Skip advert
Advertisement

Peugeot 208 GTi and GTi by Peugeot Sport review - a return to 205 GTi form? - Peugeot 208 GTi Performance

The Peugeot 208 GTI trying to channel the spirit of its seminal predecessor, the original 205 GTI. Does the latest hot hatch get close?

Evo rating
RRP
from £19,515
  • Best Peugeot hot hatchbacks in years; fast and involving
  • Ford Fiesta ST runs it very close

Performance and 0-60mph time

Naturally, it’s the car wearing official Peugeot Sport badging that’s the fastest of the GTis, but not by the margin you might expect thanks to the modest power difference between the two.

evo has timed the regular 208 GTi to 62mph in 6.8 seconds (it's 6.8sec officially too), while the claimed top speed is 143mph. The 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport snaps to 62mph in 6.5sec, just a few tenths quicker than the standard car (partially determined by the extra 25kg it carries, at 1185kg), and tops out at the same 143mph.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The manner in which each gets there differs little too, with both feeling very fast for their size (the Peugeot Sport is just a little more rampant as the boost builds) and slicing cleanly, if not with much tactility, through their six ratios.

Unfortunately, both also share the same flaw, albeit to a lesser degree in the Peugeot Sport – the 1.6-litre engine just doesn’t have enough aural appeal. We described the regular GTi as ‘muted and apologetic’ in evo 184 – an 'unenthusiastic drone’ would be another way of putting it – and while the Peugeot Sport has a slightly deeper exhaust note, there’s still little incentive to use that ample performance beyond the rate at which the scenery passes.

 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The most extreme Porsche 911 we’ve ever seen spied – a GT2 RS or something more?
Porsche mule Nürburgring
News

The most extreme Porsche 911 we’ve ever seen spied – a GT2 RS or something more?

Wild 911 prototype is much wider with a reprofiled rear end, pointing to a GT2 RS-flavoured model in the works
14 May 2025
Why I can't stand Cars & Coffee, even as a caffeine addict
Cars and coffee
Opinion

Why I can't stand Cars & Coffee, even as a caffeine addict

They’re all the rage, but Cars & Coffee meets aren’t Meaden’s cup of tea
1 May 2025
We never thought the day would come – the De Tomaso P72 is ready for production
De Tomaso P72 – front
News

We never thought the day would come – the De Tomaso P72 is ready for production

Having first appeared in 2019, De Tomaso is finally building its retro, V8-engined P72 hypercar
14 May 2025