GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Peugeot shows facelifted 2008

Peugeot has revealed the refreshed 2008 SUV that will be launched at the Geneva motor show on March 1 and released in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year.

Giving the small SUV that was launched back in 2013 little more than a small nip and tuck, externally there’s a new front grille, extended wheel-arches and new front and rear bash plates.

Finally there’s also new front and rear LED lights.

Inside, engineers have focused on making the French Nissan JUKE rival more practical by boosting luggage space from 1194 litres to 1400 litres by adding new split/folding rear seats. The boot lid itself has even contributed to the gains. Now hollowed-out it, now offers 22 litres of space.

The cabin, meanwhile, carries over largely unchanged although the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system has been upgraded to work with Apple Carplay and the Android Mirrorlink.

As well as the tweaks, in some markets Peugeot will also introduce a new range-topping GT Line version (pictured) of the 2008 that adds 17-inch wheels and lots of gloss back exterior trim.

Safety too has been boosted throughout the range with the availability of Peugeot’s Active City Brake system, which features emergency autonomous braking. There’s also the car-maker’s latest self-parking technology.

Under the bonnet the same petrol and diesel engine line-up carries over but, as well as the six-speed manual, there’s now the choice of a new six-speed automatic.

Pricing for the revised 2008 SUV will be released following its Geneva unveil but the good news is, despite the upgrades, in Europe at least the facelifted small SUV is expected to cost around the same.

If that translates to the cars we get, the 2016 Peugeot 2008 Active 1.2 manual should still be priced from $22,490 (plus on road costs).