What's all this about?
Since it went on sale in 2013, the Peugeot 2008 has been a top seller for the French firm. No surprises there, as it's a crossover and they fly out of showrooms the world over - which means Peugeot has shifted more than half a million 2008s in three years, with 40,000 units sold in the UK alone. So now it's time for a facelift to keep things fresh.
How has Peugeot changed the looks?
With a new vertical grille, revised light clusters all round - black and chrome at the front, 3D LED units with a 'three-claw' design at the rear - protective plastic cladding and wheel arch extensions, and some scuff plates. You can clothe the 2008's attractive body in one of nine colours, two of which are new. They're called Ultimate Red, a shade first seen on the 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport, and Emerald.
OK, what about the interior?
The brand's distinctive i-Cockpit makes an appearance, which means we've got a tiny steering wheel and the stepped dashboard design that is intended to draw a driver's eyes less distance away from the road when they're checking gauges and so on, while there's a seven-inch touchscreen in the centre console. It remains a practical car, though, with 24 litres of stowage in the cabin, 22 litres of storage in a boot lid compartment, and then the boot itself - which is 410 litres with the seats in place and 1,400 litres with them folded away.
Has Peugeot changed the engine line-up?
Yes, the excellent 1.2-litre PureTech three-cylinder turbocharged unit now represents the petrol range of 2008s. It comes in 82hp guise with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed electronically controlled transmission; as a 110hp unit with a choice of a five-speed manual or six-speed torque converter automatic (the EAT6); and a 130hp range-topper that is fitted with a six-speed manual only. Economy ranges from 57.6- to 60.1mpg, with CO2 emissions from 103- to 114g/km. On the diesel front, the 1.6-litre BlueHDi handles the duties. This comes in three power outputs as well, of 75-, 100- and 120hp. The first two of these have a five-speed manual gearbox, while the 120 gets a six-speed item with stop-start, but curiously the fuel economy Peugeot quotes for all three is identical: 76.3mpg. And the 120hp is the cleanest of the lot, at 96g/km CO2 emissions, although with the other two diesels emitting 97g/km, all three are free from road tax.
Is the 2008 now four-wheel drive?
No, but it can be had with Grip Control on all models with 100hp or more. This requires the fitment of 17-inch alloys shod in Goodyear Vector 4Season all-weather rubber and sees the steering wheel equipped with a thumb wheel controller. This allows the driver to cycle through five modes of traction control, with many designed to aid the car in low-grip conditions; these are Standard, Snow, Mud, Sand and ESP Off.
Any other items to round up with the facelifted 2008?
Yes, there's a GT Line trim introduced, which clothes a lot of exterior details on the car in gloss black instead of chrome, adds a set of 17-inch gloss black/anthracite alloys and some GT Line badges on the body, sees red stitching and highlights proliferate in the cabin and features Peugeot-logoed stainless steel sills and aluminium pedals.
Matt Robinson - 18 Feb 2016
