Peugeot 2008 vs Jaguar F-Pace

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 F-Pace has been gifted new styling, new engines and more practicality making it an even better SUV than it already was. You could seriously pick any of the grades and be happy with your purchase. Then there’s the question of the engine…

Jaguar says there’s a few more years left in the combustion engine yet, but we know exactly how many years – four, because the company has gone on the record announcing it will go fully electric by 2025. The question for you is – how will you ring out the end of an era – with a four-cylinder petrol, a six-cylinder turbo diesel, an inline turbo six petrol or a cracking V8? 

The sweetspot in the range is the R-Dynamic SE 400, with just enough luxury and more than enough grunt.

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 very first F-Pace arrived in Australia in 2016 and even after all these years and the arrival of more rivals I still think it’s the most beautiful SUV in its class. The new one seems to look a lot like the old one, but the styling updates have kept it cool.

If you want to see instantly how the design of the F-Pace has evolved from the original to the new one, be sure to watch my video above.

Short story is, this new F-Pace has been given a pretty major styling overhaul inside and out.

Gone is the old F-Pace’s plastic beak. That sounds weird but the previous F-Pace’s bonnet stopped short of the grille and a nose cone had been fitted to cover the rest of the distance. Now the new bonnet meets a larger, wider grille and its flow from the windscreen down isn’t disturbed by a large join line.

Also more pleasing to the eyes is the badge on the grille. The snarling jaguar head is now larger and no longer mounted on a terrible looking large plastic plate. The plate was for the adaptive cruise control radar sensor, but by making the Jaguar badge bigger, the plate was able to be house in the badge itself.

The headlights are slimmer, and the tail-lights have a new design which looks futuristic, but I miss the styling of the previous ones and the way they dipped into the tailgate.

Inside, the cabin has been made over with a giant landscape screen, new chunky climate control dials, a new steering wheel and the rotary shifter has been replaced by a regular upright one which is still small and compact, with cricket ball stitching. Again, take a look at the video I’ve made to see the transformation for yourself.

While all F-Paces have a similar look, the SVR is the high-performance member of the family and stands out with its giant 22-inch wheels, a tough body kit, quad tailpipes, a fixed SVR rear wing, and bonnet and fender vents.

For this update the SVR has been given a new front bumper and larger cooling vents flanking the grille. But it’s more than just tough looks, the aerodynamics have been revised to decrease lift by 35 per cent, too.

What hasn’t changed are the dimensions. The F-Pace is a mid-sized SUV measuring 4747mm end to end, standing 1664mm tall and with the mirrors out is 2175mm wide. That’s not huge, but make sure it’ll fit in your garage.

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 F-Pace was always practical with a big 509-litre boot and great rear leg and head room for even me at 191cm tall, but the cabin re-design has added better storage and usability.

The door pockets are larger, there’s a covered area under the floating centre console and in a victory for common sense and practicality the window switches have been relocated from the window sills to the armrests.

This is along with a deep centre console storage area, and two cupholders in the front and another two in the rear fold-down armrest.

Parents will be happy to know that all F-Paces come with directional air vents in the second row as well. And there are ISOFIX outboard child-seat anchors and three top-tether restraints, too.

There’s a Jaguar F-Pace for every budget as long as your budget is somewhere in between $80K and $150K. That’s quite a large range in price.

Now, I’m about to take you through the grade names and I need to warn you that it’s going to be messy and confusing a little bit like white water rafting, but not as wet. Life jacket on?

There are four grades: the S, SE, HSE and top-of-the-range SVR.

They all come standard with the R-Dynamic pack.

There are four engines: the P250, D300, P400 and P550. I’ll explain what this means in the engine section down below, but all you need to know is 'D' stands for diesel and 'P' for petrol and the higher the number the more grunt it has.

The S grade only comes with the P250. The SE comes with a choice of P250, D300 or P400. The HSE only comes with the P400 and the SVR has exclusive rights to the P550.

Following all this? Great.

So, the entry grade is officially called the R-Dynamic S P250 and it lists for $76,244 (all prices listed are MSRP - before on-road costs). Above this is the R-Dynamic SE P250 and it lists for $80,854, then there’s the R-Dynamic SE D300 for $96,194 and the R-Dynamic SE P400 for $98,654.

Almost there, you’re doing super.

The R-Dynamic HSE P400 lists for $110,404 and at the top is King F-Pace – the SVR with the P550 listing for $142,294.

There you are, wasn’t so bad was it?

Coming standard from the base grade up is the new 11.4-inch touchscreen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate, power adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, LED headlights and tail-lights, and an auto tailgate.

The entry-level S and the SE above it come with a six-speaker stereo, but as you step into the HSE and SVR more standard features appear such as a 13-speaker Meridian sound system, plus heated and ventilated front seats. A fully digital instrument cluster is standard on all grades apart from the entry S.

The options list is extensive and includes a head-up display ($1960), wireless charging ($455), and an Activity Key ($403) which looks like an iWatch that locks and unlocks the F-Pace.  

Paint prices? Narvik Black and Fuji White are standard at no extra cost for the S, SE and HSE. The SVR has its own standard palette and includes Santorini Black, Yulonhg White, Firenze Red, Bluefire Blue and Hakuba Silver. If you don’t have the SVR but want these colours it’ll be $1890, thank you.

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.

Jaguar’s engine names sound like forms you have to fill in when you apply for a home loan.

The P250 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine making 184kW and 365Nm; the D300 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel producing 221kW and 650Nm; while the P400 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol with outputs of 294kW and 550Nm.

The P550 is a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 producing a colossal 405kW and 700Nm.

The SE grade gives you the choice of the P250, D300 and P400, while the S only comes with the P250 and the SVR of course is powered only by the P550.

The D300 and D400 are new engines, both are straight sixes and replace the V6 engines in the old F-Pace. Superb engines, they are also found in the Defender and Range Rover.

Jaguar calls the D300 and P400 mild hybrids, but don’t be misled by the terminology. These engines are not hybrids in the sense that an electric motor is working to drive the wheels along with a combustion engine. Instead, a mild hybrid uses a 48-volt electrical system to help take the load off the engine by helping it start and running the electronics such as climate control. And yes, it does help save fuel, but not stacks.

There’s plenty of grunt from all these engines no matter which you choose, they all have eight-speed automatics and all-wheel drive.

You are also very likely looking at the last combustion engines to go into an F-Pace. See Jaguar has announced that it will only sell electric vehicles beyond 2025.

Four years and that’s it. Choose wisely.

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.

It doesn’t make sense that Jaguar has announced that it will be going all electric by 2025 yet doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid in its Australian line-up, especially when there is one available overseas.

Jaguar says it doesn’t make sense either, but by that they mean business sense, in bringing one to Australia.  

So, for fuel economy I’m marking the F-Pace down. Yes, the D300 and P400 use clever mild-hybrid tech, but it doesn’t go far enough to reducing fuel use.

So the fuel consumptions, then. The official fuel consumption for the petrol P250 is 7.8L/100km, the diesel D300 will use 7.0L/100km, the P400 is stated to sip 8.7L/100km and the P550 V8 petrol will drink 11.7L/100km. Those figures are "combined cycle" numbers, after a combination of open and urban driving.

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.

My two test cars at the Australian launch of the new F-Pace were the R-Dynamic SE P400 and the R-Dynamic S P250. Both were fitted with the road noise cancellation system which comes with the optional $1560 Meridian stereo and reduces the level of road noise coming into the cabin.

Which would I rather? Look, I’d be fibbing if I didn’t say the SE P400 with its smooth inline six that has seemingly endless shove, but it’s $20K more than the S P250 and neither engine is low on grunt and both handle and ride almost identically.

That ride has been improved in this new F-Pace with the rear suspension being retuned so that it’s not so firm.

Steering is still on the sharp side, but body control feels better and more composed in this updated F-Pace.

On the twisty and quick country roads I tested the S P250 and SE 400, both performed superbly, with responsive engines, great handling, and serene cabins (thanks to the help of the noise cancelling tech).

The second part of the test was driving both in city traffic for the best part of an hour each which isn’t pleasant in any car. The now wider F-Pace seats were comfortable and supportive, however, the transmission seamlessly swapped gears and even rolling on 22-inch wheels in the SE and 20-inch alloys in the S the ride was excellent.  

The F-Pace scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017. Coming standard is advanced safety tech such as forward auto emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot assist, lane keeping assistance and rear cross-traffic alert.

This tech is great, but in the five years since the F-Pace first arrived safety equipment has moved on even further. So, while the AEB can detect pedestrians, it’s not designed to work for cyclists, there’s no reverse AEB, nor evasive manoeuvre systems, nor a centre airbag. All are items which weren’t common in 2017 but are now on most 2021 five-star rated cars.

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.

At the launch of the new F-Pace Jaguar announced that all of its vehicles would be covered by a five-year unlimited/kilometre warranty, a step up from the three-year coverage it used to offer.  

Service intervals? What are they? The F-Pace will tell you when it needs maintenance. But you should sign up for a five-year service plan which costs $1950 for the P250 engine, $2650 for the D300, $2250 for the P400 and $3750 for the P550.