• The 2008’s best feature
• Latest version of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit
• Large screens and 3D dials impress

How is the quality and layout?

Peugeot’s interiors have improved hugely over the last five years, and the 2008 continues this trend. You get plenty of soft-touch plastics, along with upmarket materials such as Alcantara and Nappa leather on GT cars.

The good news is even the most basic Allure model comes with some interesting fabrics that remain comfortable. So, although GT is noticeably nicer you shouldn’t feel too short-changed with base model.

Infotainment and tech

The 2008 features an all-digital i-Cockpit – an upgrade over the analogue gauge cluster found in the Peugeot 208. It replaces traditional dials with a laptop-style TFT screen, giving the driver a choice of displays. It works in tandem with the large (up-to 10-inch) central touchscreen.

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It’s an unusual setup that doesn’t suit all drivers. Peugeot expects you to look over the steering wheel rather than through it to see the gauges – and that means tall drivers will need to drop the wheel uncomfortably close to their laps to see the speedometer.

Drop the wheel to see the gauges and you’ll hit your hands into your thighs at every junction. Mount the wheel higher to avoid this and the rime will obscure everything on the display. Peugeot’s argument is that this setup improves driver reaction times by up to half a second.

There are six different displays, cycling through point-of-view navigation to digital dials to driver aids. The key USP is to bring crucial info into the binnacle’s foreground and relegate lesser details to the back. For example, speed information looks closer to the driver, while sat-nav directions and remaining fuel levels are situated a little further back.

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It gets all the other tech expected from buyers. That means Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, along with four USB sockets and an integrated sat-nav system with real-time traffic updates. The high-quality (and optional) Focal audio system also has 10 speakers and up to 515 Watts of power.

Comfort

• Comfort depends on i-Cockpit setup
• Few complaints about the seats
• Ride is okay, but spec-sensitive

We suggest you book a long test drive of the 2008 before you buy. Our roster of testers either found Peugeot’s i-Cockpit setup to be perfectly comfortable or utterly infuriating – and getting stitched into a three-year finance agreement on a car you can’t stand driving is an awful predicament. Try before you buy.

The seats are a bit trim dependent, too. The Allure model’s chairs are comfortable and supportive, but those on GT cars have an annoying leather panel down the middle that digs into your thighs and backside.

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Thankfully, the seat base is deep to support your legs, making longer journeys more comfortable. The raised centre console also means the gear lever is in a natural position, and the armrest is in just the right place so you don’t have to lean too much. Heated seats are optional on both Allure and GT trim, the latter pairing them with Alcantara upholstery, and a driver’s seat with electric adjustment and massage function.

Its civilised, too. Expansion joints don’t thump as loudly through the cabin as in some rivals and the three-cylinder engine’s charismatic fluttering is entertaining rather than annoying. The only thing that breaks the silence is the wind whistling around the 2008’s chunky side mirrors.