The Peugeot 208 came into the market back in 2012 as a supermini vehicle, the direct successor of the 207. Peugeot initially launched the 208 as a three-door hatchback, as it did with the 207. Later that same year a five-door hatchback variant was also launched. The car is still in production as of 2019.
A Brief History
The 208 shares its history with the 207, starting as early as 1972 with the launch of the Peugeot 104, and then progressing to successive models like the Peugeot 205 in 1983, the Peugeot 206 in 1998, and the Peugeot 207 in 2006. The cars came in both petrol and diesel variants, with the diesel variants commanding praise (in case of the earlier models) due to their superior fuel efficiency.
The First-Generation Peugeot 208 (2012-2019)
The first generation of the Peugeot 208 shed almost 173 kg in weight as compared to its predecessor while offering even more space than the 207. According to details shared by the car designers, the 208 has 285L of boot space, which is 15L more than the 207, while the legroom has also increased by approximately 2 inches in the rear seat.
The 208 also came with a few additional features, such as a tablet screen and a glass roof offering panoramic views. Another notable improvement in the car compared to the 207 is a slightly improved drag coefficient of 0.29, whereby the 207 had a drag coefficient of 0.30. However, the 207 Economique, released in 2009, did achieve a much lower drag coefficient of 0.274.
The petrol engines installed in the Peugeot 208 all complied with Euro 5 standards, and the diesel engines kept carbon emission below the 99 g/km benchmark. The 208 brought forward the 207's petrol-based four-cylinder engines, but in September of 2012, it also started offering two new engine variants, a 1.0 VTi and a 1.2 VTi. The 1.0L engine promised to deliver 100 km in 4.3 litres, at least as advertised.
A GT model also entered the market, having a 1.6L turbo engine capable of producing 147 kW of power having a torque of 275 N·m, and manual transmission offering six-speed options. The Peugeot Sport has now replaced this GT variant.
As far as diesel versions of the car are concerned, the 208 brought forward the 207’s 1.4 HDi engine with 50 kW of power and advertised fuel consumption of 100 km in 3.4 litres.
The 208 has come in various trims over the years. The 208 Active is available in capacities of 1.2L (Puretech 82 S&S Petrol) and 1.5L (BlueHDi Diesel). Both have five-speed manual transmission options. The 208 Signature has the same core components as the Active, with only the styling and the alloys differentiating them.
A Tech Edition of the 208 also entered the market with the same engines as the Active and Signature trims and with two other engine versions, including a 1.2L Puretech engine with manual transmission and an EAT6 with automatic transmission.
The GT-Line trim came as a premium version of the 208, available in the 1.2L engine with either six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission, as well as the 1.5L diesel option. This variant exhibited a stylistic appeal that was absent in previous Peugeot hatchback versions.
The Second-Generation Peugeot 208 (2019-Present)
The latest hatchback to have come from Peugeot is the second generation of the 208, revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It went on sale later in the summer in Europe. The French automaker also introduced an electric variant called the Peugeot e 208, which came with a 50 kWh battery combined with a motor capable of delivering 100 kW of power as well as a charger with the ability to produce 6.6 kW to the vehicle's battery. The car has a claimed range of 340 kilometres per charge.
The second-generation 208 also comes in petrol and diesel versions, with the 1.2L three-cylinder turbo petrol version producing 55 kW, 74 kW, and 95 kW of power, while the single 1.5L four-cylinder diesel variant is capable of producing 74 kW of power. Enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the sport version of the current generation of the