A Tale of Two Lions

The French manufacturer Peugeot has used the lion logo on its vehicles for over a century. With a new version of the logo recently introduced, we took the latest Peugeot cub to the Swartland to become acquainted with its legendary Cape equivalent, as depicted on the label of the Lion’s Hill range of wines …

For over 170 years Peugeot, now the leading brand in the Stellantis Group, have featured the lion emblem (some say it was based on the Lion of Belfort, emblem of Franche-comté, a wine-making region and home to the Peugeot family) as its logo.

Now, after ten preceding renderings, the oldest surviving automotive brand in the world has introduced a new version – a coat of arms adorned with a magnificent lion’s head. According to Peugeot the previous logo, introduced ten years ago, needed to change to indicate the upmarket move of the brand; having completely overhauled its vehicle range over the past decade.

The new logo is reminiscent of the emblem Peugeot used in the ‘sixties (it probably served as stimulus for it) but, in keeping with the modern trend, it is now two-dimensional. It is also similar to the design used on the label of the Lion’s Hill range of wines – and this coincidence motivated us to visit the Malmesbury region with the latest Peugeot model, the new 2008.

The Cape Lion

Obviously, the Lion’s Hill range takes its name from Lion’s Head peak overlooking Cape Town but the logo was inspired by the legendary black-maned Cape Lion, a population of Panthera leo melanochaita found in the Cape Province before it was extirpated in the mid19th century.

According to scientific documents, the type specimen originated at the Cape of Good Hope and was described in 1842 as large with black-edged ears and a black mane extending to under the belly. Until 2017, it was considered a distinct lion subspecies but recent studies indicated the colour of lion manes is influenced by climatic variables, questioning the validity of this theory.

Splendid in two-tone Elixir Red and a black roof, our highend 2008 1.2T GT still sported the rampant lion logo on its prominent grille bordered by full LED projector headlights with three-claw light signature (the new emblem made its debut on the new 208, recently launched overseas).

The new cub in the Belfort pride now looks far more mature and grownup, with much bolder, angular, and more masculine lines, and its sporty, adventurous styling oozes French flair. Its strong profile, with different and daring triangular lines, is eye-catching, making it (in my view, at least) one of the most attractive smaller SUVS now available.

Based on the Common Modular Platform (CMP) of Stellantis the new 2008 is more spacious than the current model with a 67 mm extended wheelbase and a luggage capacity of 434 ℓ. Inside, the modern design of the instrument panel and the quality of the interior materials and trim is a huge step-up from its predecessor.

The chic, yet upmarket atmosphere is embellished by Black Diamond headlining, Adamite colour stitching, and bright trim on the dashboard and door panels, plus you can choose from eight “mood lighting” colours via the touch screen.

There is a variety of practical storage space on board, with an induction charging pad in the centre console and the new icockpit 3D instrument cluster with hologram projection – a world first in the segment – improved the whole driving experience. This is augmented by the 10inch HD capacitive colour touchscreen with Mirror Screen connectivity, and configurable 3D head-up display.

Swartland visit

On our visit to the Swartland – origin of the Lion’s Hill range of wine that include a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, Sweet Red, and a Chenin Blanc, all for export into Africa – we found it took some time to again familiarise yourself with the positioning and feel of the trademark compact steering wheel but, once on the go it fell easily to hand.

The small yet powerful 1.2litre threecylinder turbo engine (delivering 94 kw and 230 Nm) felt lively and quite feisty on the highway and combined flawlessly with the sixspeed auto transmission with mode selector (Sport, Normal, or Eco). A bit more torque would have been welcome up some of the hills but the engine and drivetrain combination worked well overall.

On coarser roads the solidness and exemplary buildquality impressed, and even rough farm tracks could not upset its composure and good ride quality. Equipped with Grip Control, coupled with hill assist descent control (HADC), we were surprised at how well our 2008 GT handled the dirt roads.

Add to this its class-leading driver assistance arsenal, and it is clear the new 2008 presents a compelling package in a highly competitive market segment – just what Peugeot needs to claw back market share.

Yes, it faces stiff opposition but with competitive pricing – R479 000 for the flagship GT, including a threeyear/60 000 km service plan – it surely warrants serious consideration. The good-looking newcomer is more sophisticated than its predecessor, technologically more advanced and connected, and it feels solid and well-engineered – in line with the symbolism of the new Peugeot logo.

The Cape Lion may well be extinct but with the new 2008, the lion from the French brand is roaring louder.