The Peugeot 2008 enters a fast-growing and hotly contested segment, which offers buyers raised ride height in a small package, and includes the Renault Captur, Nissan Juke and Vauxhall Mokka. The 2008 is a distinctive, boxy-looking model based on the French carmaker’s popular supermini 208, but with slightly stretched proportions, creating the illusion of a small 4x4; in reality, it’s just a bog-standard front-wheel-drive car. Performance 3.5/5 On test, we had the highest-powered diesel powerplant, the 1.6-litre e-HDI 115bhp, which hits 62mph in a humble 10.4 seconds with a maximum speed of 117mph. Mated to a six-speed manual ‘box, there’s sufficient torque here, with plenty of pull mid-range, which proved handy on motorway runs. Other than that, the engine is unremarkable, doing the job it needs to do, albeit in a slightly staid, uninspiring manner. Ride and handling 3.5/5 The 2008 has admirable ride quality, absorbing bumps and flawed surfaces, while refinement inside the cabin is also better than expected. But handling on this car has a lot to answer for, struggling with its high-sidedness on anything but a straight run. Even on fairly minimal bends, it’s hard to have faith that the 2008 has it under control, with notable bodyroll and a lack of grip. Still, the car’s key rivals don’t have much to boast about on this front either, so it’s much of a muchness if you’re in the market for this type of car. The car does, however, have Grip Control on higher trims which lets the driver optimise traction in bad conditions to help grip. Controlled via a dial in the central console, with the choice of Snow, Off-road, Sand and ESP-off modes, it works by transferring power across the front wheels to the one with the most grip. Interior 4/5 These days, Peugeot interiors are classy and well-made. A regular gripe continues here – that in my driving position, you can’t see the digital speedometer or the bottom end of the traditional speed dials - making it hard to know your speed without using cruise control. In four trims, Access+, Active, Allure and Feline, all but the entry-level features a seven-inch touchscreen which controls radio, other media, Bluetooth and satnav (a £400 option). Our Allure-specced car receives rear parking sensors, tinted rear windows and automatic headlights and wipers. We also had the optional panoramic sunroof which gives the impression of airy space inside the cabin, but creates more wind noise. The 2008 is more practical than some of its rivals, with better space for rear passengers and 360 litres of luggage load in the boot – a massive lead over the Juke which has just 251 litres. Running costs 4/5 The 2008 line-up is fairly running-cost friendly, with even the most powerful diesel, as tested, emitting 106g/km CO2 with official combined fuel economy of 70.6mpg. That means, on current brackets, road tax is free for the first year and £20 after that. Our model costs £18,045 without options, but the range starts at £12,995 for the petrol-powered 1.2-litre Vti with 82bhp. The most wallet-friendly iteration to run is the 1.6-litre e-HDI with 92bhp with Peugeot’s notoriously bad semi-automatic EGC gearbox which emits 98g/km and offers 74.3mpg. Verdict 3.5/5 The 2008 is far from a bad car, yet fails to set itself apart from its competitors. The interior and general roominess is to be applauded, but driving dynamics are mediocre. Still, its rivals have a lot of work to do too, so while it’s a winner on the practicality front, for most, the choice will come down to personal preference of carmaker and styling.