Peugeot e-2008 review

Introduction

The Peugeot e-2008 is what you might call a "stealth electric SUV". Not because its battery and motor mean it's quiet on the move, but because you'd be hard-pressed to tell it apart at a glance from its petrol-powered twin, the 2008.

In other words, the e-2008 doesn't have the outlandish styling some of the electric car models you'll see have adopted. Whether you like that or not is up to you – we're here to tell you whether or not it's worth buying.

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54kWh GT Premium SUV 5dr Electric Auto (7kW Charger) (156 ps)

Expected annual mileage	5000
Term months	60
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Monthly payment	£388.34
Initial payment	£4,660.08

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Peugeot e-2008 video review

First you need to know what the e-2008 competes against in the increasingly competitive electric SUV class. Well, the main rivals include the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 and Smart #1.

Read on to find out how we rate the Peugeot e-2008 for performance, driving range, practicality, comfort, value and more. Or to read about the petrol version see our Peugeot 2008 review.

What’s new?
August 2022: e-2008 range updated with raft of changes including enhanced equipment levels and tweaked styling
December 2021: revised e-2008 on sale, complete with range extended to 214 miles and trim upgrades including new seat fabrics and full smartphone connectivity
December 2019: order books open for new Peugeot e-2008, which offers three driving modes, called Sport, Normal and Eco, plus two regenerative braking modes to make the most of the battery range

Overview

The Peugeot e-2008 has a classy and comfortable interior with a decent level of practicality but it doesn't stand out in enough areas to be a strong competitor. It’s also predicted to be expensive to run for private buyers due to depreciation. Top-spec versions look expensive, so we reckon entry-level Allure is the best trim choice.

Our pick

54kWh Allure SUV 5dr Electric Auto (7kW Charger) (156 ps) review

RRP £29,495

Pros

• Smart, solid-feeling interior
• Impressively quiet and comfortable
• Strong efficiency makes the most of smaller battery capacity

Cons

• Fast depreciation
• Driving position won’t suit everyone
• Limited rear seat space

Our pick

54kWh Allure SUV 5dr Electric Auto (7kW Charger) (156 ps) review

RRP £29,495

Trims available

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GT

This mid-spec trim level is the pick of the line-up. It gets 17in alloys, a more advanced AEB system and higher-definition graphics for its infotainment system on top of everything else the entry-level car gets.

Allure

This range-topping trim is too pricey to recommend but comes with full LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, and a reversing camera as well as keyless entry and go.

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

The Peugeot e-2008 gets a 154bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels, and unless you count the petrol Peugeot 2008 there are no other power options. And that’s just fine: a family SUV hardly needs to offer gratuitous levels of performance.

Even so, it does have a decent mid-speed turn of pace. It picks up well for a faster motorway merge or a cheeky junction exit, and feels more than powerful enough to give you confidence in any kind of everyday driving.

We managed a 0-60mph time of 8.5 seconds in our tests, which is nothing special, but the smooth ebb and flow of the acceleration is good. If you want a bit more pace, consider the Hyundai Kona Electric and Smart #1.

The brakes are effective when bringing the e-2008 to a stop (requiring less distance than the Kona Electric and #1 in our tests) but the inconsistent response from the pedal itself makes it tricky to stop smoothly.

The regenerative braking system is quite mild and doesn’t really feel any different to the way a normal petrol or diesel car slows down if you let it coast.

Hitting the "B" button on the gear selector brings heavier regen, but it’s not as strong as the one-pedal driving you can get in a Kia EV3 or Smart #1. It’s also not adaptive, like the system in the Renault Megane.

The low-speed ride is comfortable, even on the bigger 18in alloy wheels available. It soaks up bumps and scruffy surfaces easily, with a less choppy ride than in a #1. It's fair to say that it's not as comfortable at higher speeds but it’s still comfy enough.

The e-2008 keeps body lean to a respectable level when cornering, despite the soft suspension. Grip levels could be higher though, and while the steering is well-weighted for everyday driving, the quick response can make the car feel a touch nervous when you’re pressing on. The EV3 and #1 are more fun to drive.

Other than a bit of wind noise at motorway speeds, the e-2008 is one of the quietest electric SUVs to travel in. There’s barely any whine from the electric motor, and road noise is really well suppressed.

Every e-2008 has a 47.7kWh (usable capacity) battery, which is smaller than a lot of rivals, including the EV3 and #1. Even so, with an official range of 271 miles, it’s predicted to travel slightly further than the entry-level EV3 (270 miles) and much further than the entry-level #1 (193 miles).

It’s worth noting that you can also have the EV3 with a 78kWh (usable capacity) battery and an official range of 375 miles for around the same price as the most basic e-2008.

"I’m impressed that the e-2008 is efficient enough to go further than its bigger battery rivals and that you can have it with a heat pump to help in colder weather." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

The interior of the Peugeot e-2008 is smart with a striking, modern-looking dashboard and a tactile blend of gloss plastics and dense-feeling textiles.

It’s comfortable too, with plenty of side support and adjustment to the seats, although the seat is a bit narrow and lumbar adjustment is only available on top-spec GT Premium models.

You don’t sit that high up though – only a touch higher than in a hatchback electric car such as the Volkswagen ID 3 and lower than you do in some rival electric SUVs, including the Hyundai Kona Electric, MG S5 EV and Smart #1.

Despite sitting lower than in those rivals, forward visibility is still good, thanks to slim windscreen pillars that don’t get in the way at junctions. Things aren’t quite as good when it comes to rear visibility, with small windows meaning the view over your shoulder and out of the back isn’t as clear as in most rivals.

Luckily, front and rear parking sensors come as standard with every e-2008, helping to make parking easier. A rear-view camera is added if you go for mid-spec GT trim, while a front camera is added if you go for GT Premium. Alternatively, you can add the two cameras as an option on the other trims.

There’s plenty of reach and height adjustment for the steering wheel, and the driver’s seat adjusts for height, but it can still take a while to find a comfy seating position as a result of the tiny steering wheel.

Peugeot's thinking is that having a small, low-set steering wheel allows the instruments to be placed higher so you don’t have to look far from the road to read them. Unfortunately, many people will find the top of the steering wheel obscures the dials unless the wheel is set unnaturally low.

Every e-2008 gets a 10in colour infotainment touchscreen set into the upper dashboard, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring including so you can run your phone apps on the screen.

That’s good because, while the high-definition screen is easy enough to read, sifting through menus can be a chore, and the animations it displays between them make it feel slow. Some submenus are difficult to locate, while the bunched-up icons on certain pages mean hitting the correct one can be tricky.

There’s a touch-sensitive home button that’s useful for reverting to a page and you can store your own shortcuts, which is useful, but the Hyundai Kona Electric has physical switches and knobs that are easier to find and use.

The interior can feel a bit gloomy, with lots of dark material finishes, but adding the optional panoramic glass roof will help to alleviate that.

There’s a decent amount of materials across the interior, including some fake carbon-fibre to mix things up. Parts of the doors and dashboard feel soft, which is more pleasant than the hard plastic you touch in some cars.

"I like that you get some physical shortcut controls, it’s just a shame that everything else is done through the touchscreen." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

Even tall drivers will find enough space in the Peugeot e-2008, with good head and leg room available. It feels more confined than some of the bigger cars in the electric SUV class though. For example, it's narrower and has a lower roofline than a Hyundai Kona Electric or Smart #1.

Storage space is reasonable, with space under the centre armrest and cubbies dotted around, but the door pockets aren’t huge and the glovebox is small.

It’s fine for rear-seat passengers, and six-footers will have enough space not to feel pinched, but you'll have more room to stretch out your legs in a Kona Electric, a Kia EV3, an MG S5 EV or a #1.

A third occupant in the back of the e-2008 will have less space than in many rivals and will have to fit their feet around a hump in the floor.

More positively, you’ll be better off in the e-2008 than you would in the back of a DS 3 E-Tense or Vauxhall Mokka Electric. They're similar-sized cars but have less appealing rear-seat accommodation.

The e-2008 doesn’t provide a great deal of seating flexibility. The back seats split and fold 60/40, rather than the more versatile 40/20/40 split you get in the larger Renault Scenic, and they don’t slide back and forth, like in a #1.

There's no second boot under the e-2008's bonnet but the one at the back provides 434 litres of storage (the same as the petrol Peugeot 2008).

In our tests, we managed to fit five carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf, which translates to a reasonably sized buggy or a good amount of shopping. There’s a decent amount of underfloor storage – handy for your charging cables – thanks to the standard height-adjustable boot floor.

"While you can add a space saver wheel to the petrol-powered 2008 you can’t do it with the e-2008 because of its batteries." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

The Peugeot e-2008 is priced broadly in line with its rivals, costing a little more than an equivalent Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 or Smart #1. The MG S5 EV undercuts all of them by a hefty chunk.

Depreciation isn’t a strong area for the e-2008 and it’s predicted to lose its value faster than any of its rivals. That means you’ll likely get less of your investment back if you decide to sell in three years and can increase the amount that you’ll pay monthly on PCP finance.

For company car drivers, the e-2008 falls into the same BIK tax bracket as other electric cars so you'll pay a similarly small amount in salary sacrifice. If you pay for your own electricity, the e-2008’s efficient motor means you'll spend a little less on charging to cover those miles.

The e-2008 has a maximum charging speed charge of up to 100kW, which is good enough for a 10-80% charge using a 150kW public EV charger in around half an hour. A standard 7kW home EV wallbox will deliver a full charge in less than eight hours. An 11kW DC on-board charger is available as an option.

In entry-level Allure trim, the e-2008 comes with a good amount of standard kit, including 17in alloy wheels, automatic air-conditioning, electrically adjustable heated wing mirrors, keyless start and touchscreen infotainment. It's our recommend version.

Mid-spec GT adds some interior style updates, a contrast roof, full adaptive LED headlights, and keyless entry and start.

Meanwhile, top-spec GT Premium adds 18in wheels, sat-nav, even plusher interior materials, a wireless phone-charger, adaptive cruise control and an EV heat pump.

The e-2008 has not been tested for safety by Euro NCAP but the Peugeot 2008 achieved a five-star rating in 2019. All versions have automatic emergency braking (AEB) that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, lane assist, driver attention alert and speed-limit recognition. Top-spec GT Premium trim adds blind-spot monitoring.

When it comes to reliability, Peugeot as a manufacturer came 19th out of 31 brands in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. That puts it below quite a few rivals, although MG did worse, finishing bottom.

You get a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. That's fairly typical, but Kia gives you a seven-year warranty. The e-2008's main battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, guaranteeing a minimum 70% capacity.

"While similar to its rivals, the amount that the e-2008 is predicted to depreciate over three years is a bit worrying." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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