Peugeot Australia will be taking the fight to the Kia Niro EV and Volvo XC40 Recharge very soon, with the e-2008 electric SUV confirmed for a local introduction during the third quarter of 2023.
Set to be offered in a “highly-specified single variant”, the 2023 Peugeot e-2008 will be the second all-electric offering to be offered by the French brand in Australia, following the already confirmed e-Partner van due in the coming months.
Further local details are scant at this stage, but we do know the e-2008 will be powered by a 100kW/260Nm electric motor on the front axle, hooked up to a 50kWh battery pack. While a range figure hasn’t been confirmed for the Australian market, the same car in New Zealand offers a claimed 372 kilometres (WLTP) from a full charge.
Peugeot Australia’s comments regarding a sole high-spec variant indicate the e-2008 bound for Australian showrooms will be based on the flagship GT grade offered globally, aligning with the GT and blacked-out GT Sport grades already offered Down Under.
“This year, we have set out to accelerate our local electrification journey and the exciting addition of the e-2008 will play an important role in building our electrified offering and ultimately offering more choice for Australian consumers,” said Kate Gillis, managing director for Peugeot Australia.
Last week CarExpert discovered the e-2008 had been approved for sale in Australia through documents published to a government database, and will feature the larger 18-inch alloy wheel option as standard. Abroad, the GT specification in markets like the UK score a 17-inch wheel as standard.
2008 GT shown
The petrol-powered Peugeot 2008 features the following as standard:
- 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Satellite navigation
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)
- LED headlights with “3-Claw” design
- Auto high-beam
- Fog lights with cornering function
- Dual chrome faux exhaust tips
- Keyless entry
- Wireless phone charging
- Front parking sensors
- Ambient lighting
- Rear privacy glass
- Gloss black side mirrors
- Black headliner
- Perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Stainless steel door sill scuff plates
Standard safety features include:
- 6 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
- Automatic high-beam
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver attention monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Rear parking sensors
- Reversing camera
Given its flagship status, the e-2008 will likely pick up the high-spec GT Sport’s standard adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality, as well as Peugeot’s Lane Positioning Assist, which is basically a lane centring assist that combines with the aforementioned adaptive cruise control for semi-autonomous highway driving capability.
Pricing for our market will be confirmed “closer to the launch”, but in the UK the e-2008 carries a circa-25 per cent premium over the equivalent 1.2-litre turbo petrol model, which suggests a $65,000-$70,000 price for Australia.
The e-2008 and e-Partner are expected to be joined by the city-sized e-208 hatchback before the end of this year, marking the first time the current-generation 208 will be offered in the Australian market in any form.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
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