Peugeot 208 – 2020
By Ian Strachan
The development of the appealing Peugeot 208 continues apace. The latest all-new 208 has striking, sharper styling, class-leading frugal engines and bags of technical innovations.
I test drove the new Peugeot 208 GT Line, powered by a 131 bhp turbo-charged three-cylinder petrol engine. This unit delivers miserly fuel economy of 51.9 mpg in mixed driving with a CO2 level of 128g/km, but still takes you from 0-60 in a shade over eight seconds with a top speed of 129 mph. I test drove the eight-speed automatic version; the manual’s figures are marginally better.
The 208 remains the epitome of urban chic. With its five-door layout, attractive paintwork, shark-like headlights and smart gloss black trim it looks sleek and sporty, while the inside is packed with premium features including automatic air conditioning, a DAB digital radio with Bluetooth, voice recognition and Smartphone docking station and charging plate, configurable 3D head-up instrument panel, all-round electric windows, electric heated folding door mirrors and automatic headlights and wipers.
All this is in addition to the 208’s well-established virtues of muscular good looks, bags of interior space and great ride and handling.
The GT Line spec gets some attractive extra touches, including smart 17 inch alloy wheels, gloss black door mirrors and wheel arch extensions, sports seats, ambient lighting and distinctive badging.
From the front you have the 208’s deep chrome and black grille between the feline headlamps. From the side the 208 has smooth, sculpted lines and from the back the car is nicely designed with gloss black rear bumper trim. You still get impressive carrying capacity, particularly with the fold-down rear seats, but whichever way you look at it, this car is a good looker.
The inside is nice too, helped nicely-trimmed by sports seats which are comfortable with a good range of adjustment. There are plenty of storage spaces around the interior and all instruments are clear and accessible.
The 1.2 turbo-charged petrol engine is a quiet unit, even when worked hard, with good acceleration and flexibility. Mated to a smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox you also get excellent economy.
Ride and handling are excellent thanks to a lightweight chassis and good suspension. Road-holding is superb and electronic stability controls come as standard across the range.
On the road price for this spec is £23,775. My test car came with metallic paint (£645), a driver assist pack with lane positioning aid and adaptive cruise control( £300), a 10 inch colour touchscreen for connected 3D satellite navigation (£650) and a panoramic glass roof (£500).
Peugeot is to be congratulated on the new 208. There’s a big car in there trying to get out, but with small car personality.
