Peugeot e-2008 Review 2023

If you're looking for a stylish electric SUV, the Peugeot e-2008 is a great choice. It's more comfortable than a lot of competitors while its new, bigger battery provides a more useable range than before.

If you can stretch to the latest Peugeot e-2008 (post-2023 update) then that's where our money would go... if only for the improved touchscreen display and slightly longer electric range. Don't worry if it's not within budget, though, as the changes aren't overly dramatic. In terms of trim level, get an Allure, at the very minimum, for features such as alloy wheels and the impressive 10-inch digital instrument cluster.

The electric car market has moved on significantly since the Peugeot e-2008 first went on sale in 2019. Direct competitors include the closely related Vauxhall Mokka Electric, Citroen e-C4, Jeep Avenger and DS 3. We'd also suggest looking at the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Renault Megane E-Tech, while the MG ZS EV represents exceptional value for money.

If you're not fussed about having a high-riding EV, the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3 and MG 4 EV are all worth considering, too. And if you don't need the space of the Peugeot e-2008, we'd suggest also looking at the smaller Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric.

The Peugeot e-2008 feels well put together in the obvious places,. The top of the dashboard and the front doors are finished in soft touch plastics and flashes of chrome help up the ambience. Cheaper plastics feature at knee height mind you but everything feels like it has been bolted together with a sense of longevity.  

Unsurprisingly, the more expensive Peugeot e-2008 models do feel a bit plusher than the entry-level variants. Allure and GT models come with part-faux-leather trim, for example, while the Peugeot e-2008 First Edition comes with sporty Alcantara seat covers.

One of the big upgrades made to the 2023 Peugeot e-2008 is the updated infotainment system. A 10-inch touchscreen display is now standard across the range, and it's a welcome improvement on the old slightly clunky infotainment. You now get sharper graphics, faster responses and a more user-friendly homescreen - all minor tweaks which add up to a serious improvement.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard, too, providing access to your favourite apps on the move (we tend to prefer Google Maps to in-built nav, for example). If you'd rather not use your phone, you can buy the Peugeot e-2008 with connected navigation (standard on the First Edition) including a six-month trial subscription to TomTom live updates and speed camera alerts.

A wireless phone charger is standard on Peugeot e-2008 GT and First Edition models, while all come with a selection of USB-C charge points in the front and rear.

Space and practicality is exactly why you might choose the Peugeot e-2008 over a low slung EV, its higher roofline translates to more passenger space and a more useable boot.

Up front you get loads of headroom and even if you're tall you'll not need to slide your seat uncomfortably far forward if there's someone tall sitting behind you. The Peugeot is slightly higher than a normal car but in every other respect the driving position feels identical.

Tall adults will fit in the back once they've negotiated a little more knee room from those in front. There's plenty of headroom and getting in is helped by rear doors that open wide.

Boot space is the same as you'll find in the 2008, you get 434 litres with the seats up – more than you get in a family hatchback like the Volkswagen Golf – and the large boot opening, square boot shape and flat opening makes loading a breeze. Drop the back seats into the floor and the resulting 1467 litre capacity should be enough to get a bike stowed if you remove its front wheel.

The Peugeot e-2008 is relatively compact at 4300mm long, 1770mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1550mm tall. 

The 2023 update brings with it a power boost for the Peugeot e-2008 - up to 156PS (from 136PS before) and 260Nm of instant torque. It still isn't one of the fastest electric cars but it'll feel sprightly enough for whizzing around town or joining fast-flowing motorway traffic.

Peugeot has no plans to launch a more powerful version of the Peugeot e-2008 - nor one with four-wheel drive. You can, however, spec the Peugeot e-2008 with the brand's advanced grip control system, which can adjust the power being sent to the front wheels, increasing grip in slippery conditions.

Even in sport mode, the Peugeot e-2008 doesn't thrust forward with the same urgency as some powerful electric cars. There's enough power to spin the front wheels, though, especially in the wet.

Like most electric cars, the Peugeot e-2008 allows you to use the electric motor to slow down (this is called 'regenerative braking'). This is done via a 'B' button on the gear selector - we like this feature for driving around town, although it's not as severe as the one-pedal driving in the Hyundai Kona Electric.

One of the Peugeot e-2008's trump cards is its in-town refinement, the electric motor's gentle hum is more soothing than annoying. Wind and road noise comes into play at motorway speeds, but not enough to stop the Peugeot e-2008 from being a relaxed cruiser. There's noticeably more sound insulation than in an MG ZS EV.

While the Peugeot e-2008 is fundamentally a very safe electric car, you'll have to look for one of the pricier trim levels for the full plethora of driver-assistance tech. All models come with an autonomous emergency braking system which can prevent a collision at city speeds, while the e-2008 Allure and above features a more sophisticated system which can work at night as well as detect cyclists and pedestrians.

A driver attention alert feature is standard across the range (giving you a signal if it senses you're distracted), as is a lane keeping function. Blind spot monitoring is offered as an option on e-2008 Allure and GT models, as is the Drive Assist Pack Plus (with adaptive cruise control and lane positioning assist).

If you want to travel as far as possible between charges, look for a Peugeot e-2008 with the bigger 54kWh battery (introduced mid-2023). This provides an official range of up to 251 miles - not quite as far as the best electric cars for range, but an impressive figure for an electric car with a relatively small battery pack.

Earlier examples had a range of up to 214 miles. This'll drop slightly in the real world, but that's still a very useable figure (certainly compared to small-range EVs such as the Mazda MX-30 and MINI Electric).

Peugeot doesn't enjoy the best reputation for reliability, although it wasn't the worst performing brand in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. The French carmaker ranked 24th out of 29, with an average score of 86.74%.

The good news is electric cars are generally more reliable than their petrol or diesel counterparts. There are fewer moving parts to go wrong, while the Peugeot e-2008 is covered by a warranty for up to three years and 60,000 miles. The battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Entry-level versions of the Peugeot e-2008 sit in insurance group 25, rising to group 26 for Allure models and above, so it'll be more expensive to get covered than the petrol and diesel models which range from group 13-23. 

Curretly, all electric cars (including the Peugeot e-2008) are exempt from road tax which means you'll pay nothing in VED (vehicle excise duty). That's set to change in 2025, however, when electric cars will be charged the same standard rate in VED as petrol or diesel cars (currently £180 a year).

If you buy a car with a list price of more than £40,000 when new, you'll be stung by an extra £390/year in premium car tax for five years. Fortunately, most Peugeot e-2008s come in below the £40,000 barrier - but be careful if you're buying a particularly high-spec example (such as the Peugeot e-2008 GT or First Edition). 

As of 2023, the Peugeot e-2008 is available in four different trim levels: Active, Allure, GT and First Edition.

Standard equipment on the Peugeot e-2008 Active includes a 10.0-inch infotainment display (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and a 3.5-inch colour instrument display. Pre-heating functionality is standard on electric models, as well as rear parking sensors and a heated rear windscreen.  The Peugeot e-2008 Active also comes with a leather steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, 16-inch wheel trims and LED headlights.

The Peugeot e-2008 Allure adds 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, gloss black exterior highlights (including gloss black roof bars), USB-C sockets, front/rear parking sensors and an electrochrome rear-view mirror. The Peugeot e-2008 Allure comes with the brand's i-Cockpit display with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster. Active Safety Brake is also standard on the Peugeot e-2008 Allure, capable of spotting cyclists and pedestrians.

The Peugeot e-2008 GT comes with a black diamond roof, wireless smartphone charging and a 180-degree reversing camera. Peugeot Open & Go is standard (with keyless entry and push button start), as well as a 3D digital instrument panel and fuel LED headlights with smartbeam assist. The e-2008 GT also comes with leather-effect seats, a perforated leather steering wheel and eight-colour ambient lighting.

Topping the range from launch, the Peugeot e-2008 First Edition features heated front seats (including electric lumbar adjustment and massage function for the driver) and Peugeot e-Connect Advanced connected navigation. The Peugeot e-2008 First Edition also comes with an 11kW on-board charger.