
Peugeot 208 and 2008 gain minimalist gear selector
The strangely-shaped protruding automatic gear selector in the Peugeot 208 and 2008 is no more. The French manufacturer has announced that both models are to adopt a more minimalist-designed drive select switch similar to what’s already seen in the newer 308 family hatchback.
Intended to free up space, the new control for the 208 and 2008 is finished in satin chrome with a piano black surround and a “carbon look” finish for the wrist rest. The toggle switch selects reverse, neutral and drive, while adjacent buttons operate the parking brake and – on models powered by internal combustion engines – a manual mode controlled via steering wheel-mounted paddles.
On fully-electric e-208 and e-2008 models, the manual mode is switched for a ‘B’ button. This activates the regenerative braking mode, which remains switched on for the next restart unless the button is pressed again.

The basic design for this switch is already making its way through the Stellantis-owned brands, with several electric vans and the new Vauxhall Astra using it. More are likely to follow.
As for Peugeot’s passenger cars, we can expect further models to drop the old selector – internally referred to as ‘Cobra’ – before long. The company’s cockpits will retain their ‘i-Cockpit’ layout, which involves the use of a smaller steering wheel with an instrument cluster placed above.
Now read our reviews of the Peugeot 208 and 2008…
New Mercedes-AMG One hypercar will be built in Coventry
Production of the Mercedes-AMG One – Merc’s hugely complex F1 engine-powered car [..]
New 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV: UK prices and specs revealed
The new Alfa Romeo Tonale is now on sale in the UK, [..]
New Kia XCeed facelift gets £22,995 price tag
The Kia’s XCeed crossover has been facelifted for 2022 bringing a fresher [..]
‘Rodin and Moke are set to shake up the car industry’
Car company bosses come in all shapes and sizes. Elon Musk is [..]
Porsche Taycan sets new Nurburgring electric production car record
Porsche has won countless races around the Nurburgring in its history, and [..]
Sporty Hyundai Ioniq 5 N spotted testing
The Ioniq 5, our Car of the Year in 2021, is set [..]
All-electric Mercedes A-Class replacement could still be on
The A-Class was the fourth best-selling vehicle in Britain last year and [..]
New 2022 Porsche GT4 RS Spyder spotted again
Porsche’s track-honed GT4 RS is set to receive a drop-top Spyder variant [..]