Peugeot 208

The Peugeot 208 is just as stylish car from the inside. The quality of materials is very plush and everywhere you can touch are soft-touch materials. The cabin also follows Peugeot’s i-Cockpit design that gives it a low set compact and sporty leather steering wheel and a high set instrument cluster. This allows the driver to take a more comfortable position while steering and look at their instruments without taking their eyes off the road. The instrument cluster gets its own little styling touches like a red LED surround on the GTi model that set it apart from the normal variant. Infotainment is through a 7” touchscreen mounted on top of the center console that provides music streaming, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Audio is well catered for with Arkamys 3D Sound audio system with 6 speakers. Air conditioner is dual zone. Apart from small cupholders and useless glove box and inconvenient placement of some buttons, the front is a very nice place to be. The same is not true for the rear. Legroom is narrow, and the headroom suffers due to the sloping roof. Boot space behind the seats is also not the best at 311 L which goes up to 1152 L when the rear seats are folded down. The GTi gets its own special touches with semi bucket seats, aluminum shift knob and a lot of red accents.

Peugeot has undergone a sea change in its design language and looks much more modern as a result. But the 208 will take another generation to catch up. That does not mean that the existing design is any worse.  The old aesthetic with its large gaping grille and front and rear bumpers that look like protruding lips help it stand out from the crowd. The latest refresh has brought in a two-tone effect to the grille with horizontal streaks, a more aggressive black, and chrome headlight design, chrome window surrounds and unique 3D effect in the taillights that look like claws. The sculpted side profile and the overall shape of the car compliment the compactness of the car measuring just 3965 mm (L) X 1739 mm (W) X 1460 mm (H). 16” two-tone alloy wheels wrapped in 195/55 tires round out the appearance of the car. The dimensions of the GTi are only slightly different from the standard variant. They can be told apart by the larger 17” wheels wearing 205/45 tires, missing rear doors, red brake calipers, discreet GTi badging, spoiler, and double chrome exhaust tailpipe. Color options are also different for both. While the standard can be had in digital white, virtual blue, nera black, atomic orange and rouge red, the GTi is limited to digital white and rouge red.

The Peugeot 208 present two different cars that provide two very different driving experiences. The basic Pureline is all about comfort and a hint of nimbleness thanks to the compact steering wheel. The GTi, however, is the car to buy if you want a more sporty and dynamic driving experience. Both cars, however, do come with the same suspension setup. There are pseudo-MacPherson struts with anti-roll bars in the front and a trailing arm with dynamic cross member axle in the rear. The outside view is nice with low window sills and a large windshield.

Power comes from a 1.2 L turbocharged inline 3 engine with VVTi. This produces a peak power output of 110 hp at 5500 rpm and 205 Nm of torque from as low as 1500 rpm. This is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with quickshift. The engine really gets into its own at higher revs. The NVH levels could also have been improved a lot. It allows the car to achieve a top speed of 190 kmph and reaches 0-100 kmph in 9.8s. The GTi gets a larger 1.5 L engine twin scroll turbo inline 4 engine that produces 208 hp at 6000 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 3000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed close ratio manual transmission that allows it to reach speeds of up to 230 kmph and clocks 0-100 kmph in just 6.5 s. Both engines are Euro VI compliant and deliver fuel economy figures of around 15 kmpl.

The Peugeot 208 has a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The Pureline comes with 4 while the GTi comes with 6 airbags in total. Hill start assist, ESP, ABS with EBD and emergency brake assist are standard across both models. Also included are anti-skid regulation, dynamic stability control, and anti-whiplash front seat headrests are also standard.

Are you looking for a car in this segment? Then the Peugeot 208 is certainly worth a look. It will make you stand out like nothing else while also serving as your versatile daily runabout. It will also give you a much more quality interior and feature list than any Japanese car at this price range.