Peugeot Australia repositioned their small 2008 SUV this week after dismal sales last year of just 359 sales in an SUV segment that is clearly on fire. The reason was a poor combination of drive trains in an SUV market that clearly favours petrol automatics. The Peugeot 2008 now comes as a 1.2-litre three- cylinder all-alloy turbo engine linked at last to an all new six-speed automatic. Three 2008 models- the Active at $26,490, the Allure at $30,990 and the sportier GT-Line at $32,990. It’s not always easy for French car importers to get the right specification for our market – the small volumes in our market mean its not always feasible for the manufacturer to meet the local brief. However Peugeot Aust appear to have a win with this latest 2008 update. The styling with a bolder more masculine front is appealing with a cabin that roomy, practical and with nice touches the French do well. Not the most affordable small SUV but appealing in many ways. Importantly, the Peugeot is well packaged – all models with standard Apple CarPlay, cruise control with a speed limiter, parking sensors fore and aft, 16-inch alloy wheels, a cooled centre console, a rear view camera and for a limited time a five-year warranty. Peugeot suggest a combined city/country fuel cycle of 4.8l/100 however it does require premium 95 RON fuel. High points are cabin versatility with some well thought out inclusions for a small family – the three cylinder engine a gem – all in all a much improved Peugeot SUV . I’m David Berthon

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