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Way back in the 1980s Peugeot sold a supermini called the 205, and the French call it the sacré numéro, or ‘sacred number’ - held in such regard because by the time it went off sale in the 1990s, other carmakers were still trying to create a small car to beat it. The 208 isn’t quite the effortless class-leader the 205 was, but it’s certainly one of the brand’s best small cars in years, and worthy of inclusion on your car-buying shortlist.
In terms of looks and feel it’s one of the most sophisticated small cars on the market, feeling a cut above mainstream rivals like the Ford Fiesta. It’s one of Europe’s most popular cars, and the inclusion of an all-electric model in the range, the e-208, means Peugeot has somewhat future-proofed its small model too. Read on to find out more about the 208.
For a small car with a sense of style, the Peugeot 208 is one of the best choices on the market right now. Chic and distinctive outside, high-tech and high-quality inside, the 208 feels a cut above a lot of its rivals, whether you opt for the version that went on sale in 2019, or the even more striking facelifted car that arrived in 2023.
The interior is one of the stand-out features, though a word of warning, as not everyone gets on with Peugeot’s unusual layout. The brand calls it ‘i-Cockpit’, and it features a small-diameter steering wheel positioned relatively low, and an instrument cluster above. In some driving positions, the wheel hides the cluster either partly or entirely, so try before you buy - but if it works for you, the upmarket feel and interesting material choices give the 208 a unique ambience.
It’s not class-leading for space but still happily accommodates a couple of adults and a couple of children, and similarly the boot is just about competitive enough in this class. The turbocharged petrol engines offer good punch and don’t use too much fuel, but the electric e-208 could be worth a look too - you may not match its claimed 224-mile range, but for predominantly city use it’s smooth, brisk, and should have enough range for most people.
Other superminis to consider include the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo, and Skoda Fabia, while the Vauxhall Corsa shares its platform and many of the benefits of the 208, just with a more conventional look and feel. It also gets an electric model, while the Renault Zoe is well worth a look as an alternative EV, and the Renault Clio is among the best cars in this class as far as regular petrol superminis go.
Allure trim (or the later Allure Premium+) is the place to start with the 208, since while the base model is hardly poorly equipped, Allure does add several features that highlight the 208’s styling and equipment to their fullest, such as a digital dash display with a floating effect, and Peugeot’s distinctive ‘claw effect’ lighting signature on the exterior. Pair it with the 100PS PureTech petrol - which has a good mix of performance and economy - and you’ll have a fine little supermini.
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The Peugeot 208’s exterior dimensions are:
The Peugeot 208’s boot space is:
The real penny-pincher here is the all-electric e-208, since for the time being, there’s no VED or ‘road tax’ charge for electric vehicles. The rest of the range though gets a £190 annual bill.
The most affordable 208 to insure should be the 1.2-litre Puretech 75 model in base-level trim, with a group 12 rating. Step up to the turbocharged 100PS petrol and that jumps to group 19, while going all the way to the e-208 results in a group 26 rating. The 208’s insurance groups are a lot higher than you’ll find on a Fiesta, while the e-208 starts higher than the groups 14-25 of the Renault Zoe.
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How many Peugeot 208 cars are available for sale?
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