Peugeot 208 road test by Steve Rogers
If wow factor is
what you want then feast your eyes on this French beauty.
As superminis go
there is nothing to match the reigning European Car of the Year. Not that we
should be surprised, the French have been churning out head turners for decades
- Citroen DX, Renault 16, Peugeot 405 - I could fill a page, and the fifth
generation 208 is the best in its 37 year history.
Just to clear up
any confusion for those who think this model should be called 209, Peugeot decided
a couple of years ago to stop at eight for every model in its line up.
The body styling is
not even the best feature, it's the cabin where the real wow comes in. The
futuristic switch free i-Cockpit broke cover on the 308 seven years ago and has
been tweaked and honed so much so that no one comes close to matching its chic
design, while the quality of materials has pushed the 208 towards the premium
division.
That is where this
love-in with 208 has to take a breather. The i-Cockpit is certainly fabulous to
look at but has its critics and I am one. The driver's binnacle sits on top of
the dashboard so it is a case of looking over rather than through the small
steering wheel which has a flat top to make it easier to see the display.
It means you have
two choices: sit low or high and getting it right, or rather close to right,
takes too long and is even more irritating when a partner has a different
preference. If ever there was a case for powered driver's seat with memory
function this is it.
The original i-Cockpit
design came in for a lot of stick because every function was controlled through
the touchscreen which took the driver's eye away from the road for too long.
That was partly resolved with stylish quick keys and the set up in the 208 has
been further refined with touch pads as well although they need to be angled
rather than flat for ease of selection.
Once the driving
position is sorted and the controls mastered the 208 is driving pleasure. There
is a tremendous feel good factor right through the cabin both with the sparkling
design features and premium quality materials while the driver's
interchangeable 3D head up display has to be seen to be believed
It is good to drive
as well and I like the small steering wheel. It harks back to the sixties and
seventies when a steering wheel did nothing more than steer, so us young bucks
in our bangers swapped the ungainly big one for the tiny rally styles of the
day in the misguided hope you would drive faster. How silly we were.
Even though the
Peugeot supermini's reputation was built on the handling prowess of the sublime
205GTI the latest version airs more on the side of comfort but can still be
thrown around with confidence and in many ways is the ideal compromise.
There is a GT badge
on the back of my test car though this was a long way from its speed machine
ancestor. Times have changed, now it is all about smaller engines giving a lot
from a little with as few nasty carbon emissions as possible and Peugeot has
been leading the charge.
This three-cylinder
1.2 petrol is no flyer compared to some hybrid rivals, and while it won't give
GT performance of old it meets the demands of modern day driving. That said the
week's average of 47mpg with a best of 52mpg was down on what I was expecting.
Cabin space is no
better than average so if your family has lanky youngsters get them in the back
for a trial before signing on the dotted line. All the seats are well shaped
and comfortable.
On price the 208 is
at the top end of its class but is well equipped right from entry level with
many safety features, and the engine line up is strong. My choice would be this
101bhp petrol even though the diesel will give better economy.
So a desirable car
although I would be inclined to move up to the 2008 crossover for the extra
space.
Need to know
208 GT Line 8sp
auto
£22,100 (range
starts £17,155)
1.2 litre; 101bhp
0-62mph 10.8secs;
117mph
50.3mpg combined
99g/km. 1st tax
£130
Insurance group 20
Boot: 311 litres
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