Thabiso Malimela
Have you ever met someone so far removed from any archetype that by impulse you decide to love and keep them in your life, and while you might be aware that some of their imperfections might be revealed with time, you promise to love them regardless?– after all, those imperfections are probably what make the person so special. Well, in case you weren’t aware, there are times when as soon as you lay your eyes upon a car that is newly released, you’re bombarded by the same impulsion mentioned above – all you want to hear is the price and the release date. Any other information about the car bounces off your head like you’re an internet conspiracy theorist wearing a tin-foil hat. Yeah, it’s that strong! Ladies and gentlemen, it seems Cupid may have been aiming straight at me as I watched the new Peugeot 208 rotate on a turn table at Peugeot’s stand at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show which, consequently, has sent my head spinning. Who would’ve thought a modern Peugeot could make one feel like this?
Well, this comes as no surprise to me as anyone with two functioning eyes and an internet connection knows about Peugeot’s design masterpiece, the 508, and it seems the new 208 seeks to emulate that same radical but tasteful design. In a segment where subdued looks such as those from the Volkswagen Polo pass as the norm, more exciting and lively aesthetics from the new Peugeot 208 are sure to give the competition and buyers something to think twice about. Like an indecisive guy when a beautiful woman complains that men always pursue her for her beauty, let’s take a deeper look at what else the Peugeot 208 has to offer.
5 Powertrain Options
Part of Peugeot’s vision of the future includes providing its customers with the freedom to choose between petrol, diesel or electric/hybrid powertrains to power their cars. This plan will be implemented on all Peugeot models as of 2020 and they’re kicking this campaign off in the new 208 hatchback. Expect no less than three petrol engines, a single turbo-diesel and an electric powertrain on the e-208.
- PureTech75
The PureTech75 in entry level 208s is a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated 3-cylinder motor developing just 56 kW which should be satisfactory for city use at least. This frugal powerplant is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission for a mostly traditional driving experience.
- PureTech100
Falling right in the middle of the petrol powertrain list is the 1.2 litre 3-cylinder turbocharged PureTech100, developing a neat 75 kW. 208 models fitted with this engine option come with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission
- PureTech130
The most powerful petrol powered 208 comes with a 97 kW, 1.2 litre 3-cylinder turbocharged motor linked to an 8-speed automatic transmission (internally dubbed EAT) which comes with a pair of steering wheel mounted paddles, useful for when you want to manually control the swapping of the cogs.
- BlueHDi
The one and only diesel option on the new 208 is dubbed BlueHDi and pushes out 75 kW from a 1.5 litre turbo setup. Only the 6-speed manual will be fitted onto diesel 208s.
- e-208
For the first time ever, Peugeot’s supermini will be available as an electric car and depending on how much experience your country has with electric cars, this is either a rude awakening of the impending doom of fossil fuel internal combustion engines (petrol and diesel) or another reminder that electric power has indeed arrived. Peugeot promises 340 km of pure electric driving from the 50 kWh battery pack which powers a 100 kW and 260 N.m electric motor. It is estimated that using a fast charge facility, you will need just 30 minutes to recharge the e-208 to a batter charge level of 80%.
A Comprehensive Fleet of Bells and Whistles
Gone are the days where only German and dedicated luxury vehicles would come standard with a list of impressive features while everyone else drive around in a dog kennel with four wheels and some windscreen wipers – the rest of the world has caught up as the growth of technology keeps accelerating at an alarming rate. Never mind features such as LED lights and leather seats. The really impressive stuff lies hidden in computers that are designed to save your life or at least make that life a lot more convenient. These features, also found in the new 208, include a reverse camera (a bit superfluous on a supermini), light and rain sensors, stability control for when you run out of talent long before the tyres run out of grip and a total of 6 airbags, for which the curtain kind are included. EAT (8-speed automatic) variants of the 208 will receive adaptive cruise control in which Stop-and-Go and automatic lane keep assist are inclusive.
Autonomous park assist is there to park your car for you if you either can’t be bothered to do it yourself or you actually don’t have enough spatial awareness to execute a neat parking manoeuvre. While we’re still on the topic of awareness, if you’re the type of person who claims they didn’t see the road sign or wasn’t aware they were going that fast when stopped by the traffic police, Peugeot’s speed limit and traffic sign recognition system may come in handy – that’s if, of course, you were telling the truth in your statement (wink). Other features found on the new 208 such as blind spot assist and a driver monitoring system will be welcomed with open arms as they contribute to safety on our roads.
311 Lilots Boot
Well, it’s not the best in class seeing as the new Renault Clio has a 391 litre boot, but its honest work, nonetheless. Worry not though, what it lacks in the boot it more than makes up for in the rest of the interior.
Ultra-Super-Duper Futuristic Interior
Nothing I say can paint an accurate picture of the new 208’s interior in your imagination. So, I’ll let you take a look first and let you develop your own conclusions…
Done? Great! So, do you also think it looks like it’s been plagiarised from a science fiction comic book spaceship (We also said the same thing about the Peugeot 3008‘s interior not too long ago)? The entire business portion of the dashboard (the switches, vents, storage compartment, etc) is angled towards the driver to give a more driver-oriented experience – just like a spaceship, only in a spaceship you have a pilot instead of a driver. At the top of said dashboard you will find either a 7-inch touchscreen display or a 10-inch variant which includes Android Auto, Apple Car Play and Satellite Navigation. Both touchscreen displays are part of Peugeot’s new digital dashboard, which they are calling 3D i-Cockpit. This new digital interface uses clever reflection to give its users the impression that it has 3-dimensional graphics. Below the screen, you will find a set of switches that will, even for a second, trick any pilot into thinking they’re back at work – the same goes for that automatic transmission gear lever.
The 208 inherits a digital instrument panel, the i-Cockpit, from other Peugeot’s and it’s not something one should be sad about – this system is absolutely wonderful to behold and use. The fully digital i-Cockpit instrument cluster will only be available on higher spec’ 208 models while the more basic versions will most likely receive a set of analogue dials. The biggest talking point in the 208’s interior is probably the octagonal, two-spoke steering wheel, or rather, it’s unusual size. Although it looks the part and one might argue that it minimises obstruction of the digital instrument panel, a lot is still left unsaid about how it actually feels to operate on a daily basis. However, the rest of the interior receives a touch of piano black plastic finishes to add to the digital and futuristic theme.
Dat Exterior tho!
I know I promised not to bring up this car’s looks but since we’re already here we might as well, right? Let’s start at the front. For a long time, Peugeot’s large and gaping grille design has gathered but a few fans and while they’ve brought in an evolution of that same design to the new 208, this time it looks like they’ve nailed it! The headlights now feature the three-claw LED design and the one LED beam that extends toward the floor reminds me of the teardrop lines on a cheetah’s face – very badass indeed.
Moving on to the sides and you’ll notice a subtle flare of the wheel arches, a nod to the iconic 205 GTi. At the rear is where a lot of the falling in love happens. Peugeot continues their trademark three-claw taillight design which is intended to look like the scratch of a lion’s claws. These taillights are integrated into a gloss black insert that extends across the whole length of the car’s rear end with the word ‘Peugeot’ tastefully spelled in perfectly spaced out letters below the tiger emblem. Some double-barrel exhaust pipes stick out neatly at the bottom of the bumper and allude to the car’s (and possibly the driver’s) fun and sporty personality.
Summary
Trust a company like Peugeot to take a scenic route when its main rivals are opting for a more direct route towards sales and segment domination. If it wasn’t clear before that Peugeot wanted to give its customers a bit more variety and a lot more excitement then I’m not sure how much more clear things can get. There’s no denying that the 208 was designed to be a fun, sporty car that rewards the driver more than any other vehicle in this segment. The driver-oriented interior and energetic exterior design both allude to that and the fact that the new CMP platform that underpins the 208 is 30 kg lighter and is more rigid than before, is more evidence that suggests a rewarding driving experience. Having driven the previous generation 208, you got a certain urge from the car that made you consider taking every corner in a monumental slide, rear wheels locked, opposite lock, you know, that Ken Block type of stuff. And I hope that same personality transfers well onto the new car because if it drives at least half as well as it looks, oh boy is the Volkswagen Polo in some trouble!
Alternatives
- Volkswagen Polo
- Ford Fiesta
- Renault Clio
- Kia Rio
- Mazda 2
- Nissan Micra
- Honda Jazz
- Citroen C3
- Audi A1
- MINI 5-Door Hatch
