MOTORS
Edited by Mike Torpey
by CHRIS RUSSON
I
T’S a little car featuring a brand new engine and its mission is to cement Peugeot’s comeback in the supermini market. The new Peugeot 208 is arriving in June and will mark the debut of a lively three cylinder engine as well as an array of high tech gadgets. Priced from less than £10,000 the 208 will be taking a swipe at the top selling Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. In its armoury is an impressive three pot petrol engine plus a line-up of diesels all of which have tax free emissions below 100g/km. And with more than a bit of French flair the 208 has plenty of presence inside and out. The steering wheel is smaller than usual, the instruments sit high on the dash and all but the entry level model will have a full colour, seven-inch touchscreen which can be used to connect the car to the multimedia world of info on the move. In every way 208 is modern, trendy and fashionable and will appeal to a wide audience. From launch the 208 will be available both as three and five-door models and all offer more space inside than the previous 207, even though the new car is slightly shorter. Boot space is a satisfactory 285 litres and although the three-door looks the sportier with sweeping side cuts in the body, the five door is the more comfortable with extra room in the back. On the road the handling is a step up from the 207. It feels taut and sporty yet the suspension is accommodating while the cockpit is very quiet for a small car. Given such sharpness it is little surprise that Peugeot is hinting there will be a performance GTi version – rekindling the spirit of the legendary 205 GTi of the 1990s. Dynamically the 208 outstrips all but the Fiesta and when it comes to manoeuvring the small steering wheel is a breeze. It measures just 13.5 inches when most wheels are 15 inches across and the most noticeable difference is a feeling of precision. A downside is the folding arm rest between the front seats which clutters up the handbrake and it’s best left vertical and out of the way. In addition to the new three cylinder engines, the line up includes 1.4 and 1.6-litre units with a variety of power outputs. Most economical is
8
pages of new & used motors
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE ON TEST PAGE 4 MINI MARVEL: The new Peugeot 208 is a competitor for the top selling Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa models
Peugeot’s thinking big with a little cracker the 64bhp 1.4-litre stop/start diesel which uses an improved semi-automatic gearbox. Peugeot is claiming average fuel consumption of 83mpg with emissions of 87g/km and although we didn’t get anywhere near that it was the leanest of all the 208s we tried at 56 to the gallon. For all round fun the pick has to be the new 1.2-litre three cylinder – an increasingly popular engine configuration in these days of high fuel prices – and it will be available in the cheapest 208s. Even without turbo charging the
Peugeot engine manages 82bhp and that gives plenty of mid range urge, belying its 14 second 0-60 time. We achieved 52 to the gallon without any difficulty and Peugeot claims an official consumption of 62.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 104g/km. An even more economical 68bhp one-litre version will also be available and that is said to average 65.6mpg with emissions down to 99g/km. Peugeot has developed the three cylinder to combat the likes of the Ford EcoBoost and VW BlueMotion
Powered by
fuel efficient engines and the French blocks are likely to find their way into the next generation of MINIs under Peugeot /Citroen’s tie up with BMW. The engine shows great potential and boosted versions are slated to arrive next year as are ones fitted with stop/start systems. With those in play the new 208 will be formidable competition. If Peugeot felt the 207 lacked the necessary zing to take on the Fiesta it has moved swiftly to get all the correct accoutrements in place8. Inside it is very upmarket and
motors-merseyside.co.uk
some of the higher grade models we sampled – the range is likely to top out at £17,500 – featured finely stitched leather trim. The dash is nicely styled and the small steering wheel enables the main instruments to remain in view at all times. Peugeot interiors have been improving in quality over the past few years and the 208 is continuing that trend. The touchscreen stands proud above the central air vents and is within convenient reach from either of the front seats.