Peugeot have just opened up the order books for their brand new 208 supermini, and while the 208 doesn’t go on sale until 28th June you can head on over to a dealer and order one now.
Peugeot 208 comes in two subtly different shapes for 3 and 5-door models
The Peugeot 208 has the unenviable task of recapturing the popularity and sales success of the 205, something that both the 206 and 207 failed to do. If looks are anything to go by the 208 is in with a good chance thanks to a much more striking design that is different on the 3-door and 5-door models.
With a reduced kerb weight and smaller footprint the 208 should feel more lively than the 207, and hopefully Peugeot can weave some of their old magic on the chassis and steering to produce a more entertaining drive.
There are 5 petrol engines and 3 diesel engines to choose from, starting with a 1.0 3-cylinder petrol. With only 68bhp it’s no hot hatch but it is free to tax thanks to a CO2 rating of 99g/km. The most powerful petrol engine is is the turbocharged 1.6THP with 156bhp, good for 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds with a 134mph top speed.
The range of frugal diesel engines starts with a 70bhp 1.4-litre HDI and goes up to a 115bhp 1.6 e-HDI, with economy figures ranging from 74.3mpg up to 83.0mpg. It’s worth noting that all of the 208’s diesel engines fall under the 100g/km CO2 barrier, qualifying them for free car tax.
Then there are five levels of trim on offer, starting with Access, going up through Access+, Active and Allure up to the range-topping Feline trim. There is also an intriguingly named Ice Velvet limited edition available at launch.
The range starts at £9,995 for the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol in Access trim and tops out at £18,495 for the Ice Velvet equipped with 120bhp 1.6VTI. That most powerful 1.6THP engine is only available in Feline trim at a price of £16,895 for the three door model.
What of the enticing 208 GTI concept that was shown at Geneva? Nothing more has been officially announced, but there have been suggestions that Peugeot could get as much as 230bhp from the 1.6THP engine. That would make the 208 the most powerful supermini on sale and if it drives as well as it looks it could very well be a worthy successor to the 205.