Once upon a time, Peugeot made some properly brilliant cars. There was the legendary 205 GTI, or the 306 GTI-6, one of the best hot hatches of its day. Then of course there was the mighty Peugeot 504. A car so tough it became the unofficial king of Africa. Whether it was pounding along dusty tracks as a bush taxi, hauling families across countries or tackling some of the harshest terrain on the planet, the 504 developed a reputation for being almost indestructible. If you wanted to drive across the African continent, chances are you'd have trusted a 504 to get you there.
Even the 206 was a brilliant little car; I’ve owned one with 3 doors and a tiny 1.1 litre petrol engine that had just enough power to get out of its own way, but even so it had bags of character. Somewhere along the way, however, Peugeot seemed to switch from making exciting cars to making cars that were sensible, practical, and about as exciting as a bag of flour. Perfect cars for people who have as much interest in a car as I do in competition knitting.
Recently, however, there has been a disturbance in the Force. It seems that the designers at Peugeot have been re-watching old sci-fi films and decided they want all their cars to look like something you’d find parked inside an Imperial-class star destroyer. Gone are the bland, soft and boring family hatchbacks and people carriers; in their place are cars that, for me at least, make me double-take, wondering what I’d just seen drive past, shocked at the fact that what I’d just seen was carrying a Peugeot logo.
A little while ago I found myself behind the wheel of one of these sci-fi mobiles in the form of a Peugeot 208-E GT Premium model, and, I have to admit, I was rather impressed.
Let's start with the exterior. I’ve owned a Peugeot 307 and a 206 and have even driven around in my now ex’s 207, so I’m very well versed in the Peugeot look. But if you’d marched me up to the 208 with the badges covered and asked me what it was, I definitely wouldn’t say Peugeot. It looks fun and compact but still striking. The panels look like they’ve been folded, sculpted or creased into shape. The slim LED headlights and fang-like daytime running lights, while the chunky grille and black trim around the rear make it look far sportier than you'd expect from a little electric hatchback. More importantly though, it looks like it wants to have fun. It shone a deep metallic blue in the afternoon sunshine and sat on 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, which suited it perfectly. It looked sporty without trying too hard, and, more importantly, it didn’t look like every other hatchback on the road.
Climbing in felt like climbing into the cockpit of an F-22 raptor. You’re surrounded by screens, metallic fighter jet-style switches and, if I’m honest, a steering wheel that’s just a little too small, feeling like something you’d find in a cosy coupé. It all feels incredibly modern and absolutely nothing like the Peugeots of old. It wasn’t all plain sailing, however; whilst driving along, trying to find the cruise control, I somehow managed to change the speedometer from mph to km/h, which was a bit of a shock. Peugeot has made the cabin feel genuinely premium as well. The materials are a huge step up from the hard plastics I remember in older Peugeots, and, despite my issues with the steering wheel, it's actually a rather pleasant place to spend a couple of hours. It's different, and in today's market that's no bad thing.
Then of course there’s the important bit: how is it to drive?
Well. Around town in Eco mode, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a small electric hatchback. It’s smooth, quiet and incredibly easy to drive. It will happily spend all day in stop-start traffic. Switch it to sport mode however, it suddenly feels very much like an old Peugeot GT car. Plant your foot, and it gets a serious shift on, thanks to the 100kW (136bhp) electric motor through a single-speed gearbox. That might not sound particularly exciting on paper, but with 260Nm of torque available instantly, the little Peugeot gets from 0-62mph in just 8.1 seconds.
The e-208 GT is more than just another electric hatchback. It's a glimpse into the direction Peugeot is heading, and if this is anything to go by, I'd say they're finally back to making interesting cars again. They're bold, they're different and, most importantly, they actually look like they want to be driven. As much as I'll always have a soft spot for the growl of a lively four-cylinder petrol engine, there's no denying that sporty electric hatchbacks bring their own kind of excitement.
Would I own one? Probably not. That's mostly because, out of the two Stellantis cousins, I'd still pick the Corsa Electric. Underneath they're almost the same car, sharing the same platform, motor and battery, but I've always had a soft spot for the Corsa. Call it bias if you like, but cars aren't always bought with the head.
That said, the e-208 achieved something I never expected it to. It made me excited about Peugeot again, and for the first time in a very long time I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing what they come up with next.
- Power: 136 bhp
- Torque: 260 Nm
- Battery: 50 kWh
- Drive: Front-wheel drive
- Gearbox: Single speed
- 0-62 mph: 8.1 seconds
- Top speed: 93 mph
- Range: Up to 217 miles (WLTP)
- Charging: Up to 100 kW DC
- Price (new): Around £32,000