I’ve not done a lot of research (none actually) about this, but I reckon that animals are probably the most popular logo for car manufacturers.

Purely from the top of my head, Jaguar has (obviously) a leaping jaguar, Ferrari, Porsche and the Ford Mustang all have a black horse. Then Abarth use a ferocious-looking scorpion, Alfa Romeo’s emblem includes a snake…and, if you look closely at the photos of the car featured here, you’ll see the emblem is the head of a rather angry lion.

It hasn’t always been like that though. Peugeot originally started life in the 1800s operating steel mills, and some of their leading products were saws. Emile Peugeot wanted a logo, so he employed a designer who studied the company’s history, discovered that they made saws which were sharp with teeth, and came up with the idea of a lion. And, to show that their mechanical saws were fast, he plonked it on top of an arrow.

Over the following decades, the style of the lion emblem changed and sometimes it was only the head. Finally, we arrive at the logo you see nowadays. The whole story of the history of the company was a very long-winded way to say that we’re looking at a Peugeot, and more precisely, the Peugeot 2008.

Exterior Style

Appropriately, the lights you can see on either side of the front bumper are referred to by Peugeot as depicting claws. It’s become a bit of a signature styling cue for the firm. The lights are part of a design refresh which the car has recently undergone, which includes a wider front grille and new rear lights. There are also some natty new alloy wheel designs. The exterior has always looked smart, so Peugeot didn’t need to seriously change anything. To be fair, most new Peugeots look good.

Powertrain Options & Performance Figures

The powertrain line-up has changed. Diesels are no longer available. If you want to go fully electric, there’s an E-2008, while if you prefer petrol, you can have a 3-cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine which develops 99bhp and uses a 6-speed manual ‘box, or you can have a more powerful unit which develops 129bhp and offers both manual or automatic shifters. There’s also a 1.2-litre 143bhp hybrid model which uses a 6-speed dual-clutch system gearbox.

I had the latter power option. It gives the 2008 decent performance, with a 0-60 mph sprint taking 8.3 seconds on the way to a top speed of 128 mph. The engine is a willing performer, which gives smooth delivery and sounds good too.

The DSC gearbox suffers from the familiar hesitancy which these shifters often have, so you need to anticipate before making a manoeuvre or exiting a junction. It’s something you get used to, but it’s better than in a lot of other cars probably because the hybrid’s instant battery power reduces any lag.

Price

In terms of price, the entry-level manual-only Peugeot 2008 comes in at £24,195 (August ’26) while our hybrid model is £27,245. The all-electric E-2008 is a further £750. You need to do your calculations. Before considering trim, it’s worth mentioning that the slower entry-level 1.2-litre model can manage up to an estimated 49 mpg; the more powerful model drops that figure slightly to 46 mpg while the hybrid version manages 57mpg. In contrast, the electric E-2008 has a predicted range of 247 miles.

If you want to stick with conventional power, I’d recommend that you stretch your finances and go for the hybrid model. You get superior mpg and, even though the 0-60 mph times are much the same as the more powerful 1.2-litre model, it seems to have more in-gear urgency. It’s a more relaxing drive and suits the car’s character.

Driving Experience

Don’t be fooled by the hybrid car having a battery. It’s there to give the engine a helping hand at stop-start town speeds, improve overall economy and move you away silently and quickly from traffic lights. You can only travel tiny distances before the engine fires up. But the system works really well.

Out on the road, the ride is just erring onto the firm side, but the benefit of this is that the little Pug is really good fun to drive. It’s a nimble performer…sporty even. Quiet too at motorway speeds. The driving position is set quite high, so you get a really good view of the road, pretty handy in town traffic. The seats are comfy and supportive and even adults will have plenty of room in the back. The 434-litre boot is about average for this type of car.

Interior & Trim Levels

On the inside, you have one of the smartest, upmarket cars around. It looks good and works well. Even if you are faced with one of the smallest steering wheels of any standard car for sale in the UK. Think of a dinner plate…you look over it to see the digital dials rather than through it. It divides opinions, but I like it.

Three trims are available: Allure, GT and GT Premium.

Allure trim gives you the essentials, but I like the look of GT trim because you get front and rear parking sensors, air con, LED headlights, reversing camera, roof bars, DAB radio and smart interior ambient lighting.

If you wanted kit like powered and heated front seats, sat nav, and 18-inch alloys, you’ll need to go to GT Premium, but with the hybrid powertrain you’ve now edged into £30k territory, which makes a fully loaded Peugeot 2008 look expensive. The driver’s 10-inch digital display is excellent, crisp and clear. It even looks good.

The same applies to the central touchscreen, which has smartphone mirroring. There are plenty of shortcut tabs and it’s good to see that there’s a row of physical buttons below it to help with the basic climate stuff.

Should you buy one?

The Peugeot 2008 is one of the smartest small-ish SUVs around. Don’t go daft with the trim and any extras, and you’ll have a well-priced car that’s good to drive, great for family motoring, and equally happy around town or on the motorway.

Cracking all-rounder. It’s no pussy cat.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Peugeot

Peugeot 2008 Review - This Cat is Making Big Leaps