Peugeot 208
Peugeot's 208 has shed the weight its predecessors gained and the French carmaker says it has 'renewed the driving experience'. Pete Burnard wonders if enthusiasts could be about to stop mourning the 205 GTI...
Peugeot's 208 has shed the weight its predecessors gained and the French carmaker says it has 'renewed the driving experience'. Pete Burnard wonders if enthusiasts could be about to stop mourning the 205 GTI...
WITH just one 207 left in Motor Mall's showroom, the Peugeot 208 just cannot arrive too soon for the airport dealership, where sales manager Gary Bynam is hoping to see the new supermini as early as spring. Naturally, he is keen to open the order book and since a worthy successor to the revered 205 GTI is expected to join the range at or soon after launch, enthusiasts will doubtless want to put their names down.
Peugeot says its new supermini represents the 'most ambitious specification overhaul' it has made to a road car.
While the 205 grew up into the highly successful 206 and 207, the latter successor in particular did gain weight which Peugeot has now largely shed to help restore some of the driving characteristics that made all 205 models appeal to keen drivers or, as Peugeot call it in their 208 publicity, 'renew the driving experience'.
Still recognisably a descendant of its predecessors, the 208 is bolder and more stylish – gone are the gaping maw of a grille and oversized headlights.
It's lower and slightly narrower than the 207. The new car's 2,450mm wheelbase is unchanged but at 975kg, the lightest 208 weighs 173kg less than the trimmest 207, while model-for-model, the average weight saving across the range is a still-significant 110kg.
Despite the exterior reductions, the occupants get more space and more luggage room – boot volume increases by 15 litres to 285.
The 208 is also more aerodynamic than the 207 – couple that with new three-cylinder petrol engines and e-HDI diesels and economy is impressive.
The range of 1.4 and 1.6 petrol powerplants used in the mainstream 207 will be replaced by new super-frugal 1.0 and 1.2 three-cylinder VTi units.
The most efficient 1.0 variant will provide a claimed 65.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
Five diesels will also be offered, some with Peugeot's frugal 'micro-hybrid' technology. Four variants will be equipped with stop-start and the most efficient oil burner will return 83.1mpg and 87g/km of CO2.
With an average CO2 reduction of 37g/km across the range, Peugeot is claiming a lead in the supermini sector.
The maker also claims that the 208 features a 'new level of engineering between comfort and roadholding'.
It is certainly true that reduced weight and a compact exterior make for enjoyable handling, and a smaller steering wheel – now hooked up to a quicker rack – is usually indicative of an agile chassis.
The definitive proof of the pudding will doubtless come with the arrival of the GTI model(s).
A 154bhp version of the Peugeot-Citroen-Mini 1.6-litre powerplant version will be used in the mainstream GTI while the 204bhp unit used in the Citroen DS3 and 4 Racing models will go into a more focused model, possibly called GTI Racing.
That power should allow the quickest 208 to dash to the benchmark 60mph in less than seven seconds and endow it with a top speed of 140mph-plus.
Peugeot also promises a much-improved interior, with a focus on simple style and high-quality materials.
That small steering wheel, elevated instrument panel and cabin control touch screen are designed to make the car more driver-focused.
Driving information is displayed ahead of the pilot while a large touchscreen in the centre console looks after the infotainment and satnav, while no doubt helping maintain the 200 series' appeal to younger drivers and technophiles.
Three-door and five-door versions of the 208 will go on sale simultaneously and GTI variants will, predictably, be three-door.
