Peugeot e-2008 Review 2024

The Peugeot e-2008 is a real head-turner that blends style with SUV practicality, plus zero-emissions electric motoring. It doesn’t have the best driving range in its class or the lowest prices, but as an all-round package it has loads of appeal.

You’ll be hard-pressed to differentiate the electric Peugeot e-2008 from its Peugeot 2008 petrol sibling. They look almost identical, with the former’s lack of exhaust pipe one of the few exterior giveaways.

That could well be part of its appeal for buyers who aren’t keen to advertise that they have embraced EV tech, something that’s getting increasingly difficult due to the growing number of small electric cars, including a fair few from the Stellantis Group, of which Peugeot is a part.

Under the skin, the e-2008 has much in common with the Citroen e-C4, the more upmarket DS 3 E-Tense, the 2023 European Car of the Year the Jeep Avenger and the big-selling Vauxhall Mokka-e.

And there are rivals from other companies, too, such as the Renault Megane E-Tech, the much hyped Volkswagen ID.4 and the Volvo XC40 Recharge.

As our Peugeot e-2008 review will show, the model is now more appealing than ever thanks to a major update that has delivered a bigger battery and a 15% increase in power from the electric motor.

There are some interesting styling changes as well, including the use of Peugeot’s signature ‘three-claw’ daytime running lights on some versions. The infotainment screens are bigger and have more features, too.

The Peugeot e-2008 continues to offer style without compromising on practicality, and while there are competitors that offer a superior driving range or better value for money, it continues to be a great choice.

Getting in and out of the e-2008 is easy and there’s a good amount of space for a small SUV. Even taller adults should feel comfortable in the back seats, although we wouldn’t recommend trying to squeeze three abreast for any length of time.

Isofix anchor points make it easy to install child seats, while the back doors open wide enough to ensure it’s simple to lift a seat in or take it out.

There are plenty of storage areas dotted around, including cup-holders, well-sized door pockets, the glovebox, a handy covered space in the centre console and room under the central armrest.

It’s got plenty going for it in the practicality department, including 434 litres of boot space beneath the luggage cover. That expands to 1,467 litres if you fold the back seats down.

If you’ve not been inside a Peugeot lately, you are in for a big surprise. In short, quality feels on par with much more expensive premium German brands.

There’s a solid feel to everything you touch, some of the buttons look like they're from a Lamborghini – yes, really – and it's all extremely well put together, with barely a rattle or a squeak to be heard.

There are some hard plastics here and there, but the designers have done a remarkable job of disguising them – and if you don’t prod them you’d never even know.

An update for 2023 saw Peugeot improve the infotainment system, and all models now get a new 10-inch touchscreen.

This comes in standard definition on the entry-level Active model or in high-definition on all the others. The Active also has traditional instruments, but in all other e-2008s the infotainment system is integrated into Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout.

This includes a digital instrument cluster with multiple themes and personalisation options. GT and First Edition versions get 3D dials with layers that can be customised to suit your preferences.

It can take a while to get used to all the menus and submenus in the main touchscreen. Once you have mastered things, however, selecting your favourite radio station, making a phone call or finding a navigation destination are all fairly easy.

It can take a couple of presses on an icon or attempts to move a slider to get it to respond sometimes, and there isn’t much space to rest your hand while you do so, which makes selection tricky on the move.

Thankfully, there are some useful shortcut toggle switches and sliders beneath the air vents for the climate control, home screen and vehicle settings.

Aside from the occasional irritation of hitting the wrong function, the system is quite intuitive, with large icons for key features and a logical layout for the menus.

There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone connectivity to provide you with easy access to all your favourite apps on your smartphone.

The Peugeot e-2008 can be connected to the My Peugeot app, which allows you to preset the climate control, check on the car’s charging status and monitor your driving style.

The Peugeot e-2008 is priced competitively against many of its rivals. It’s slightly more expensive than the Hyundai Kona Electric, but usefully less than the Vauxhall Mokka-e, which is essentially the same car underneath.

At the time of writing, the range starts with the Active model at £36,350. If you are lured by the higher-spec Allure, that starts at £38,350. The sporty GT is priced from £40,500, which puts it into the luxury car tax bracket, where it is joined by the First Edition, priced from £41,600.

Running costs will vary depending on whether you can charge at home or are reliant on public charge points.

Install a wallbox at your home and you’re looking at a few pounds to charge it to full, one of the biggest benefits of an EV. If you have to use public chargers, it pays to download one of the many apps available to find the cheapest and fastest one to suit your budget and the car.

As a zero-emissions electric vehicle, there’s no vehicle excise duty (VED, or road tax) to be paid, although this will only be the case until 2025.

Peugeot offers a number of servicing contracts for up to 60 months from £9.67 per month or a one-off fee. They don’t include a number of wear-and-tear items such as tyres, windscreen wipers or brake pads, though.

The Peugeot e-2008 uses its extra suspension travel to serve up a decent ride quality, even on stylish 18-inch alloys. The extra weight of the batteries also helps smooth out the ride.

It does mean the e-2008 doesn’t feel quite as nimble as you might hope through bends, although it’s still stable and reassuring – once you get used to the response from the ultra-small steering wheel, that is.

The updated Peugeot e-2008’s additional power can be put to good use in corners. It is now more responsive, with greater depths of performance.

Switching the Peugeot e-2008 into Sport mode increases the amount of power, and leads to an even sharper, punchier feel. The accelerator pedal is also more sensitive.

Peugeot also offers a ‘B’ setting, for regenerative braking. This increases the amount of energy recuperation when you lift off the accelerator.

The Peugeot e-2008 uses a 54kWh battery with a 47.7kWh usable capacity, paired with a 156PS electric motor that sends 260Nm of torque to the front wheels.

Maximum speed is 93mph in Sport mode, and it will dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 9.1 seconds.

The official WLTP driving range is 250 miles, but on motorway journeys and in colder weather you could see that drop below 200 miles. It’s not the best range in its class, although it will suit most daily needs.

Topping up to 80% using a 7.4kW wallbox takes around eight hours, but the e-2008 will charge at up to 100kW on a fast charger, so has the potential to go from 10-80% in around 30 minutes.

There are three driving modes: Normal, Eco (to maximise range) and Sport (to give you a bit more torque, and also sharpen up the steering and accelerator response for the best performance, albeit at the expense of driving range).

There are also two regenerative braking modes: Moderate applies the sort of engine braking you would get in a petrol car, while Increased slows the car more forcibly as you lift off the accelerator.

The Peugeot e-2008 comes with loads of safety equipment and systems.

In addition to regular items such as adaptive airbags, Isofix child seat anchor points and ABS brakes, there is an electronic stability programme (ESP), speed limit recognition, tyre pressure indication, driver attention alert and autonomous emergency braking.

There is also an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, which basically means it makes a sound at low speeds so people can hear it coming.

Options include adaptive cruise control with the ability to start and stop in a traffic jam, lane-keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring.

The Peugeot e-2008 is not rated for towing, so if that is important in your buying decision, you’ll have to look at a petrol 2008 or a different electric car. You also can’t fit a tow bar for a bicycle rack, but you can fit a rack on the roof.

All Peugeot e-2008 models have an extensive standard specification, including the Peugeot i-Cockpit with its 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 3.5-inch instrument display and sporty steering wheel.

There’s Bluetooth phone connectivity, DAB radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a USB-C port, keyless entry and start, a body-coloured rear spoiler and a split-folding rear seat.

LED headlights are standard across the range, as are LED daytime running lights with the cool three-claw signature design.

The entry-level model is the Peugeot e-2008 Active, which has 16-inch wheels with plastic trims, black wing mirror housings, rear parking sensors, fabric seats and automatic air-conditioning with pollen and carbon-activated filters.

Next up is the Peugeot e-2008 Allure with 17-inch alloy wheels, seats upholstered in a combination of leather-effect trim and cloth, parking sensors front and rear, a split-level boot floor and a head-up display.

Peugeot e-2008 GT models add a black roof, wireless smartphone charging, a 180-degree reversing camera, sports seats, eight-colour ambient lighting and full LED headlights with Smartbeam Assist, which monitors conditions and decides when to apply full beam.

Topping the range is the Peugeot e-2008 First Edition, which has the full GT spec plus Alcantara heated and electrically adjustable front seats, Peugeot i-Connect Advanced Connected Navigation and a larger 11kW on-board charger.