Peugeot 208 review - a supermini for keen drivers?
Not the best-driving car in the class, but GTi models prove there's a good chassis underneath Peugeot's supermini
evo Verdict
If you can’t quite stretch to the GTi and GTi by Peugeot Sport versions of the 208 – or the performance versions of other superminis – then the basic 208 is still one of the better options available to you in the class.
It offers a fine ride and handling balance, drinks fuel at a modest rate and has one of the better cockpits among its rivals – if you can adjust to life with Peugeot’s iCockpit design, which places the instruments just below the windscreen and a smaller wheel in your hands. The 208 isn’t the last word in affordable thrills – a Fiesta or Mini is still the choice there – but it should be on your shortlist.
evo Tip
The top trim line below the GTi models is GT Line, and it’s the one you’ll want to pick if you still want a semblance of sporting appeal in your 208 without a GTi-style price tag.
While sport suspension isn’t on the specification list, you do get 17-inch wheels, sports seats and some styling tweaks, as well as the punchiest engine options.
evo Comment
If you’re expecting GTi-like thrills from the rest of the 208 range then you’ll probably come away disappointed, a situation not helped by the disappearance of the 154bhp version of Peugeot’s 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. But there’s still fun to be had guiding the 208 down a B-road, making deft inputs through the small wheel and sailing over craggy surfaces with greater composure than many of its rivals manage.
