Tough choice, Peugeot 2008 Or Proton X50 Crossover

The all-new Peugeot 2008 model has just arrived in Malaysia. It may be 2 years late but there was a reason. Stellantis, the parent company for Peugeot has a full production factory in Gurun, Malaysia and so to get the best tax advantage this new 2008 had to be field-tested first and then local assembled to enjoy the needed tax benefit to challenge the segment best-seller, the Proton X50 which is a rebadged Geely bin Yue from China.

The Proton X50 arrived in Malaysia in October 2020 and within a few weeks, it had bookings surpassing all the segment rivals. With a 1.5L turbocharged engine in four variants, this stylish Proton was priced from RM79,200 to just RM103,300. Its nearest rival at the time was the very popular Honda HR-V which was already seeing a near end of life as it had been selling in Malaysia for almost 6 plus years with non-stop success. Yes, a new HR-V was on the horizon, but it too was waiting for local assembly.

Even the facelifted HR-V, the ‘SE’ which arrived in October 2021 had good demand, however, it was not able to push the success of the Proton X50 aside as the ‘SE’ was priced at RM105,363 and lacked the ‘new factor’ that the X50 brought to Malaysia.

Now comes a brand new 2008 from Peugeot to challenge the Proton X50 and it arrives at the best time. Why? Well, the waiting list for a brand new Proton X50 is almost 5 months for some colours and variants and this new Peugeot 2008 can be delivered to you in just a few days.

What the Peugeot 2008 deliver?

Very stylish and handsome with a number of global awards under its ‘belt’ including a Red Dot design award and the Engine Of The Year award, this new 2008 is loaded with cabin and safety technology to challenge the Proton X50 head on.

Priced at RM127k which is about RM25k more than the Proton X50, it is powered by a 1.2-litre (low road tax) 3-cylinder turbocharged PureTech petrol engine (low fuel consumption) which outputs 130 horsepower and 230Nm of torque. The engine sends power to the front wheels via a 6-speed conventional automatic transmission.

You get the all-new Peugeot i-Cockpit, a compact steering wheel, a large HD touch screen and a new 3D heads up instrument cluster. The interior also features Auto Climate Control, Leather Seats, an Electric Parking Brake, a Drive Mode Selector, Mood Lighting, and a 7″ infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Plus, there is full-LED lighting technology back to front, 17″ Black Onyx and Diamond Cut alloy rims, roof rails, electrically foldable wing mirrors and more. The Peugeot 2008 also comes with Advanced Keyless Entry, enabling features like Auto-Unlock and Walk Away Lock, Front & Rear Parking Sensors and a reverse camera.

The safety suite includes an ultrawide rear view camera (180-degree field of view), Active Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Active Safety Brake. Besides that, you also get 6 SRS Airbags, Hill Start Assist, Electronic Stability Program, Anti-lock Brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Emergency Brake Assist.

This all-new Peugeot 2008 comes with a 5-year manufacturer warranty or 100,000km, whichever comes first. Owners will also be treated to 3 years or 60,000km of free service maintenance.

What the Proton X50 delivers?

The X50 Executive model gets 6 SRS airbags, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto headlamps, front fog lamps, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, 18” alloy wheels, Driver power seat, a 360-degree camera and a 10” infotainment unit. It also has active safety and driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Keeping Assistant and more. It also gets a panoramic sunroof and a dual tone exterior paint finish.

The Proton X50 is powered by a turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine that generates 177bp and 255Nm of torque with a 7-speed ‘wet’ double-clutch transmission working smoothly. This means the X50 is slightly more powerful and sips more fuel. The X50 comes with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.

So, after reading the facts above, the final decision is yours, however looking at what Peugeot is offering in terms of safety and that European ride and handling, adding in the design and exclusive looking silhouette this new 2008 might tickle your interest more. Best is to take a test drive and see if the fast delivery might offset the slightly higher asking price.

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