If you Google the word “eccentric”, French cars will appear in the images section. Alright no they won’t, but the point is that the French just seems do things differently, insistently. Yours truly have had a go in the all-new 2022 Peugeot 2008 and I can confirm that it is textbook eccentricity.

Just to recap, the 2022 Peugeot 2008 is a B-segment SUV that goes against rivals like the Honda HR-V, Proton X50, Toyota Corolla Cross, etc. Most of which have been rather popular amongst Malaysian buyers.

Also read: All-new 2022 Peugeot 2008 CKD launched in Malaysia - RM 126k, 1.2L 3-cyl turbo, 6AT

It’s only natural for Peugeot’s new representative in Malaysia, Berjaya Auto Alliance (BAASB), to want a piece of the ever-growing cake. Their weapon of choice then, the 2022 Peugeot 2008.

Exterior – Stealing glances everywhere

Whereas its predecessor looked like it belonged to the bovine family, this all-new 2022 Peugeot 2008 is a proper looker. When it comes to design, this is where the eccentricity is an advantage.

The full LED headlights with “triple-claw” vertical DRLs and a single strip that stretches to the lower half of the bumper give it road presence unlike any other in its class. The angular design motifs add to its distinctiveness.

It’s not a car you’d gloss over on the road. Proof? Well, I’ve had admirers of the 2008 driving up alongside to give the sign of approval and pedestrians turning their head around to get a good look when parked.

The only other car I’ve driven (under a million Ringgit) that catches as many eyeballs is the Toyota GR Supra – a bright red, low-slung two-door sports car. Perhaps the 2022 Peugeot 2008 is still a novelty and very few have seen it in the flesh, but I’ve yet to receive unfavourable opinions on its looks.

Interior – Packed with flair and quirks

If you’re familiar with the current crop of Peugeot models, then the 2008’s interior will feel right at home. If this is your first of new Peugeots, then you might be impressed whilst being annoyed.

There’s more design flair than Sir Elton John’s outfits with the double-deck and angular sweeping dashboard. Material quality is par for the course for this segment; the top section of the dash gets soft plastics while the rest of the interior makes do with the hardy stuff.

That’s all fine and dandy. What may prove to be an annoyance is the quirky ergonomics. The i-Cockpit, or rather Peugeot’s insistence on giving a dinky hexagonal steering wheel that’s intended to be positioned lower and away from the view of the instrument cluster, is not a feature everyone will find agreeable.

Trained drivers who were taught to find the correct driving position will tell you that the instrument cluster is blocked by the steering wheel. And it feels unnatural to position the steering wheel any lower. 

There’s also the cruise control stalk located just under the indicator stalk, which is completely obstructed by the steering wheel. Are new users supposed to study the controls on the stalk before setting off and perform memory test on the move?

Then there’s the climate control settings that can only be accessed via the infotainment screen. Carmakers are already getting panned for using touch-sensitive buttons for climate settings, and yet here we have the 2008 making users navigate through a sub-menu to make temperature or fan adjustments while driving.

The infotainment system itself doesn’t have much to write home about either. The operation isn’t fluid nor is it intuitive to find the settings you’re looking for. But hey, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is supported, so that’s always a positive.

If the steering wheel isn’t obstructing, the digital instrument cluster does look quite theatrical with its 3D effect, and there’s a decent amount of customisation for the display.

Cubby spaces are decent as well, minus the half of a glovebox. The two layers of tray should suffice to chucks all loose items from your pockets. That’s more than I can say for the Toyota Corolla Cross. Door bins are able to fit large 1.5-litre bottles and boot space is rated at a respectable 405 litres.

In terms of space for passengers, the cabin isn’t particularly wide, so fitting three abreast in the rear seats will be a squeeze. But kneeroom and headroom is rather impressive for a car of this size.

Yours truly with a 177 cm frame just about managed three tennis balls of kneeroom and a little more than one tennis ball of headroom.

Driving Experience – Agility of a hatchback

In a car of this size, the tiny steering wheel doesn’t feel as out of place as in the larger 3008 or 5008. It’s one-finger light at low speeds and the steering rack itself is on the quicker side, so manoeuvrability around town is excellent.

It also helps that the overall size of the 2008 is even more compact than the Honda HR-V. For those who feel intimidated by driving larger cars, this will be a plus point as it’s easy to place and judge around tight areas.

On the move, the 2008 feels light on its feet. There’s a sense of nimbleness from the way it accelerates and steers. It’s a sharp handler but more impressively, it’s remarkably surefooted at high speeds. Most of it is down to the well-calibrated suspension that gives the fluid ride quality on highways. 

While the steering doesn’t feel as organic as say, the Mazda CX-3, it progressively weighs up the faster you’re travelling and loads up nicely around the bends, giving the confidence to push on. Mighty impressive stuff, considering it’s an SUV. 

As for the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder mill, it’s potent and just about refined enough that most would overlook that it’s a 3-cylinder. The transmission however, is perhaps the weakest link in the driving experience.

The shifts are slow and every one of them can be felt. It also has this strange behaviour of rolling backwards at slight road inclines upon releasing the brakes, it's almost like an automated manual transmission. There are also instances where it would judder as it decides which gear to use.

Creeping at parking speeds has proven to be challenge. The car remains standstill as you’re slowly releasing the brake pedal, until a certain point in the brake travel where it just leaps forward as if you’ve fully released the pedal. And no, there’s no Auto Hold function that could cause this.

These aren’t quirks that you’d notice immediately on a test drive, but could become an annoyance during the ownership period. Or perhaps just chalk it up to the eccentric character.

Ride Comfort – With rally comes great suspension

I have a theory – to make great suspensions, carmakers need to go rallying. Any brands that you can think of that goes or have participated in rally, make cars with properly-tuned suspension. Peugeot did and they’ve still got it.

As mentioned earlier, it’s plush on highways, flowing through the dips and troughs. And on our typical pockmarked roads, the Peugeot 2008 soaks them up with aplomb, mostly.

I say mostly because sudden protrusions or sharp edges can cause the rear to skip about, putting a blemish to an otherwise well-sorted ride. In this respect, the Toyota Corolla Cross still delivers the most cushioned ride in class.

Noise wise, it’s not as hushed as the Corolla Cross. It doesn’t muffle exterior noises and tyre noise quite as effectively, though a quieter set of tyres will likely help with the latter. Here’s what the sound level meter revealed for the Peugeot 2008:

Fuel Consumption

After covering 102 km with a mix of 60% highway and 40% city driving, it required 8.4 litres of fuel to brim the tank. Working out the numbers, the 2022 Peugeot 2008’s fuel consumption is calculated at 8.2-litre/100 km.

The onboard computer reading displayed an average fuel consumption of 8.0-litre/100 km, which is reasonably accurate.

Conclusion

The word “eccentric” has been repeated many times throughout this review, which is ultimately the theme here. The 2022 Peugeot 2008 is as eccentric as mainstream cars go today with its overt styling and interior quirks.

It drives nothing like the Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V, or even the Proton X50, in a good way with the agility more akin to a hatchback. Comfort isn’t as good as the Corolla Cross, but that’s an extremely high bar to clear. And you do get used to some of the ergonomic quirks after a while.

A bigger hurdle would be its asking price at RM 126,753 (OTR without insurance and SST), which is right in the crosshairs between the soon-to-be-outgoing Honda HR-V and Toyota Corolla Cross. That, and the controversial subject of resale value.

At that price, would I recommend going for the 2008? Only if you’re as insistent to be different from others as Peugeot is on the seating position, then yes, it would be a match made in eccentric heaven.