What are you driving?
The e-2008 should be something of a slam-dunk for Peugeot. We already know, through exposure to the rather lovely e-208, that the French car maker can give us an electric car that ticks the three big boxes of being relatively affordable, long-ranged and engaging to both look at and drive. If the e-208 can put in such a stellar performance, then surely it's axiomatic that the slightly larger, roomier, arguably more mass-appeal 2008, using the same electric motor and battery, will do the same?
Before we get into that, let's quickly pour one out for my homie, the Peugeot 308 hatchback, because surely what the arrival of both the petrol and electric 2008 will do is - sadly - kill that model off in its entirety. The 308 is a traditional hatch, but a good one (and even better as an estate) and it feels like a shame that its sales have collapsed in the face of the SUV onslaught.
Mind you, if the e-2008 is the face of that onslaught then it's a good face to have. We've mentioned before how aggressive and sharp the 2008 looks, and the e-2008 ramps that up with a body-colour grille and, in the GT-Line spec of our test car, a black contrast roof and slinky-looking alloys. Standard kit for GT-Line includes a self-dimming rear-view mirror, heated seats, the big ten-inch infotainment screen, 3D digital instruments and an upgraded 'active safety braking' system that picks out pedestrians and cyclists at night as well as by day.
For €35,000 or so, that seems like reasonable kit, and it's worth pointing out that the e-2008 closes down the gap between the cost of a basic electric version versus the cost of a basic petrol version. In the 208 range, there's a yawning €10,000 gap between a 1.2 petrol and the cheapest e-208. In the 2008 line-up, that gap is reduced a little, to just over €7,000.
Name its best bits
Well, that styling has to count as a best bit, doesn't it? While you could argue that the Peugeot e-2008 is a little over-egged in the styling department, it's still most definitely a striking thing at which to look, and hugely appealing. It's also rather low-slung for an SUV or crossover, with a low roof and yet still plenty of space inside - a combination we find rather appealing. The boot is practical too and, praise be - here's a car that gives you space to stash the parcel shelf when you want to take it out, but not leave it at home.
The rest of the cabin is as-per the 2008 and that's fine. I like the small-wheel, high-instruments combo and the extra rear seat space over the 208 - which makes the e-2008 pretty practical from a family point of view - is more than welcome. The cabin's quality levels are good too, and if - once again - you can accuse Peugeot of over-doing things from a styling point of view, then at least the e-2008's interior is very definitely not boring.
I'm going to count the driving experience as a positive too, even though that comes with a caveat. That caveat being that the steering is way too light and over-assisted for any serious driver-friendly feel and feedback. That taken as read, the e-2008 is pleasant to drive with reasonably sharp chassis responses, a well-controlled ride quality and a generally happy demeanour whether you're bumbling around town or attacking a challenging back road. It's not brilliant, perhaps, but it's fine.
The electric motor is, of course, relentlessly smooth and helps give the e-2008 some excellent refinement, plus it has plenty of poke and power even if you forget to dial up Sport on the driving mode button.
Anything that bugs you?
I'm honestly slightly torn as to whether to put the battery performance into the 'bugs me' section or not. In general, it's pretty impressive - 310km on the WLTP test is good, and around town the 'B' mode of the automatic transmission helps to recover extra energy from braking and so helps to extend your useable range a little. Indeed, around town, the e-2008's performance would make that 310km range entirely believable and achievable.
However, when you get it on the open road, it's a little less impressive overall. Motorway work is always the hardest task for any EV, but when we drove the same long-haul route in the e-208, it gave us a useable range of around 280km. In the e-2008, that falls significantly to around 200km, and realistically less than that if you want to reach your destination with a little in hand. Thankfully, it charges up quickly when you do (at up to 100kW DC power), but it does mean that while the e-208 driver can complete a long city-to-city run in one hit, the e-2008 driver will probably have to stop off to recharge enroute.
And why have you given it this rating?
The range issue might or might not be a deal-breaker for you. Clearly, for those doing regular long journeys it's going to be an issue, but most of us - even those of us buying SUVs and crossovers - have rather shorter regular trips, and at those the Peugeot e-2008 is very good indeed. If it isn't quite so impressive, overall, as its smaller e-208 brother, then the e-2008 is still a very good car, and a welcome addition to the burgeoning electric car ranks.
