Peugeot e-2008 Facelift review – ArenaEV

The Peugeot 2008 debuted more than a decade ago and became an instant hit in the sub-compact SUV segment. The slightly lifted version of the ultra-popular 208 hatchback retains its small size and front wheel drive and its second generation gained a fully electric version. That one goes by as e-2008 and just got a faceliftm so we figured we’d see how it does and how it stacks up to its competitors.

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The Peugeot e-2008 offers no choice when it comes to powertrain – a 54 kWh battery pack feeds a single 115 kW (156 hp) front-mounted motor. We drove the GT-line trim, which comes with all options available, so we got to test the whole lot of them.

The little Frenchman is becoming increasingly popular among city dwellers, who only occasionally do longer trips and the electric version is arguably even more suited to that usage pattern.

The Peugeot offers flamboyant styling and simple usability solutions – a formula that has served the 2008 lineup perfectly since its inception. But is the electric 2008 better than its rivals? Let’s put it through its paces and find out!

Peugeot e-2008 SUV 2023 –

• Dimensions: 4,300 mm x 1,770 mm x 1,550 mm, 2,605 mm wheelbase.
• Drivetrain tested: 54 kWh – FWD 115 kW (156 hp), 270 Nm, 54 kWh total battery capacity, 50.8 kWh usable battery capacity
• Charging: 100 kW CCS; 10-80% in 25 min.
• Range: 402 km WLTP
• Weight: 1,648 kg unladen, 2,030 kg gross
• Other features: 3D gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, OTA updates.

Exterior

Looks are a major selling point of the Peugeot e-2008. It is aggressive and modern, perhaps a tad overstyled, but that has been the theme for Peugeot models for a while now. Peugeot’s latest design language uses a lot of Predator-reminiscent elements, tying in nicely with the lion’s head badge.

The front looks busy at first, but once you get past that and look at the big picture it ties down smoothly for a cat-like face. Especially intriguing are the running lights, which are on either end of the lower bumper and look like tiger teeth or a claw scratch.

From the side the e-2008 looks more like its compact SUV siblings with black plastic bumpers lining up the lower part. It has a raised roof line for more headroom inside and some angular accents on each panel to try and set itself apart. One less than ideal part is the sharp angle of the outer rim of the rear doors, which tends to stab your while entering the rear seats if you…