New Peugeot 208 Supermini
Published Date: 1st Mar 2013
Anyone of a certain age will remember the incredibly popular Peugot 205 an in particular the flagship GTi model, way back in an era when the term 'boy race and the streets were flooded with sporty hatchbacks the GTi was a very popular car amongst young men with it's eye-catching, sporty looks and equally impressive performance really got people's attention. The two latter replacements the 206 and 207 never really seemed to have hit the same heights however with the new Peugeot 208 it looks like Peugeot may be onto a winner again! Fans of the original 205 should be happy to hear that a GTi version of the new peugeot 208 should be on sale very soon.
208 Exterior
The new Peugeot 208 certainly is an eye-catching car – The ugly grills of it's predecessors are gone and there's a bolder look with lots of design tweaks, the front-end has had a makeover and is a much sportier/better-looking vehicle for it. Then there's the elegant curves of the front headlights and there are some touches of chrome, top-end models are equipped with LED daytime running lights and 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels.
Inside The 208
Inside the 208 there is a feeling of superior quality and improved materials with soft-touch plastics, damped switches, mid-range Active models get a 7" touchscreen on the centre console that can control anything from sat nav to your music playlist. The improved quality is given a keen sense of sportiness with raised dials and a smaller steering wheel.
208 Safety/Security
The Peugeot 208 achieved a full 5-star NCAP safety rating with 88 per cent for adult protection. ESP and ABS come as standard across the whole range, as do six airbags and seatbelt notifications for the driver and front passenger. The 208 is also equipped with a a Thatcham-approved Category 2 immobiliser.
208 Economy
The 208 is extremely easy on the pocket. The entire diesel range return at least 74mpg and they all dip under the 100g/km mark, making them free from road tax. Even the 1.0 VTi petrol engine dips under the magical 100g/km mark with a fuel consumption figure of 65mpg. If you would like something a bit nippier we expect the 1.2 VTi model to be very popular, it offers a bit more power and speed but still offers a fuel economy of 62.7mpg with emissions still very low at 104g/km. Insurance costs should also be affordable. General running costs might be a worry to some with Peugeot having picked up something of a negative reputation for unreliability and poor build, it's understood however that Peugeot have worked extremely hard to put a lot of these issues behind them with the 208 and first impressions are of a very solid car and improved build.
You can view the latest reviews of new new model superminis here