Small Peugeots have always needed to be driven like you are late for your mid-afternoon coffee in central Paris to get the best out of them. We head off to the launch of the new 208 to see if that still applies.
What is it?
The littlest Peugeot has had a chequered recent history since the legendary 205, but seems to have found some sales respectability of late. With the release of the newest version, Peugeot NZ hopes to grab itself a bigger chunk of the super-competitive super-mini segment by continuing its aggressive pricing strategy, while adding a whole bunch of kit, striking new looks and a surprise in the form of an entry-level three-cylinder-engined version.
The new 208 sprouts the now-familiar Peugeot corporate face, replacing the beaky snout of the 207, while sporting a crisper design that is distinctly European.
The 208 comes in both three and five-door forms, with the three-door featuring more aggressive body panels, with added creases, while the five-door gets a more conservative, softer appearance.
Under the bonnet the 208 comes with a choice of two petrol engines – an 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder and a new 60kW/118Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder. The 1.6 is available in three and five-door form and only with a four-speed automatic transmission, while the three-cylinder can only be had in five-door form and only with a five-speed manual transmission.
Two trim levels will be available in New Zealand – Active and Allure – with only the 1.6 five door model being available in both. The 1.2 is only available in Active trim, while the three-door 1.6 is only available in Allure guise.
The 1.2-litre Active kicks off the range at an impressive $23,990 and comes standard with six airbags and a full compliment of safety electronics as standard, along with daytime running lights, heated electric side mirrors, 15-inch steel wheels, Bluetooth, a 7-inch touchscreen, manual air conditioning, a trip computer and remote controlled central locking.
The 1.6-litre Active has the same spec, but adds the larger engine and automatic transmission for an extra $2,000, while the 1.6-litre Allure adds automatic dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, 16-inch alloy wheels and exterior differences like more chrome for $28,990.
The 1.6-litre Allure three-door gains the sexier sheet metal and loses two doors in the process. It features the same spec as the five-door Allure, but has different interior trim, for $29,990.
What’s it like?
Quite a likable little package. Once you get past the almost inevitable (for a French car) disappointment of the four-speed automatic transmission, that is…
Simply because the French (and Europeans in general) don’t buy small cars with automatic transmission, they just don’t really care about the markets that do. Or they are punishing us for being lazy.
That said though, around town the four-speeder works well with the 1.6-litre engine, pulling off the line crisply and keeping the little 208 up with the flow of traffic with no particular problems. It’s just out on the open roads that it shows its lack of the appropriate number of ratios…
The three-cylinder 1.2-litre engine is a surprise entry to the New Zealand line up, mainly because it is only available with the five-speed manual transmission, severely limiting its take up in our auto-dominated market. So big points to Peugeot for being brave enough to bring it in! They are being realistic, however, and only expect it to sell in very small numbers.
The 1.2 pulls surprisingly strongly for such a small engine and has a perky, enthusiastic feel to it. It does lack the characteristic three-cylinder growl that makes little cars like the Daihatsu Charade sound like angry little giant-killers, but feels eager on the road.
The five-speed transmission is a wee bit rubbery, and the car we drove on the launch had a horrifically high clutch take-up point, making it startlingly easy to stall until you got used to feeding in LOTS of revs, but that just meant you had to drive it HARD, which is exactly how you are supposed to drive small cars with three-cylinder engines…
The interior is a typically Peugeot mix of quality and surprising spots of cheap hard plastics, but these are kept admirably to a minimum in the 208. The seats are comfortable and the large touch screen, while a nice touch, is a bit unnecessarily complex, especially since the first shipment of cars lack the satellite navigation that will be an option on later Allure models.
What’s good about it?
It looks great, is very well specced and feels like a small nippy French car should around town. Decently spacious inside, the little 208 offers quite a lot for remarkably little money in entry-level guise.
What’s not so good?
Value for money becomes slightly more questionable as you go up the range, with the three-door Allure being quite an ask at a smudge under $30k. The three-cylinder engine does lack a bit of character, but the biggest let-down is the lack of a truly good automatic transmission.
First impressions?
An appealing little package let down by a Euro-centric attitude in the transmission department. That said, the four-speeder does the job around town, where the vast majority of 208s will do the vast majority of their driving.
A three-door base model with the three-cylinder engine and five-speed manual would be awesome, but Peugeot NZ would sell literally none of those, mainly because I am not in the market for a new car. Failing that though, the five door with the 1.2 would be a fine choice. Just make sure you drive it like a Frenchman to get the most out of it.
Specifications
Models/prices
208 Active 1.2 5dr manual – $23,990
208 Active 1.6 5dr automatic – $25,990
208 Allure 1.6 5dr automatic – $28,990
208 Allure 1.6 3dr automatic – $29,990
Powertrain
1.2-litre inline three-cylinder petrol producing 60kW/118Nm; 5-speed manual transmission; front-wheel drive or 1.6-litre inline four-cylinder petrol producing 88kW/160Nm; 4-speed automatic transmission; front-wheel drive
Fuel consumption: 4.5L/100km (1.2 man), 6.7L/100km (1.6 auto)
CO2 emissions: 104g/km (1.2 man), 154g/km (1.6 auto)
Safety
ANCAP/EuroNCAP rating: 5 star
Air bags: 6
Stability control: yes
Lap/diagonal belts: 5
You must be logged in to post a comment.