Great Peugeot 2008 car Leasing & Contract Hire Deals.

The Peugeot 2008 is a small crossover you probably didn't know you needed, a different way of looking at compact, stylish family transport. On paper, the advantages it offers over a standard supermini in space, styling and potential driving flexibility are small. In practice though, they add up to a car that feels a far more rounded, more complete family tool - not as a primary runabout perhaps, but a perfect second vehicle. Of course, other rivals in this sector are more overt and aggressively styled but a likely 2008 buyer will probably have already looked at these kinds of cars and shied away. Not everyone, after all, needs to make a supermarket carpark statement. In contrast, this design is arguably more sophisticated and certainly of higher perceived quality, especially from behind the wheel. True, it could be sharper to drive and a little cheaper to buy, but neither issue is a deal-breaker. What matters is that Peugeot has understood clearly the kind of product this market segment needs if it's to widen its reach beyond the purely young at heart. In this 2008, Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Mokka and Renault Captur customers have a more refined, sensible alternative. If you're ready for just that, then you may need to try this car.

Fashion can take many forms, especially when it comes to cars. Here's one of them, the compact crossover, epitomised in this case by Peugeot's 2008. It goes up against cars like Nissan's Juke and Ford's EcoSport in one of the market's fastest growing and trendiest segments. This 2008 is one of the more affordable takes on this trend, there to enable a small, fashionable family to get a foothold in this growing market niche. Based heavily on Peugeot's 208 supermini but with extra space and flexibility, a higher-set driving position, more individual looks and the option of mild off road ability, this car seems to offer plenty more for your money - without too much of a price premium. Now it's been improved with a smarter front end and a range of class-leadingly frugal engines. Let's try it.

Despite its beefy looks, the 2008 is still front-wheel drive only, but some off-road ability is delivered on pokier 1.6-litre petrol and diesel variants via a clever 'Grip Control' traction system. This comprises an intelligent traction control set-up and special Mud & Snow 'All Weather' tyres, a compromise between full winter tyres and usual summer rubber. Grip Control automatically improves the vehicle's traction on difficult surfaces such as snow, mud, dirt tracks and wet grass, working with the vehicle's Electronic Stability Programme to maintain the best possible traction from both front wheels. It has five selectable operating modes which can be chosen by the driver from a dedicated control mounted on the centre console, not unlike a Land Rover 'Terrain Response' system. The engine line up will be familiar fare if you're familiar with the 208 supermini. Base versions get a choice of either an 82bhp 1.2 PureTech petrol or a 75bhp 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel. Moving up the range, there are 110 and 130bhp versions of the turbocharged PureTech petrol unit, with the 110bhp variant optionally available with EAT6 automatic transmission. Diesel buyers looking further up the range get 100 or 120bhp versions of the 1.6-litre BlueHDi unit.

This improved 2008 gets a smoother, more stylish look courtesy of a restyled vertical front grille flanked by sleeker headlamps that give the car a bit more streetside presence. The LED rear lamps are restyled too, featuring a 3D 'claw-style' illuminated effect. Otherwise, it's much as you were. The 2008 features a higher driving position than the 208 it's based upon - and it's longer too. At 4.16m, it's fully 20cm longer than its supermini cousin and there's a good deal more road presence to it as well with its pronounced wheel arches. With 17-inch alloy wheels and Mud & Snow tyres, it looks quite purposeful, but the ground clearance is decidedly modest, so serious off road excursions are out. Still, it's probably got more than enough about it to shrug off most British weather conditions. The black bumpers and body sills serve to protect it from abrasions with the addition of front and rear body protection and side mouldings in stainless steel. Inside, as before, you get the distinctive 'i-Cockpit' design borrowed from the 208 where you view the instrument panel over the rim of the compact little steering wheel, rather than through it. As for practicality, well the size of the boot can vary from 410 to 1,400-litres in an instant due to the 1/3 - 2/3 modular seat backs. Pressing the button at the top of the backrest is enough to tilt the seat backwards, allowing the seats to collapse automatically. The boot is equipped with hooks for attaching items and two storage areas on each side, one with a retaining strap and the other with a storage net. Finally, there is an additional 22 litre storage area under the boot lid.

Pricing sits in the £13,500 to £20,500 bracket and the 2008 range consists of five trim levels: Access A/C, Active, Allure and GT Line. Building on a product positioning strategy introduced with the 208, the 2008 has what Peugeot describes as 'competitive and progressive pricing', with less than a £1,000 walk from an equivalent trim level 208 version, coupled with high levels of specification. All variants get LED daytime running lights, colour-coded door mirrors and handles, power windows and mirrors, cruise control, driver's seat height adjustment, a decent quality CD stereo with a 3.5mm Jack for an external audio device and steering wheel-mounted controls, air conditioning that also cools the glovebox, six airbags and ESP stability control. Further up the range, the patented Grip Control system is fitted, optimising traction in poor conditions with the help of beefier 'Mud & Snow' tyres. Justifying a 5 star Euro NCAP rating, safety kit runs to twin front, side and curtain airbags, plus all the usual electronic assistance for braking, traction and stability control. There are also Isofix childseat fastenings and the option of Peugeot's clever 'Connect SOS' and 'Connect Assistance' services. If you've specified these and have an accident, the car can automatically inform the emergency services, giving them your precise location. Could be a life-saver.

The engines available in the 2008 range are some of the most economical units that Peugeot make, so running one of these vehicles shouldn't break the bank. All three of the 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel variant manage to eke better than 76 miles from a gallon of derv while around 97g/km of CO2. The petrol variants don't do too badly either. The 1.2-litre PureTech 82 manages 57.6mpg on the combined cycle and 114g/km of CO2 - or 64.2mpg and 102g/km if you specify it with the EAT6 auto gearbox. The turbocharged 110bhp 1.2-litre PureTech unit returns 60.1mpg and 103g/km - or 58.9mpg and 110g/km in EAT6 auto form, figures duplicated by the PureTech 130 manual variant. Anything else? Well, servicing intervals are every 12,500 miles. Plus there's a three year/60,000 mile warranty with Peugeot roadside assistance.