FULL REVIEW: to the tIp of Scotland in the 2008 SUV

Words Ben Barry | Photography Alex Tapley

• Full road trip review of the Peugeot 2008 SUV
• Tested: Puretech 155 petrol in GT Premium trim
• Over Britain’s highest road, around wintery northern coast

Sun, snow, storms and sea… the final leg of our British adventure has it all as we press on out of Scotland’s Central Belt and drive until the road runs out at John O’Groats. It’s a two-day jaunt that first takes us north and east into the breathtaking Cairngorms National Park, overnighting in Inverness, then following a leg of the North Coast 500 that largely traces Scotland’s rugged west and north. Along the way we’ll take in snow-covered mountains, perfect beaches, lochs like oceans and windswept wilderness.

The new Peugeot 2008 should prove capable for the job with its raised ride height, spacious and well-appointed interior, and a three-cylinder petrol engine that’ll go easy on fuel as petrol stations dwindle. Given the wintry forecast, we’ve asked main dealer Arnold Clark of Edinburgh to fit this one with chunky 18-inch winter tyres (this road trip was conducted before the spring 2020 lockdown).

Priced from £21,030, this is the second model to wear the 2008 badge, but swaps its predecessor’s more school-run MPV looks for the compact SUV aesthetic that’s the hot ticket these days. The 2008 slots in to Peugeot’s ‘00’ range below the 3008 and 5008, but it’s not tiny – at 4.3 metres long it’s 141mm longer than its predecessor, and has a longer wheelbase, helping free more rear legroom. There’s also 434 litres of luggage space up to the rear parcel shelf, or 1467 litres with the rear seats folded. If you want the design of the new 208 but need more versatility, this is for you.

Our 2008 adventure begins

Day one begins below the Forth Rail Bridge, just north of Edinburgh, with the most amazing view over the Firth of Forth. The sun eases up past the hills to the south-east as we stick Blairgowrie in the sat-nav and join the M90 in the opposite direction to the morning rush. Town quickly becomes country as we make towards Perth.

The 2008 aces the motorway cruise, starting with a decent driving position and plenty of adjustability to the seat and steering wheel, ample passenger room, plus generous space for bottles and knick knacks.

There’s a high-tech feel to this cabin reminiscent of the impressive Peugeot 508 saloon’s: a small leather-wrapped steering wheel, woven carbon-effect concave trim wrapping across the dash and doors, gloss-black toggle piano switches to select key infotainment controls from the 10-inch HD colour touchscreen (some versions get seven inches) and the Peugeot 3D i-Cockpit with its configurable instrument display. This allows you to prioritise certain information – perhaps sat-nav, or the revcounter. 

A stop for supplies at Perth and then we navigate the minor roads that’ll take us towards Blairgowrie, the Spittal of Glenshee and the Cairnwell Pass – the highest main road in Britain, with an elevation of 2199 metres.

CLICK HERE for a 300-mile Cornish road trip in Peugeot’s electric 208

Run to the hills

We don’t need to reach those heights to see the first snow, which speckles the hills, contrasting with the rich blackness of the wet, gritted A93. It’s fast and free-flowing, cutting uninterrupted between hills like a river; I’m reminded of the Isle of Man TT course.

So far I’ve kept the drive mode in Normal, but as the challenge of the road increases, so it seems appropriate to flick the awkward-to-reach rocker switch near the gearlever to Sport – it brings a chunkier feel to what was previously city-biased, fingertip-light steering. It’s still relatively light, but the extra weight provides more confidence.

It’s a supple car, comfort boosted by our range-topping GT Premium spec. Ribbed nappa leather seats (£1000 extra, though the standard alcantara looks fantastic) are comfortable and supportive and massage you at the push of a button. That tiny engine is perfectly flexible, with a swell of torque that eases you past slower traffic. There’s a thrum under heavy acceleration, but it’s impressively subdued.

VIDEO: click here to watch our 2008 video walkaround

healthy bhp, big mpg

Ours is the most powerful version of this 1.2-litre engine, with a healthy 153bhp, a thrifty 41.7-46.6mpg, and paired with the eight-speed paddleshift auto transmission. It costs £30,930, and is available only in the GT Premium trim. Two other versions of the same engine are available: the 100bhp version is available in Active Premium, Allure and Allure Premium trim levels, while the 127bhp motor is available across the range – just like the 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel and pure electric e-2008 that’s good for up to 206 miles of range.

Barriers that close the road when conditions are really bad at the Spittal of Glenshee are thankfully open today. The road tightens and rises and falls more dramatically as we push on. As the elevation increases the dusting of white shifts to a thick blanket.

The 2008 works well here – the driver’s seat feels relatively low-set in the cabin, but you’ve still got an SUV’s vantage point from which to read the twisting road ahead. What was a fractured ride at low speeds on Edinburgh’s potholed streets begins to work happily with the road surface, feeling comfortable and controlled – there’s some roll on turn-in, naturally, but the body’s supported nicely, avoiding the sudden topple that can afflict some SUVs. Combined with pacey steering, strong, nicely modulated brakes and a keen bite from those winter tyres, it encourages a fluid rhythm that lets you cover ground at a clip without bashing passengers about. Even on the uphill sections and loaded with gear, there’s still sufficient performance.

peugeot 2008 vs Britain’s highest main road

We crest the summit of the Cairnwell Pass that’s marked by the Aberdeenshire border sign; immediately after, the Glenshee Ski Resort appears below. A fresh covering of snow means local schoolkids have swapped text books for ski poles and are scooting about on the slopes. There’s some serious hardware up here, from the Pistenbully snow groomer that could have come from a James Bond set, to antique snow-clearing machines like tiny combine harvesters.

After a quick cuppa we muck about in snow outside, then crank up our car’s very welcome heated seats, standard from GT spec up. Then we’re back on our way, jinking left and right into the valley below like those schoolkids on skis, using snow poles topped with white one side, red the other to read which way the tumbling road falls next, keeping that momentum flowing.

Beyond Lecht ski school, the road is suddenly covered by snow drifts on its most exposed parts, before plunging quickly downhill – road signs that initially warn of a 10 per cent descent soon raise the peril per cent to 20. Snow melts, rain begins to fall, and the muted yellows and greens and browns of the winter landscape reappear, while driving actually becomes trickier because of the rivers that flow down the road.