2021 Peugeot 2008 vs Renault Captur

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.

Renault, like its French rival Peugeot, didn't quite nail the first attempt at a compact SUV. The first Captur was a Clio with some ride height and a new body and didn't quite make the cut for Australian buyers. Partly because the original engine was borderline anaemic but secondly, it was really small. 

When you're French, you have more work to do in the Australian market. I don't make the rules, which is a shame for a number of reasons but my colleagues seem to think it's better this way.

Anyway, I didn't mind the old Captur but was well aware of its shortcomings. This new one - on paper at least - looks far more promising. 

More market-appropriate pricing, more space, a better interior and lots more tech, the second-generation Captur even rolls on a whole new platform, promising more space and better dynamics.