Peugeot e-2008 review

Good as it may be to drive, it’s the cabin where the e-2008 will most likely win a lot of people over. It’s a genuinely futuristic-feeling set-up without going so far off the deep end that it’s gone all zany and unusable. It's made of high-quality materials too.

As with all Peugeots, you've got a small steering wheel and you look at the instruments above the rim. It is a grand idea in a tall-riding car like this, as the small wheel makes the car feel responsive, and the high dials mean you don't have to drop your eyes far from the road.

It’s less practical if you like to sit reclined (which is why the concept works less well on something like the 508 saloon), because the rim will cut across your sightline to the dials. Try before you buy.

On the GT version, the highlight is a '3D cockpit'. It uses digital instruments, which is nothing new, but adds a double layered holographic feel to them, and Peugeot says that it cuts 0.5 seconds from driver reaction times. Which is noble and all, but we like it because it looks enchanting. Unfortunately you've just got to take our word for that because 2D photos can't show it.

It can display a satnav representation, and big speedometer all at once, among a vast array of other configurable functions.

Any other infotainment news?

Beyond a joyous set of dials, there are other goodies. From the second grade up you get four USB ports – including three USB-C sockets – as well as wireless charging on the GT, so you won’t be short of power for you and your passengers’ devices. All trims have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto projecting onto the central touchscreen. That screen is 10 inches across, and gets high resolution on all except the base trim.

Is the cabin and boot space family-capable?

There’s enough leg and foot space in the rear seats for most sizes of adult, because the battery is shaped around the footwells. Headroom is fine, particularly if you’ve avoided the big panoramic glass roof. But there are no vents or centre armrest back there.

The 434-litre luggage space (back seats up) is no worse than a petrol 2008 and the boot floor has two tiers, allowing you to keep mucky charging cables away from your nice things. Knock the seats down and you’ve got 1,467 litres to play with.