The Peugeot 208 has long been one of the most desirable small hatchbacks on the European continent. In 2022, it even became the best-selling ever, and our little Slovakia is no exception. The second generation of this bestseller can be seen on domestic roads on a daily basis and has been around for some time now, even after a significant modernisation that has made it even more visually appealing and pleasing. But how does the Peugeot 208 drive with the new hybrid? Let’s take a look…
Anyone looking to buy a new Peugeot 208 (thanks in part to the aforementioned recent facelift) has a wide range of motorisations to choose from. The highlight is the electric version of the e-208, but now a slightly weaker 136bhp mild-hybrid variant is also newly available. It was just such a vehicle in top GT trim, with bright lime body paint and flashy 17-inch wheels, that landed us in the newsroom.
The 208 has been enticing customers with its attractive looks since before the facelift, but the upgraded car takes the appeal to the next level. The front end in particular has been redesigned, boasting a new bumper, a redesigned grille and, above all, a much more distinctive light signature.
This one catches the eye with three imaginative and large vertical LED strips meant to evoke lion’s claws. The designers worked with the same element for the tail lamps, but here they are oriented horizontally this time, differentiating the 208 from the pre-facelift and from the rear. In the middle between the taillights we find, on a black background, the black Peugeot lettering, and those who like to draw attention to their surroundings should stick with the standard lime body colour…
At its best, the 208 will offer full LED headlights and taillights. The headlights do lack the Matrix feature, but otherwise I can’t complain about their lumen output. What I don’t understand is why the sister Opel Corsa can have them and Peugeot, which is hierarchically higher within the Stellantis group, can’t!
The car’s roof gets a gloss black paint finish as an option, and gloss black accents can also be seen on the side mirror caps or on the bezels around the wheel arches. It’s such a subtle reference to the original Peugeot 205 GTi, which is still one of the iconic sports hatchbacks today. It’s a shame that the current 208 isn’t also made in a three-door version, but in the end it doesn’t really matter that much.
For more news, you need to take a peek inside. Here, perhaps the most striking new feature is the standard 10″ infotainment display. This uses the latest version of Peugeot’s i-Connect operating system. Even the first generation 208 (which was actually the first Peugeot with this controversial interior concept) had an interior with the i-Cockpit concept. The driver’s workplace thus includes a raised instrument panel and a small, somewhat angular steering wheel.
The pitfall of this solution is that it does not allow some drivers to adjust their steering so that they have the steering wheel in the ideal position, while at the same time not obscuring part of the digital instrument cluster with their wreath. On the plus side, you’ll feel like you’re in a go-kart and the small steering wheel will naturally force you to hold it securely with both hands.
The GT trim tested also boasts a digital instrument cluster, which will also offer a 3D display for an extra cost. While this looks interesting, from a driver’s perspective it’s mainly important that the instrument cluster is easy to read in all conditions. Personally, the logic of digital dashboards has eluded me for years, as I always dial in one view anyway and that’s what stays with me all week. I would accept a classic on-board computer on the infotainment display, but unfortunately here we find absolutely nothing regarding drive or consumption.
A similar feature we can praise is the 10-inch touchscreen, which is the basis for the latest generation of infotainment, familiar from many Stellantis vehicles. The system pleases with solid clarity, but could be faster. And below the screen are nicely crafted key-like buttons that serve as shortcuts to certain functions. As a rule, though, you’ll still be relying solely on the touchscreen to control most functions (climate control, safety assists, etc.).
The rejuvenation also brought additional ambient lighting shades, new USB-C connectors, more powerful (15W) wireless phone charging, or parking cameras with better resolution. But again, there are only two of them, so the side images on the sides of the car only “illustrate”.
Still, the Peugeot 208 is a grown-up urban runabout that will take mainly front passengers in total comfort. As part of the GT trim, I was able to enjoy the sportier Alcantara-covered seats. Conversely, the automatic gear selector, for example, is still tacky for me, and the drive mode selector button is too far back, so you’ll always be looking for it in place of the electronic handbrake.
Importantly, though, I had a perfect side view from behind the steering wheel, and the driver’s seat offers a wide range of adjustment options. However, I’d probably prefer to seat only smaller children in the back, mainly because of the modest legroom. There’s both a USB-C and USB-A connector. The boot has a capacity of 352 litres, and underneath we can still find space for a spare or repair kit.
Now let’s get to perhaps the most important thing, and that’s the new mild-hybrid powertrain called the Hybrid 136. He’s actually a completely rebadged, old familiar 1.2 PureTech gasoline engine that’s been given a new 48V mild-hybrid system, a timing chain for lower maintenance costs (and for the notorious timing belt-in-oil problems), a new turbocharger with variable blade geometry, and Miller-cycle combustion for better thermal efficiency.
The Hybrid 136 version will logically offer 100kW (136k) of power, a peak torque of 230Nm and an electric motor built directly into the all-new six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, designated e-DCS6. The electric motor itself has an output of 21kW (28k) and 55Nm of torque.
Importantly, the power source here is a lithium-ion battery with a usable capacity of 0.432kWh (the gross capacity is even up to 0.898kWh). This makes it no problem for a mild-hybrid 208 to be able to go pure electric and disable the combustion engine. But the problem is that it doesn’t always succeed, which is often the fault of illogical software settings. In three consecutive identical runs with virtually the same battery charge level, the car only went pure electric once. Hopefully this will be debugged over time with updates. Otherwise, the electronics can turn off the combustion engine even at highway speeds, and it can go a couple of hundred meters purely on electricity while maintaining speed.
The way the car slows down is also strange. The 208 relies far too much on regenerative braking, which you have absolutely no way of even adjusting. That in itself shouldn’t be a problem, except that the recuperation comes on not only inconsistently but also often too intensely. Sometimes the car simply brakes less when the accelerator is released, other times it brakes very hard, and for a whole week I couldn’t find the logic behind how it works this way. Many mild-hybrid competitors will send the car into cruise mode when the accelerator pedal is released, and will only recuperate if instructed to do so by the driver or when adaptive cruise control is engaged. Again, this is perhaps just a matter of system tuning and subsequent updating.
On the other hand, on the dynamic side, the tested version was really dynamic. The proof is the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.1s and the possibility to use a top speed of up to 204 km/h. Just bear in mind that consumption at higher motorway speeds will definitely not stay below 5l per 100km. Overall, on the highway, the new hybrid isn’t lost and can accelerate decently well over limits that shouldn’t be exceeded.
I drove the Peugeot 208 Hybrid 136 at a fairly defensive pace all week, but I wasn’t holding up traffic or unnecessarily slowing down the fast-flying German cruisers in the left lane on the autobahn. The on-board computer showed a consumption of 5.6l per 100 km after a week. If you drive in ECO mode, with a fuel tank capacity of 44 litres, it’s easy to calculate that with a light foot on the accelerator, it’s possible to cover more than 800 km in one go.
I have to send big praise in the direction of the chassis. Although the letters GT in the designation only denote trim, the little 208 drove as if it had its chassis set up in the same vein. On 17″ wheels with 205/45R17 tyres, it is a bit harder but those with very quick hands and enough courage can be pleasantly surprised by the 208’s absolute willingness to cut corners. It’s a great pity the current generation 208 doesn’t have a GTi version.
The base version of the 208 with the 1.2 PureTech 55kW (75k) atmospheric engine and 5-speed manual transmission is listed in STYLE trim for a promotional €16,690. The STYLE version with the turbocharged 1.2 PureTech 74kW (100k) engine starts at €17,290 and you’ll pay €1,500 more for the ALLURE version.
Hybrid motorisations then start at €20,790 and €22,290 in ALLURE and GT trim tested, respectively. You’ll get them exclusively with the new automatic transmission and with 74kW (100k) and 100kW (136k) power outputs. Our test car bumped it up to €28,090 with extras, and the electric 208s then start at €31,690, but that’s probably for another article… 🙂
The upgraded 208 with the new hybrid powertrain is an interesting little car that has a lot going for it. But it could have been even better if a few features just related to the hybrid powertrain could have been tightened up on the first good one. The latter, however, purely from an efficiency point of view, doesn’t work badly at all, has really decent dynamics, and will probably be much more reliable in the long run compared to the older PureTech…
