Peugeot E-208
New from £24,985 / £351 p/m
How long will it take to charge?
Results based on 50.00kWh Peugeot E-208 battery
0
For a part charge (up to 0 miles)
0
For an 0% charge 0
You can charge this vehicle in 30 minutes at its fastest charging speed of 100 kW
* We have used data from the manufacturer to estimate these charging times, they are only a guide. Charging times for some speeds may not have been provided.
Is the Peugeot E-208 Hatchback a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Autotrader
"Peugeot has updated the E-208 small hatchback because it’s about halfway through its life, originally arriving in 2019. Most of what’s been improved or altered is basically standard mid-life update stuff: new LED lights at both ends, new colours (including the striking shade of yellow pictured), new wheel designs, some interior trim changes, and more kit thrown in. The battery and motor have both been given a bump too, although that actually happened before this facelift, in 2022. It’s improved both power and range, albeit not to a transformative extent in the former case, which we'll come to. All of this makes a car that was already basically superb a little bit better; Peugeot has shifted more than one million 208s since 2019 and it’s easy to see why. It looks fantastic inside and out, it’s lovely to drive (if you’re the right size for it), and the electric version specifically is the best one - the most refined, cheapest to run, and the quickest in the real world. It’s not flawless, by any means - and it’s looking very expensive these days - but the E-208 could reasonably be called the best small hatchback on the market. Or at least the most interesting. Read on to find out why."
Green Rating
A dinky battery in a dinky car gives the E-208 the sort of carbon footprint we welcome. Add to that the Government’s recognition of parent company Stellantis’s relatively good manufacturing credentials with an award of the lower Electric Car Grant (£1,500), and you have yourself a good stab at a greener car. We wish, however that Stellantis’s global achievements to limit emissions translated into clear UK communications to its Peugeot customers about its actions – there’s no link to sustainability on the Peugeot homepage. Commendable water reduction per vehicle and circular-economy investment (in 2024, the percentage in weight of end-of-life vehicles recycled was 89%, surpassing the minimum 85% required by European law) but worrying news that the global company is looking at reinvesting in diesel again for certain markets.
Read the review by category
Running costs for a Peugeot E-208
Let’s start with the price, because at north of £31,000 for a basic Active spec E-208, it’s not a cheap car. Even in the context of a basic 208 with a petrol engine, which will set you back £12,000 less, it looks pricey. But it’s proper jarring to know that it’s in the same ballpark as, say, a Volvo EX30 or a Fiat 600e – and within touching distance of the recently updated Tesla Model 3, at the top of the range. Yikes. If you’re looking at things from a PURELY cost-based perspective, and you’re financing privately, then you’ll probably find that a petrol 208 will ultimately cost a bit less over three years of ownership. That said, the E-208 is the better car, and very cost-effective to run on a day-to-day basis if you charge it mostly using an EV-specific home tariff with cheap overnight electricity. You will of course get significant tax breaks if it’s a company car, too. The usable battery capacity has gone up by three kilowatt hours over 2019’s version, to 51kWh, meaning a bump in WLTP range, from 217 miles to 248 miles. It can charge at up to 100kW speed too, meaning the all-important 20-80% electricity fill-up takes less than 30 minutes. It’s worth considering insurance costs as well, because the E-208 is in a relatively high insurance band, beginning at 25 (of 50).
Reliability of a Peugeot E-208
The E-208 hasn’t been around for long enough to get a proper gauge on how reliable it is long term, but we have no reason to believe it’ll be problematic. It’s had only one recall in three years, for a possible electrical issue. This is the point at which we tell you that electric cars require less maintenance by nature too, because of the motor’s scarcity of moving parts. And then we tell you that because Peugeot is part of The Big Stellantis Group, the E-208 shares most of its bits with the Vauxhall Corsa-E and a whole host of other electric cars from Citroen, Jeep and DS Automobiles. Therefore, you’re looking at something built from bits tried, tested and proven far and wide – literally millions of cars. On a more subjective level, the E-208 just feels very well-built throughout. A real high-quality product. Most of the surfaces and the switchgear feel chunkier than James Hetfield’s low E string, and even the doors have the sort of “thunk” that you’d expect from a German saloon. This is Peugeot’s smallest car, remember. A petit French hatchback. How times have changed.
Safety for a Peugeot E-208
At a time when safety systems are becoming ‘active’ to the point that they’re an actual distraction – see the Volvo EX30 for details – the fact that the E-208 is fundamentally 2019’s car is a bonus. It’s very safe but in a generally passive sort of way: strong body shell and some useful tech as standard, like automatic emergency braking (at speeds up to 87mph), and one of the better lane-keeping systems we’ve tried. Which is to say it doesn’t shove the car sideways if it's within six feet of a lane marking. It has a four-star Euro NCAP rating, which is one away from top marks, but that’s mainly because it doesn’t perform well in the pedestrian test, whereas it does protect adult and child occupants very well indeed. What we would say, though, is that the E-208 feels very 2019 from a user interface point of view too. The infotainment software has been improved for 2023, but general intuitiveness is still nowhere near what Peugeot is doing in newer stuff like the 308, with its customisable shortcut switches. It’s the sort of setup that just demands a little too much time spent lingering on a screen, to do simple things like knocking the climate control down a couple of degrees. It could be worse, but it also could be a lot better.
How comfortable is the Peugeot E-208
Describing the comfort of an E-208 is like describing the comfort of a cashmere jumper that’s only available in one size. If that size doesn’t fit your frame, you’re going to feel restricted no matter how luxurious the material feels. The E-208 is the smallest application of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit setup, which is defined by a very small steering wheel and the digital speedometer sat above it. The issue is, if you’re taller or have long legs, the steering wheel will feel like it’s resting on your knees, partly because the seat doesn’t go low enough. So you’ll compensate by pushing the seat as far back as it’ll go, which means your arms are too outstretched. In a car with no space to spare, i-Cockpit just doesn’t work as well as it does in a 308 or a 508. There really isn’t much space to spare, either. Unlike the related Vauxhall Corsa, which feels relatively airy inside, this is almost cramped, front and back. Shallow windows don’t help. That said, it’s just a really interesting thing, so you’ll probably forgive the quirks even if you’re too tall to fit properly. The teensy steering wheel, sharp steering and small dimensions generally give it the sort of ‘go-kart’ feel that the MINI marketing department could only dream of. The ride quality is a little on the firm side because it’s electric – extra weight means stiffer suspension settings – but overall the balance is good. It doesn’t lean too much, nor does it thump too hard over potholes and things.
Features of the Peugeot E-208
The infotainment screen is 10-inches across the range now, albeit a basic Active E-208 has analogue dials and a ‘standard definition’ touchscreen; it does seem odd to make the screen bigger but dial the pixel count down in the base car. Just like it’s odd that the electric seats in top-spec cars still have manual front-to-back adjustment. The 3D and HD instrument display for top-level GT cars is impressive, but it’s not a deal-breaker, and in fact, you could easily make do with an Active car. It’s very well specified. It gets wireless smartphone mirroring, voice recognition, alloy wheels, a leather multi-function steering wheel, automatic climate control and rear parking sensors. GT trim is the best-looking by virtue of bigger wheels, gloss black exterior trim, colour-selectable interior lighting, and part-leather seats, but at more than £36,000, it’s just too expensive.
Power for a Peugeot E-208
Peugeot has bumped the electric motor by 20hp compared to the 2019 car. It did that in 2022, along with the slightly bigger battery, and carried the changes over to the facelift. So, we’ve gone from 134 horsepower to 154 horsepower. Quite a bump, but unusually – and surprisingly – the 0-62mph time has increased slightly, from 8.1 seconds to 8.2. We can probably put that down to the extra weight of the battery. Regardless, it still feels quick enough, albeit you need to be in Sport mode to unlock the car’s full power, or mash the accelerator to the floor in Normal Mode; in Eco and Normal modes, power and torque are reduced to preserve battery life and the car feels substantially less brisk, especially in the former setting. Still, the responsiveness of the electric drivetrain makes the E-208 feel right at home as a city car – sharp, alert and easily controllable – more so than petrol versions. It’s also, of course, much quieter. It’s true, however, that you can buy a lot more outright pace in an EV for this money. The MG4 XPower, for instance. Sure, it’s a different sort of car - a substantially bigger crossover - but it’s priced akin to a GT spec E-208 and it bashes out 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
£488.26
Monthly payment
£2,929.56
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- Hatchback
- Electric
- Automatic
- 226 miles
£497.39
Monthly payment
£2,984.34
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- Hatchback
- Electric
- Automatic
- 268 miles
£521.88
Monthly payment
£3,131.28
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- Hatchback
- Electric
- Automatic
- 263 miles
£539.15
Monthly payment
£3,234.93
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- Hatchback
- Electric
- Automatic
- 261 miles
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Peugeot E-208 Hatchback. This may vary between trim levels.
- 12V Power Socket
- 6 Speakers - 2 Tweeters and 4 Door Speakers
- Antenna - Gloss Black Fin Design
- Bluetooth Telephone Facility
- DAB Radio - Digital Audio Broadcasting
- Front USB-C - Data and Charge x1 and USB-C - Charge x1
- PEUGEOT i-Cockpit - 10in Capacitive Colour Touchscreen
- Peugeot Connect SOS and Assistance
- Rear USB-A x1 and USB-C x1
- Wireless Mirror Screen - Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 16in Alloy Wheels - NOMA - Bi-Tone Diamond Cut
- 208 Model Designation Badges Front and Rear
- Acoustic Windscreen
- Dark Tinted Rear Side and Tailgate Windows
- Dichroic E Monogram on C Pillar and Tailgate
- Door Mirror Shells - Gloss Black
- Electric - Heated and Power Folding Door Mirrors with Courtesy Floor Lighting
- Exterior Door Handles - Body-Colour
- Front Bumper Grille - Grained Black
- Gloss Black B Pillar
- Gloss Black Rear Cluster Connecting Strip
- Matt Black Window Weatherstrips
- One-Touch Electric Front and Rear Windows with Pinch Protection
- Rear Bumper - Gloss Black Finish
- Rear Spoiler - Diamond Black
- Tailgate with Heated Rear Windscreen and Wiper Blade
- Tyre Inflation Kit
- 7.4KW Monophase On Board Charger
- Electric Power Steering with Reach and Rake Adjustable Steering Column
- Mode 3 Type 2 Cable for Wallbox Charging - 6m
- Pre-Heating Functionality
- ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distributor EBD and Emergency Brake Assist EBA
- AVAS - Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System
- Active Safety Brake - Pedestrians
- Airbags - Curtain
- Airbags - Driver and Front Passenger Side
- Airbags - Driver and Front Passenger with Passenger Airbag Deactivation Function
- Alarm
- Automatic Door Locking When Moving Off
- Automatic Hazard Light Activation Upon Heavy Brake Application
- Child Locking Functionality on Rear Doors
- Deadlocking
- Driver Vigilance Camera
- ESP - Electronic Stability Programme with Hill Start Assist
- Electric Parking Brake
- Electronic Code Immobiliser
- Front Three-Point Retractable Seatbelts with Force Limiters
- ISOFIX Child Seat Fittings - x2 - Second Row
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Rear Windscreen Wiper Triggered Automatically in Reverse Gear
- Remote Plip x2 for Locking and Unlocking - includes Emergency Key Blade
- Seatbelt Unfastened on the Move Audible and Visual Alert for Front and Rear Seats
- Speed Limit Recognition and Recommendation
- Air Conditioning - Automatic Mono-Zone Climate Control
- Boot Lighting
- Central Front Armrest with Storage Compartment
- Dashboard - Carbon Effect Trim
- Driver Seat Mechanical Height Adjustment
- Electrochrome Rear View Mirror
- Front Interior Light with Reading Spotlights x2
- Front Optimised Safety Headrests and Rear Retractable Headrests - x3 - Height-Adjustable
- High Centre Console with 2 Cup Holders
- Leather Multifunction Steering Wheel
- PEUGEOT i-Cockpit Compact Steering Wheel
- Piano Keys - Gloss Black Plated Toggle Switches to Access Main Functions of Vehicle
- Push Button Start
- Quartz Contrast Stitching on Front and Rear Door Armrests
- Roof Lining - Light Grey
- Seating - Driver and Front Passenger Comfort Seats
- Seating - Driver and Front Passenger Seat Manual Adjustment - Longitudinal and Back Rest Angle
- Seating- 1-3 - 2-3 Folding Rear Seat
- Visibility Pack - Automatic Windscreen Wipers
- Visibility Pack - Follow Me Home Headlights
- Drive Mode Selection - Eco-Normal-Sport
- Driver Attention Warning
- Exterior Temperature Indicator with Ice Warning
- Front and Rear Parking Sensors
- Gear Lever - e-Toggle
- Multifunction Trip Computer
- PEUGEOT i-Cockpit - 10in Configurable Colour Head-Up Instrument Panel
- Programmable Cruise Control and Speed Limiter
- Tyre Pressure Monitor
- EcoLED Headlights with Electric Height Adjustment
- Headlights Left On Audible Warning
- LED 3-Claw Horizontal Rear Lighting Signature with Daylight Function and LED Break Lights
- LED Daytime Running Lights with Distinctive 3-Claw Signature
- Visibility Pack - Automatic Lights
Other vehicles in the E-208 family
208 Hatchback
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Electric Car Giveaway: Win a brand-new Peugeot e-208
This July you could win a brand-new Peugeot e-208 worth £35,650 - plus up to £1,300 towards insurance costs via Compare the Market, and a Hypervolt electric car charger with installation!
Your questions answered
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Contract Hire ('Leasing') is subject to status and approval and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Vehicle must be returned with no more than fair wear and tear to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply.
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