Peugeot 2008 2026 review: GT Hybrid

Let’s get the financial elephant in the room out of the way early. The Peugeot 2008 GT Hybrid is a small, five-seat SUV powered by a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo engine supported by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. And it costs $49,490, before on-road costs ($54,240 drive-away).

Bear in mind you can have premium options like an Audi Q2 35TFSI S line for $50,900, BOC. Whereas, I’d argue in terms of performance and equipment this compact Peugeot lines up more sensibly with accomplished mainstream segment competitors like the Honda HR-V e:HEV L ($42,900 drive-away) or Hyundai Kona Premium Hybrid ($45,700 BOC).

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So, this small hatch comes with a premium. But is it justified? We spent a week with it to try and find out.

First of all, the 2008 looks distinctive, standing apart from the amorphous slew of soft-form new arrivals recently presented by emerging challenger brands, thanks mainly to a mesmerising cascade-style grille and ‘Claw Effect’ front DRL and tail-light-treatment (the latter reflecting Peugeot’s lion brand heritage).

The interior is closer to conventional with one significant exception - the ‘i-Cockpit’, based on the idea that reducing the size of the steering wheel, lowering it, while flattening its top and raising the location of the instrument binnacle is the path to ergonomic nirvana. And, how to put this delicately? I don’t like it.

Problem is, it doesn’t work for everyone. After more than a decade in existence various members of the CarsGuide editorial staff continue to struggle with the arrangement. And I still couldn’t align the driving position stars this time around.

The wheel feels too low, to the point where my hands turning it start to bump into my knees, which are sitting too high because the wheel doesn’t extend far enough out. And to top it all, the lower part of the instrument panel is still obscured.

You may be longer in the trunk than the legs and the i-Cockpit works perfectly for you, which is great. Yep, some love it. Just sayin’, I’m not onboard.

In terms of the driving, a small capacity (1.2-litre) turbo triple, even with mild-hybrid support and producing 100kW/230Nm, is always going to be tightly wound up in propelling a close to 1.3-tonne SUV.

Straight line performance is fine, especially in ‘Sport’ mode; Peugeot claims the car will go from rest to 100km/h in a pretty rapid 8.3 seconds. And once you’re up and cruising, progress is smooth with maximum torque arriving at a turbo typical 1750rpm.

It’s more the underlying jitters at slow speeds. A lack of refinement in the drivetrain often generates a hesitation or two when you apply or come off the throttle. The brakes are similar, with small jerks when pressing or releasing the pedal in stop-start traffic.

The six-speed dual-clutch auto isn’t the high-point of transmission refinement, either. Beyond two-thirds throttle, no problem. But at anything less than that at slower speeds it can be clunky. Manual shift paddles on the steering wheel allow greater engagement.

This may sound like splitting hairs, but remember, we’re talking about a $50K car here.

Surely the payoff for the small capacity engine is miserly fuel consumption. Well, on the evidence of our week’s worth of city, suburban and freeway running, maybe not.

Peugeot’s official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) figure for the 2008 GT Hybrid is 4.4L/100, while we recorded an average of 6.6L/100km. Acceptable rather than exceptional.

Based on the 44-litre fuel tank capacity that claimed figure translates to a range of 1000km between fills, which drops to around 670km using our on-test number.

On the plus side, the 2008 steers beautifully with a strong connection between the front tyres and your hands on the wheel. The car is quiet, ride comfort is excellent and the front sports seats are superb, the two latter attributes being traditional Peugeot fortes.

Other general observations include the liberal use of ‘piano black’ surfaces across the dash and front centre console being a recipe for fingerprint unpleasantness and the faux carbon trim elements that accompany it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Rear seat space is decent, with ample headroom and adequate legroom for me (183cm) sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my position, which is an achievement in a car measuring just 4.3m long with a 2605mm wheelbase. Shoulder room for three full-size adults would be ‘cozy’, however.

Boot volume of 434 litres is handy for a car of this size (1467L with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat lowered), active and passive safety is solid and the standard of fit and finish is good.

Standard equipment highlights include adaptive cruise control, (single-zone) climate control, a 10-inch multimedia screen, a configurable digital instrument display, six-speaker audio (with digital radio), internet connected navigation, ambient lighting, 18-inch alloy rims, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a full-grain leather-trimmed steering wheel, alloy pedal covers, full LED exterior lighting, Alcantara and synthetic leather trim and heated front seats (with power adjustment and a massage function of the driver).

That’s all nice, and of course there’s more if you get into the details. But those headline items are cost-of-entry at this price point and lower-priced competitors can match or better that list.