Peugeot 208 hatchback (2012 – ) expert review

1. Exterior

The designers of the 208 have aimed for “love at first sight” – and they’ve succeeded. The bodyshape is where we can see most improvement. Glance at the rear quarter and you can see similar lines to the iconic Peugeot 205. There’s also a raised spine which runs from the bonnet and up over the roof and the front of car now looks clean, muscular and chiselled. The Lion badge is no longer mounted on a shield, instead placed directly on the bonnet above the new-look single floating grille. LED signature lights now eyebrow the main headlights and the brake lights have three lines of LEDs in each cluster, mimicking a lion’s claw. The addition of chrome along the glazing is also a first, while its palette of ten exterior colours is more daring than the 207’s. It has the sense of fun lacking in the Volkswagen Polo and easily has as much style as the Ford Fiesta.

Our rating: 5

2. Interior

Inside is where Peugeot has really let loose with its creative juices. The interior represents a complete re-think with the instrument dials mounted high above the steering wheel like a Head Up Display. Next the steering wheel has been made much smaller, lending the 208 some sports car excitement. Within perfect arms reach of the wheel is a huge touch-screen interface which dominates the central console and assists in making navigating while driving a much easier – and safer – experience. The overall result is an engaging and fun driving position. It’s very different to anything else in this segment.

Our rating: 4

3. Practicality

The 208 can comfortably carry four passengers. It’s much smaller than the 207 (around 100kg lighter) yet will give rear passengers five cm more legroom. Headroom is plentiful too, even in the three-door model. The semi-floating seven-inch touchscreen controls the radio, Bluetooth hands-free kit and music via USB – go for active trim level and above to have this. In front of the gear lever are two cup/bottle holders but anything tall placed here blocks the 12V socket and two USB plug-in points – our only major gripe with the interior. The boot can accommodate 311 litres of luggage, or put the back seats flat to boost this to 1,152 litres.

Our rating: 4

4. Ride and handling

Peugeot says the 208 is a city-dweller and it returns the kind of handling you want for darting though a busy city. Drivers will love the light steering, great suspension (it coped very well with Portuguese cobbled streets and with potholes on Portugal’s economically-strained-and-unrepaired back roads on our review).  Best of all is the turning radius and the ease at which you can park. In cars fitted with parking assist, the graphics on the seven-inch touchscreen makes even the most nervous of drivers at ease. Oh and it’s great to drive on the motorway too.

Our rating: 4

5. Performance

There are ten engine choices for the 208; five petrol and five diesel engines to pick from. The petrol 1.0-litre VTi and 1.2 -litre VTi models have Peugeot’s new three-cylinder engine. These two models are truly superb. They rev fast thanks to one less cylinder, make a great noise and will return excellent fuel economy and low insurance premiums – ideal for the young driver market and those looking for an affordable (but sexy) runaround or second car. Out of the remaining three petrol engines, there is a 1.4-litre VTi, a 1.6-litre VTi and a turbocharged 1.6-litre. We’ve not driven the turbocharged version (155bhp) but if you’re caught between the 1.4-litre and the 1.6-litre we’d suggest you opt for the 1.4-litre as it delivers almost as much performance as the 1.6-litre. Power ranges from a respectable 68bhp for the 1.0-litre to 95bhp for the 1.4-litre. The diesel range has two 1.4-litre engines and three 1.6-litre engines. The 1.4l engines are the same except one comes with EGC Stop&Start. Out of the other three 1.6-litre engines, one comes with a 5-speed, one with EGC Stop&Start and the third with a six-speed gearbox. Power ranges from 68bhp for the 1.4-litre to 92hp for the 1.6-litre. The six-speed version has a sweet 115bhp.

Our rating: 4

6. Running costs

Go for the 1.0-litre petrol and you’ll get an average fuel consumption of 65.6mpg. Even the 1.4-litre petrol returns a respectable 50.4 mpg and the equivalent 1.4-litre diesel model gives 74.3mpg – which is increased to 80.3 with the Stop&Start model. Warranties last two years, three if the recommended servicing is adhered to. The insurance category is 8E and tax on the 1.4-litre diesel model we drove will set you back £135 a year. Tax is free for the three-cylinder petrol engines. You’ll save on breakdown too as all new Peugeot’s come with Peugeot Assistance, supported by the AA. All the HDi diesel engines deliver sub 99g/km of CO2.

Our rating: 4

7. Reliability

Research by Warranty Direct in 2011 found that the outgoing 207 was the most reliable used car, with just one in every 17 breaking down in an average year. With the new 208 this track record is expected to continue, particularly as Peugeot has broken yet more ground by improving build quality throughout. It’s deliberately put efforts into the 208 as the marque becomes increasingly aware of reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and giving owners the best possible chance of getting a good residual value when it comes time to sell on.

Our rating: 4

8. Safety

Six airbags protect the driver and front passenger; two front, two side and two curtain air bags. There are also two Isofix fixtures with three point attachments in the rear. ABS comes as standard – as is ESP – a unique selling point. It also features shock absorbers placed within the car’s structure to soak up crash impacts along with a collapsible steering column to minimise injury to the driver, and it all proved effective in Euro NCAP crash tests, with the 208 scoring a maximum five stars.

Our rating: 4

9. Equipment

The trim choices are: Access, Access+, Active, Allure, Feline. Choose Active and beyond to get the 7 inch touch screen and 15-inch alloy wheels. Go for Allure and Feline to gain 16-inch or 17-inch alloy wheels and to get sport seats along with various leather trims and chrome additions.  Feline also gives ambient lighting in the roof and LED-illuminated footwells. We’d suggest the black coloured trim – the light grey might not be everyone’s cup of tea and will show up dirt over time.

Our rating: 4

10. Why buy?

The 208 is a car that has the potential to please everyone. Both in terms of its looks and its performance. Peugeot has clearly taken the fight right back to the Fiesta and the Corsa – and the 208 is well worth considering, especially now that Peugeot has made the purchase price so competitive against these close rivals. The Pug is back. Now let’s have a GTI version. Please.

Our rating: 4