Updated small electric SUV gets styling tweaks, a smidge more power and a slightly bigger battery On sale Now Price from £36,350
Vicky Parrott whatcar@haymarket.com
THE PEUGEOT E-2008 has been an appealing prospect since it was originally introduced in 2020, not least for its sense of style inside and out. However, the small electric SUV class has changed dramatically since then, and the e-2008 has plenty of newer rivals to fend off.
There couldn’t be a better time for a refresh, then, and a larger front grille, a reshaped front bumper and revised front and rear lights ring in the changes. Meanwhile, under the surface, the e-2008’s electric motor (driving the front wheels) is boosted from 134bhp to 154bhp.
The outgoing e-2008 was always punchy around town, but the additional grunt makes merging with traffic on the motorway easier and the e-2008 now has enough power to give confidence in most everyday driving situations. The accelerator’s response is rather sluggish in the Eco driving mode, though, while Sport mode is a bit too sharp. Normal mode is the happy medium that suits any sort of road.
The brakes could be smoother, too; the regenerative braking system (which tops up the battery with energy recovered when you slow down) doesn’t hand over to the regular brakes very neatly, making it tricky to come to a halt progressively. The regen effect is increased in ‘B’ mode, but it’s not as strong as the rival Kia Niro EV’s, which can bring the car to a halt with no need to touch the brake pedal.
The ride is comfortable (even on the largest, 18in wheels), soaking up bumps and scruffy surfaces easily and staying composed over undulations, but the flipside is lots of body lean in corners. Meanwhile, the steering is nicely weighted but can feel a touch nervous when you initially apply lock – partly due to the way the small steering wheel emphasises the driver’s inputs. There’s barely any whine from the electric motor, while wind and road noise are really well suppressed, making this one of the quietest and comfiest small electric SUVs.
A modest increase in usable battery capacity from 46.3kWh to 51kWh results in a useful gain in official range, rising from 214 miles to 251 miles on a full charge. However, this still trails the Niro EV’s 285 miles, as well as the 273 miles promised by the Smart #1.
The e-2008’s maximum charging rate of 100kW enables a 10-80% battery top-up in 26 minutes if you use a suitably powerful public rapid charger. That’s quicker than the Niro EV can manage and similar to the #1, which has a larger battery but a faster
