So, the Peugeot 208 is due a facelift any time now but is it still worth getting the current Peugeot 208.
Exterior – Front
So, the design at the front is very funky and cool. We have this bubble front end with some bonnet indents. We also get these big LED headlights with the tiger fangs on the side. If you upgrade for the matrix headlight option, you get the tiger claw and fangs design which personally I like better. To help with this design we have this big grill that is chrome on the ice models but body colour on the electric model. Lower down all we get is a central air vent but the whole design gives this car a small look because everything is almost oversized on it.
Exterior – Side
Moving down the side the coolness continues. We have these unique indents in the side and on the GT models you get gloss black wheel arches which gives this car more character. There is one thing I do want to mention and that is the rear door and you will see why in a moment when we check out the back seats.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round the back, the design reminds me of the previous gen Peugeot 208 and even the 206. we get this black panel stretching from each taillights that again has the claw marks in them. The overall design is minimal but it is different and unique. Moving down the bumper we get some more gloss back round the number plate and a real exhaust. Lets check out the engine options.
Car and engine specs and price
So, there are 3 types of 208 you can get. That is either a petrol version, a diesel version or a fully electric version. Lets start with the petrol models. There is a 1.2 litre non turbo version which has 75 bhp and this is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. Next up is a 1.2 litre turbo with either 99 bhp or 128 bhp. The 99 bhp version has a 6 speed manual or 8 speed automatic. The 128 bhp version can only be had with the 8 speed automatic. For the diesel version there is a 1.5 litre 99 bhp version which can only be had with a 6 speed manual. Finally there is an eclectic 50 kWh version. This has a range of 222 miles but expect it to be about the 200 mark. This has 136 bhp and it feels very nippy and quick. Personally the most popular one will be the 1.2 litre turbo 99 bhp version. The price of the Peugeot 208 starts at £19,190.
Interior – Design
So when you step inside you are greeted to the next generation of the Peugeot I Cockpit. We have this 10.2 inch screen in the middle pointing towards the driver. This infotainment system is OK but it is not the best. It is also annoying that most of the functions including the climate control has to be controlled on there. Lower down you do get some buttons but not many. In front of the driver you have this new 3d digital instrument cluster which has good quality graphics and is the main party piece of the car. One thing that I don’t like though and this is the same on every Peugeot is the driving position. Because of the way the car is designed, the steering wheel is small and if it is not in the correct position it can be hard to see the instrument cluster. This makes the car unusable for some people. So if you like the car, you wont be able to have it for this reason. The best next option would be the Vauxhall Corsa as it is exactly the same with a normal interior.
Practicality
So, before we get in the back we can see we have a slight problem. The door opening is not very wide at all making it hard to get into the back. Also the doors don’t open that wide again making it harder to get in. Once your in though you will notice that the legroom is very tight but headroom is not that bad. With the seat in a position for a 6 foot person and a 6 foot person sitting behind legroom is almost non existent. Also the materials do feel very cheap and you don’t get any features or creature comforts. Personally for me I would not want to go for a long distance in this car.
Boot Size
So, boot size is average of this class at 311 litres with the seats up and 1,106 litres with the seats down but it is no where near as good as the Volkswagen polo at 351 litres or the Clio at 391 litres.
Summary
So, what will the new Peugeot 208 Facelift get. Well expect it to get the new design language seen on the bigger 308 as well as a new infotainment system but apart from these changes I cannot see a reason to wait for the facelifted version. The current Peugeot 208 can be seen as a fashion item and to be honest the design inside and out is very modern and unique. The same cannot be said for the practicality though with no rear leg room.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 4/5
Practicality 3/5
Total 15/15
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