Peugeot e-2008 Review: A Calm Frenchman

What we like:

Fairly good build and material quality

Excellent ride comfort

Adequate power

What we dislike:

Range falls short of official estimates

Peugeot is in the forefront group of brands bringing in relatively affordable BEVs into Singapore, which is commendable considering it doesn’t do a great deal of volume here.

It might be just what it needs to gain a stronger foothold in the market, and the e-2008 holds much promise.

The e-2008 has wide appeal especially for families, due to its long wheelbase, panoramic sunroof and soft suspension setup. Although it is closely related to the Opel Mokka-e (also under the Stellantis group), having the same chassis, electric motor and battery size, it feels like a completely different car. It prioritises comfort and space. The interior has a party piece too, in the form of the 3D i-cockpit, which projects the instrument cluster like a hologram. It’ll surprise and delight occupants all of the time.

As Peugeot’s first BEV in Singapore, it’s a truly impressive effort. Noise levels are pleasingly low, and all’s calm inside where ride comfort is concerned, managing the battery weight masterfully. It has, I think, one of the most sorted suspension tuning in its class. Also, there’s just enough power from the electric motor to feel like the car is not left wanting for more, and if you change to Sport mode, it can feel almost quick.

You wouldn’t want to be using that too often though, as the car’s real world range was left a little wanting, depending on your usage pattern and charging situation. Officially giving 345 km on the WLTP cycle, in the real world, I achieved only about 250 km from a full charge. Granted, there was my lead foot and a lot of idling for photo and video shoots, including using the air-conditioning freely. However, I used the high regenerative ‘B’ mode most of the time, and did mostly urban driving, which should have flattered a BEV. Referencing another test of the car yielded just under 300 km of range, so where you end up is probably somewhere between these two figures.

This necessitated me using a DC charger a couple of times to get me through the week. On a 50 kW charger, I was able to juice up relatively quickly, having an almost full charge over lunch. Peugeot claims that the car can apparently take up to 100 kW of charge, which perhaps mitigates the range anxiety issue somewhat.

The Peugeot feels like a calm and collected Frenchman, always relaxed in its demeanour, and rather likeable. It deserves to do well, even more so if future iterations come with longer range.

Photos by Horizon Drivers' Club