There is a huge push right now towards hybrid and electric cars by all of the car manufacturers. The 208 which I drove last week is Peugeot’s first car that has the same spec in their petrol, diesel and electric models.
Two years ago, I drove their e-208, Peugeot’s electric version and 2020 was also the year that the 208 was voted European Car of the Year.
The 208 is a supermini that was launched in 2012 when it replaced the 207. It’s now in its second generation.
Peugeot always try to ensure that their range of cars on sale in Ireland have spare wheels. Through no fault of their Irish distributors there is no spare wheel in their recently launched 308, but the petrol version of their 208 definitely has a ‘mini’ spare wheel.
We Irish love our spare wheels probably because most drivers are worried that they might not be able to use the repair kit on a dark winter’s night.
In a review of a Peugeot car a few years back I made this point and compared spare wheels to other items we Irish love: Guinness, Club Orange, Tayto, Black Pudding and Brown Bread.
That comment elicited a ‘Letter to the Editor’ urging me to get on with the review. So I am taking that person’s advice here.
If I was asked to describe the 208 in one word, I would say ‘lively.’ Lively thanks to 100bhp, but of course it’s much more than that. From the moment I sat into this new version of the 208 it felt so responsive. It’s a neat, comfortable car that’s so easy to manoeuvre.
Inside, the dash is dominated by the usual Peugeot seven toggle switches. There is plenty of leg and head room. In the back seat you could fit three adults, at a squeeze. But probably most comfortable with just two adults or three children in the back.
The interior is fairly dark, with a touch of grey on the seats, but there is green stitching throughout, which does brighten up the décor. The boot size is average for a supermini.
My test car came in Nera Black; black is colour that is safe and always popular, especially in small cars.
My only criticism was that you need be fairly tall or else raise the driver’s seat up so that you can properly see the displayon the dash. I found the display was slightly obscured by the sporty-looking steering wheel.
All usual with Peugeot, three different specs available, Active, Allure and GT. The Active range starts at €22,370 and Allure starts at €25,5230. I drove a GT version where prices start at €27,780, but my test car which was 1.2-litre PureTech automatic 8-speed, with a few extras like 180-degree colour reversing camera, will cost you €30,085. Road tax €200.
In recent years Peugeot has really ‘upped their game’ in regard to design and quality and I think the 208 is one of the best small cars currently on sale in Ireland. I would definitely recommend a test drive, especially for first-time buyers, male and female. It might also be of interest to the empty-nesters, who may no longer need to own a station wagon or SUV.
I enjoyed my week in the 208 and having a spare wheel in the boot made it even more relaxing. Well done Peugeot.
