, not with your head.

The target market for the Inster isn't huge, and Hyundai knows it won't be a runaway best-seller for the brand. But those in the market for a bite-sized EV will find the Inster feels bigger, and drives better, than they might expect.

The Peugeot 2008 is a smooth operator with head-turning French flair, but the devil is in the detail.

It’s not just the 2008’s well proportioned dimensions or the healthy dollop of exterior black highlights that catch your eye, but Peugeot has added a range of design cues to symbolise the Lion on its badge.

The tail-lights have a 3D effect that make them look like cat’s claws and the daytime running lights on the front resemble a scratch mark. These pair perfectly with the lion head crest on the grille.

Look deeper and you notice the attention to detail.

The 2008's redesigned front grille's slates are colour matched to the car's body colour.

Dual exhaust pipes are finished in chrome, giving the impression of performance even if the car doesn’t deliver on it.

The GT variant gets a two-tone paint job with a black roof contrasting with the body's colour.

Inside there are plenty of high quality finishes. The centre console is festooned in gloss black and there is a lovely carbon-effect textured insert on the dash and doors. 

Some hard plastics below eye-level and on touch points such as where your knee might rub are less impressive. The rear seat loses some of the lustre of the front pew with tough plastics covering the back of the front seats and most of the doors.

The words small but perfectly formed appear here, with Hyundai’s insistence on not having a traditional range-wide design identity allowing them the freedom to create something unique and pretty funky here — though I do see some shades of Suzuki Ignis in the side profile.

It does look fun though, right? With the selfie ring-light-style headlights, Tetris-style rear lights, those swollen guards and the funky alloys.

And you can dial up further with the Cross variant, which gets a tougher, more squared-off look front and back - even if you’re more chance of meeting a bunyip than an Inster on your favourite off-road track.

Inside, the cuteness continues, though some of the scratchy cabin materials definitely point to the entry-level nature of the Inster.

Still, the seat materials, both the cloth and the leather, are lovely and thoughtfully coloured, and the twin screen setup is nice, too. I love the inclusion of a host of physical buttons that control the climate, stereo and the nav.

Step inside and there is no hiding the 2008’s diminutive proportions.

It’s 4300mm long, 1815mm wide and 1550mm high, which puts it closer in size to the mini Mazda CX-3 than the larger CX-30 it is more aligned with price-wise.

This all adds up to a snug fit in whichever row you sit.

There are a couple of cupholders in the centre console - a smaller one for a standard takeaway coffee and a larger one for drink bottles.

Slight storage bins in the door can hold a regular drink bottle but there isn’t much room for much else.

The wireless device charger is hidden away behind a compartment below the central screen that opens with a push and there are two USB-C ports up front and the rear seats score a USB-C and A connection.

Rear seat passengers do without a dedicated aircon vent, unfortunately.

There is an issue with Peugeot’s i-Cockpit steering wheel and digital driver display, too.

If you like to sit low the chances are the steering wheel will cut off your view of the bottom part of the display. If you prefer to have the seat jacked up, you’ll have better vision of the readouts.

There are piano key-like physical controls for simple climate functions such as the de-mister and auto climate settings. More complex functions are done via the 10-inch central multimedia screen.

The boot is a decent size at 434L and can easily handle a weekly grocery shop or a few overnight bags.

There is only a space saver spare wheel, but this car is aimed at city driving where it is easier to source a replacement tyre.

The Inster stretches 3825mm long, 1610mm wide and 1575mm tall, but it rides on a 2580mm wheelbase – the later being bigger than the Hyundai Venue, and almost as big as the Kona.

It has allowed Hyundai to stretch the legroom options in the backseat, which actually gives you more space than the two bigger SUVs mentioned above, helped massively by the fact the Inster's rear pew is on rails, allowing you to slide it right back, and that it reclines a fair way, too.

I'm 175cm and I found I had more than enough leg and headroom, and with the backseat in full La-Z-Boy mode, I could sit back and relax, even on a longer journey.

It's a good thing it's four seats only, though. While the Inster feels longer than it is, it doesn't feel any wider, and even in the front seat you can feel like you're in economy class when you have a passenger on board, with both of you rubbing elbows on the central armrest.

Clever storage abounds though, with hidey-holes, handbag hooks and more dotted throughout the cabin. Opt for the roof box – and wear the efficiency penalty – and you can pop another 75kg worth of gear on the roof.

Also cool is the fact the backseats fold completely flat in the entry-level Inster, upping the storage possibilities. And in the top-spec Cross, the front seats fold down, too, allowing for fairly long items to be stowed. Though why you would need the driver's seat to fold flat is a bit of a mystery, unless you're looking to turn your Inster into an immovable storage container.

Apparently in Korea you can option a mattress that slides over all four seats, but I can't see that taking off here.

The official storage numbers are 280L and 1059L, and the small boot is helped along a little by underfloor storage where you can pop your charging stuff.

The Inster is available as an entry-level model, which comes as a Standard Range for $39,000 before on-road costs, or an Extended Range for $42,500. It then steps up to the Inster Cross, which is $45,000.

For perspective, the Geely EX5 is considerably bigger, and will travel further on a charge, for $40,990 before on-road costs. Then there's the Chery E5, which is now  $39,990 plus on-road costs.

Anyway, the Inster nabs 15-inch wheels, dual 10.25-inch screens (one for the multimedia, another for driving info), a six-speaker stereo, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloth seats, two V2L connectors, a wireless charging pad and rain-sensing wipers. The equipment list for the Extended Range is the same, but it rides on 17-inch alloys.

Stepping up to the Inster Cross scores you a unique and off-road-inspired look, but also leather trim inside, a unique design for its 17-inch alloys, heating and ventilation for the front seats and heating for the steering wheel, some extra safety kit and practicality perks, and the option of a sunroof or an exterior roof storage box, the latter of which seriously eats into the driving range.

Lurking beneath the bonnet is a little three-cylinder 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 96kW and 230Nm. That’s a decent amount of grunt from the little unit, but again you can get more oomph for less from mainstream rivals.

It is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

There is no hybrid help, either.

The Hyundai Inster Standard Range kicks off power proceedings, with a single front-mounted electric motor producing 71kW and 147Nm.

Next is the Extended Range, which shares its outputs with the Inster Cross. Here, the front-mounted motor’s outputs have been ticked up slightly, now producing 84kW and 147Nm.

Those aren’t big numbers, but then neither does either Inster feel particularly slow or underpowered. 

Stiff emissions regulations in Europe mean these little turbocharged petrol engines have a fair bit of self control on the drink.

Peugeot claims the 2008 uses 5.4L/100km on the combined cycle. We used slightly more than this but spent most of the time in the cut and thrust of city traffic where cars use more fuel.

You’ll need to budget for pricier premium unleaded petrol, too.

Standard Range cars get a 42kWh lithium-ion battery, producing a driving range of 327km. The Extended Range and the Cross get a bigger 49kWh battery, increasing the range to 360kms. Now, that roof box. It does look cool, but you’re going to really need to carry stuff to choose that option, given it increases energy consumption by 25 per cent, reducing the Cross’s range to just 293km.

When it comes to charging, the Inster is set up for 120kW DC fast charging, or 10.5kW AC charging - provided you have that much power available at home, as most wall boxes are more like 7.1kW.

On the road the 2008 is a bit temperamental.

Most European cars are fitted with stiffer suspension than the cosseting springs found in Japanese machines.

This means you’ll feel bumps and road imperfections through your seat more than other SUVs. It has particular problems ironing out consistent smaller bumps, which can unsettle it and lead the 2008 to skip across them.

The counterbalance to that is a more dynamic drive experience, with the 2008 exerting excellent body control through the bends as it is held in line by the stiffer set-up.

Pair this with sharp, direct and well-weighted steering and it's a fun little SUV to take on a twisting country back road.

Three cylinders might not sound like a lot, but in the real world this is all the 2008 needs.

Its 96kW and 230Nm won’t set the world on fire but the torque is accessed from just 1750rpm, which endows the 2008 with some punch off the mark and it feels zippy when navigating the daily commute.

Don’t confuse that for outright speed, though, the 2008 completes the benchmark 0-100km/h dash in 9.3 seconds.

The transmission is fine when you are accelerating or cruising at motorway speeds, where it uses its many ratios to keep the engine humming along in its sweet spot. There are paddle shifters if you want more control.

In stop-start traffic it isn’t as an accomplished performer. It can struggle to find the right ratio and this leads to a jerky movement reminiscent of dual-clutch autos.

The cabin is well insulated with the outside world kept mostly at bay, but you’ll hear the three cylinder’s charming little rumble when you put your foot down.

Parking is a cinch thanks to its petite proportions and the 2008 has no issues navigating tight city streets or underground car parks.

Honestly, the impact electrification has had on vehicles in this class is staggering.

It wasn't so long ago that these micro cars were fitted with underwhelming petrol engines, four- or five-speed gearboxes and all the noise-deadening technology of a tin of beans.

As a result, they were cute, but painful. It always felt like you had to wring their neck to get the most out of them, and when you did, they were loud, buzzy and annoying.

But the Inster is none of those things. While not ludicrously powerful, the electric propulsion offered, and the nature of the way it's produced, feels ample in the little Hyundai, with the acceleration smooth, silent and easy,

It's also just generally quiet. Hyundai says it has double-sealed the doors, used thicker glass and fitted full underbody coverings to reduce the NVH - or noise, vibration, harshness - levels, and all of that, combined with the peace and quiet of an electric motor, have created a mostly blissful cabin experience.

The ride and handling hasn't been through the full Hyundai Australia ride and handling calibration of old. Instead, it's undergone the brand's more modern approach, which is to take the best componentry from what's available overseas and then build the Aussie-spec cars from there.

Either way, it all works pretty well here. Only really big bumps clang into the cabin, with the Inster otherwise riding well over all of the road surfaces we encountered.

The point, I guess, is that it's a drive experience stuffed full of happy surprises. The ride, the acceleration and the refinement are all well up on what you might expect from a city car.

The Hyundai Inster is yet to be crash tested, but does arrive with a solid safety offering including seven airbags, as well as active equipment like a auto emergency braking (AEB), rear cross-traffic avoidance, lane keep assist, and active cruise control.

The Cross ups the equipment a little more, including a surround-view monitor, blind-spot monitoring and front parking sensors.

Peugeot covers the 2008 with a five year/unlimited km warranty, which is the standard coverage today.

The French brand offers a range of prepaid servicing packs that’ll save you a handy amount compared to pay-as-you-go maintenance.

A five-year plan is the best value, costing $1700 for five scheduled visits every 12 months or 15,000km. That’s $638 cheaper than the pay-as-you-go servicing.

The Inster delivers super long service intervals, requiring a trip to the service centre every two years or 30,000kms, but each service is priced at $655. A Toyota Yaris Cross, for perspective, will see you visit the service centre twice as often, but each visit will only cost you $255, or $510 every two years.

The Hyundai warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres, while the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years.