It's still a Peugeot, with recognisable styling cues all over it, but this chunky-looking five-door SUV is also the first all-wheel drive vehicle on the South African market with a Lion badge on the grille, and that makes it special.
The CVT all-wheel drive system is borrowed from Mitsubishi but the engine, a naturally-aspirated two-litre petrol four rated for 110kW at 6000rpm and 197Nm at 4200, is Peugeot's own.
The transmission offers a choice of three driving modes: front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and locked four-wheel drive, driver selectable from a rotary controller on the centre console.
Two-wheel drive is the most efficient and thus most economical mode; but the all wheel drive mode is considered the 4008's 'default' mode, in which an electronic control unit determines the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles.
In this mode, most of the drive will still be to the front wheels, with drive being sent to the rear wheels as necessary, either when the front wheels lose traction or when going round tight corners.
Lock-up mode ensures continued traction when the going gets tough; all four wheels are constantly driven to maintain grip, even in severe conditions. At low speeds 50 percent of the drive is be sent to, with as much as 82 percent available at the back under extreme conditions.
In front-wheel drive mode the 4008 accelerates from 0-100 km/h in a claimed 10,9 seconds and will reach 188km/h; combined-cycle fuel consumption is quoted at 8.1 litres per 100km and CO2 emissions at 191g/km.
COMFORT ZONE
The 4008 is offered in two specification levels - Active and Allure - each with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, seven airbags, climate control, auto headlights and wipers, and 18” alloys.
In addition, the Allure adds a full-length Cielo glass panoramic roof, roof bars, leather upholstery, and heated and electrically adjustable seats to the package.
Inside, a thick-rimmed, padded three-spoke steering wheel with integrated controls for the sound system, the Bluetooth hands-free connection, and the cruise control, frames deep-set analogue gauges.
The centre console is home to the audio system and the rotary controls for the auto aircon.
The switchgear has gleaming metallic surrounds and high-gloss black lacquer dashboard surfaces, while the rotary theme extends to the all-wheel drive mode selector behind the gearshift lever.
PLACES TO LOSE THINGS
The rear seat has a 60:40 split back that can be folded down in sections, or completely. A fold-down rear armrest is standard, as is a load-through 'ski flap'. Luggage capacity, with the rear seats in position is 384 litres, and a 12V power socket is provided in the boot as standard.
More storage is available in a large, lit and refrigerated glove compartment, two cup holders between the front seats, a further two cup holders under the rear armrest, and storage pockets and nets on the rear of the front seatbacks.
The front armrest hides yet more places to lose things, as well as a 12V auxiliary power socket, a minijack socket and a USB port for connecting portable music devices - and there are pockets in the front doors that can take a 1.5-litre bottle.
Standard kit includes remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, rear parking sensors, an auto-dipping electro-chromatic rear-view mirror and a trip computer.
The Allure has all that too, and adds LED-based ambient lighting and electrically adjustable and heatable seats.
Antilock braking with electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assistance is now the Peugeot norm, with the 4008 also boasting an electronic stability programme with anti-skid and traction control functions.
PRICES
4008 2.0 CVT Active - R363 900
4008 2.0 CVT Allure - R388 500
A five-year OR 100 000km warranty and a five-year or 100 000km full maintenance plan are included, as are five years of free emergency roadside assistance.