Peugeot E-208 GTi (2026 – ) Electric review

The E-208 GTi launches into an increasingly competitive electric hot hatch sector, and deals will of course vary from month to month. Taking bottom-line prices as a comparison, the Peugeot carries a small premium over the (very) closely related Corsa GSE and is a little more expensive than the base version of the Alpine A290, though the latter has the advantage of the full Electric Car Grant rather than the lower rate of the Vauxhall and Peugeot. So, advantage Alpine there. The Abarth and Alfa Romeo are, meanwhile, quite a bit pricier. But they’re all there or thereabouts on price and performance, the good news being you can choose based on the one you like the look of, or with the heritage that resonates the most. Back in the real-world of running costs? Well, ask us how we know but if you’re enjoying the E-208 GTi’s performance to the full you’ll be plugging into chargers quite a lot. So, that’s going to cost you!

Peugeot benefits from being part of the wider Stellantis family, and its reliability has improved thanks to the economies of scale from sharing parts and tech with the other brands in the group. We’d also take some additional confidence from the fact the team behind the GTi are from Peugeot’s racing division, and it’s been engineered with the same motorsport mindset to ensure brakes, tyres and suspension can all handle the extra speed.

Fair to say the target buyers for the E-208 GTi are likely less bothered by safety tech than how exciting it is to drive, the good news being the driver aids you get on the regular E-208 are still present and correct. And a lot less intrusive than they are in a lot of the cars we’ve tested recently, the lane-keeping nudges subtle enough that we didn’t immediately reach to turn them off and the speed warning chimes tactful enough to be actually useful. We also appreciated the fantastic grip of the Michelin tyres on our test cars, giving us tons of confidence in mixed conditions on our Scottish drive. There’s a no-cost option for Hankooks that put range before grip. But, given the nature of the car, we’d stick to the Michelins and accept we’d be charging more often.

The standard E-208 is a small car in the best traditions of French superminis, which inevitably means it’s a little cramped in the back. Same goes for the GTi on that score, of course, and if you like the idea of an electric hot hatch but need a bit more space the related Mokka GSE or the bigger Abarth or Alfa Romeo equivalents might be better. More broadly, the GTi proudly puts excitement before comfort in the way it drives, the upgraded suspension stiff enough to rattle your teeth at town speeds and fatter tyres noisy on rougher road surfaces. Both features coming into their own as the speeds rise and the roads get twistier, though. We need to drive them on the same day to be fully certain but we’d venture the Peugeot is perhaps a fraction less harsh than the Corsa GSE on this score, but neither car is one you’d choose for a relaxing ride.

Fans of the iconic OG 205 GTi will enjoy the many and various visual references to it throughout the E-208 GTi, these including red carpets and exterior pinstriping, GTi badges on the rear bodywork and the distinctive 18-inch wheels. It’s tastefully done and combined with more modern flourishes like the super-nifty 3D instruments and dedicated GTi display options for the main screen. For once Peugeot’s signature titchy steering wheel arrangement makes sense, contributing to the go-kart like driving experience while grippy sports seats hold you in place through the bends. GTi-specific upgrades to the brakes, suspension, driving modes and transmission will, meanwhile, delight the reformed petrolheads coming round to the idea of electric hot hatches for the first time. Beyond that it’s basically just a top-spec E-208 with bells on, and no worse for that.

The E-208 GTi is proof positive fun at the wheel is more about feel than it is big horsepower stats or impressive 0-60mph times. Sure, it’s still quick – the 281 horsepower is multiples of what the original 205 GTi had and more than the Alpine A290. But the way that power goes to the road is what makes the GTi such fun to drive, the weighty steering giving you the confidence to lean hard on the front tyres into the turns while the limited-slip differential (ask a petrolhead…) means you can be on the accelerator early and feel the car pulling into the corner under power rather than wanting to run wide. There are times when you feel the extra weight of the battery pack under hard acceleration and over bigger bumps. But, on the whole, the quality of the chassis engineering is exceptional. The only cloud on the horizon? Driven as intended you’ll be draining the battery a lot sooner than the 218 miles Peugeot claims. To the point where we were done with less than half that distance covered. OK, we had a lot of fun along the way. But if you’re looking to enjoy quiet roads out in the middle of nowhere just make sure you have your charging stops planned. On this experience they’ll be coming round sooner than you expected, though if it’s really a worry you can opt for a less sporty Hankook tyre option that increases the official range to 233 miles.