I may well have become a big fan of Peugeot vehicles. Their engines have always been amongst the best out there, they drive exceedingly well, very comfortable, but I never just clicked with the French sense of style. That has just changed.
We recently took in a 172 Peugeot 2008 in metallic black. Now I have seen a few of these on the road and they never stood out for me, but this one, this one is very special. What we have here is a 1.2 petrol with 130 BHP which we will talk about in a bit. What makes this particular 2008 stand out, is the fact that it is an ultra-rare GT-Line. It looks fabulous, absolutely fabulous.
I honestly could not wait to take this car out for a test drive and write a report on it, I had to do it straight away. I was bursting at the seams to see if this car drove half as well as it looks.
So, let’s start with the styling. The GT-Line looks nothing like the rest of the 2008 range, it has an aggressive looking stance, especially with that flat front view and lovely grill at the front. The writing just above the grill saying Peugeot, stands out on the black paint in red writing. The alloy wheels are a two-tone silver and black and suit the styling of the car superbly. Around the sides, you have tinted rear windows and a lovely sweep of chrome above the rear doors and also the rear spoiler. This car shouts at you. It demands that you get inside and see what it has for you.
Inside, the quality of the materials does not disappoint. It feels so well put together, you would think you were sitting in one of the so called premium model sports cars. The specification is extremely high, with switchable driving modes, panoramic roof, satellite navigation, half leather seats as well as most of the normal things we come to expect out of a car nowadays, air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors etc.
The seats are sumptuous and are a black half leather with beautiful red stitching which is duplicated on the leather multi-function steering wheel. There is a surprising amount of leg room in the rear, three large adults like myself (A larger than life individual!) may struggle, but three normal sized adults or children will have plenty of room. The boot for this size of vehicle is also more than satisfactory.
Here goes, will the 2008 GT-Line live up to the expectation that it’s looks have instilled in me? Quite simply, Oh Yes. When you start the engine, it does not really roar at you, but in fact, is very quiet. I set off at a normal pace and that smoothness of the engine continued. Road noise is slightly higher as the tyres fitted are not those ultra-sporty affairs that you would associate with a car that looks this good, but in fact, this car has chunky winter tyres which just add so much grip and give you such a confidence when driving the car.
Around town the GT-Line acts in a refined manner and is totally at home. As it is not a huge SUV, the GT-Line is ideally suited to town driving and those twisty back streets. I was itching though, to take this little number down some country lanes, where I could put this car through its paces.
I headed out of town. As my right foot became heavier, so did the growl of the engine. Not in protest though, but the car was letting me know it was ready to play, if I needed some extra torque, it was ready to supply it. And so, I was pleasantly surprised at just how quick the GT-Line was. Great pick up and it was as if the GT-Line wanted to play, wanted to come to life, wanted to please me.
I then set off around some twisty lanes around Upperchurch. I had selected my driving environment on the switchable driving mode wheel and let loose. What I got in return, was not the refined town car, was not the sporty little number that wanted to be unleased, what I got was an assured vehicle that had grip in spades and performed like an AWD vehicle, without all of the downsides that brings.
As I prepare to sit here and eat my humble pie with a cup of tea, I catch myself thinking on just how good the Peugeot 2008 GT-Line is to drive. That I actually enjoyed my test drive and how my whole perception of the Peugeot has been turned on its head.
I genuinely love this car. It stands out for all the right reasons, but unlike a lot of great looking cars out there, it delivers on all fronts. This is not a car that wears the town driving hat, nor does it just wear the sporty car hat or even the SUV hat, it wears them all. It wears them all very well. This car will surprise you. It did surprise me.
Feel free to come down and take a look, take a test drive, let the 2008 GT-Line convince you that it should be sitting on your drive. Thanks for taking the time to read yet another car review by James Mc Vicker, Sales Manager, Barlo Motors Thurles.
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