Peugeot 208

Small Peugeots have always been a hit with UK buyers - the 205, 206 and 207 sold in their hundreds of thousands. Now the Peugeot 208 is here and it's meant to rival the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo with a new blend of style and quality. While it certainly looks the part inside and it, with a much higher quality cabin, it just doesn't drive as well as its rivals, mainly because underneath that pretty body is an updated platform from the old 207. That said, you can choose from a wide range of new engines including some frugal diesels and a pair of three-cylinder petrols. In addition, the vast majority of models come with lots of equipment as standard.


Peugeot has sent the 208 on a crash diet – most cars weigh over 100kg less than before on average – and that makes quite a difference to the way the 208 drives. Even the heavier
diesels feel more agile. Speaking of which, the 92bhp 1.6-litre diesel is the pick as it is fast yet capable on the motorway too. The petrols are a mixed bag. We're big fans of the new 82bhp 1.2 VTi three-cylinder turbo which feels very spritely – it has lots of low-end shove, is easy to drive round town and sounds great. Sadly, the 120bhp 1.6 VTi petrol is noisy and needs revving to get the best out of it, while the 155bhp turbocharged 1.6 is fast but expensive. The worst part of the driving experience is the five-speed manual gearbox, carried over from the 207, which is loose and wobbly.