Peugeot 208 GTI Road Test | New Release - Car News Dec 2013

15:23 Thursday 19 Dec 2013

More than any mainstream car in recent memory, the Peugeot 208 GTI has got a lot to live up to.

Tasked with recreating the sublime brilliance of its great-grandfather, the 205 GTI, not to mention banishing the memory of the decidedly mediocre 'hot' versions of the 206 and 207, the 208 GTI could be forgiven for hating its forebears.

In truth, it's unfair to compare the 208 GTI with the legendary 205. In chronological terms, the 205 GTI is closer to the Ford Anglia than it is the modern day hot hatch and, as a result, the two a very, very different beasts indeed. So, taking the 205 GTI out of the equation for a moment, is the 208 GTI any good? Well that's what we're here to find out.

We'll start on the outside. Peugeot has taken a relatively subdued approach to the 208 GTI's design -- on first inspection you could easily mistake it for a standard, albeit top-of-the-range 208. When you look a little closer, however, you'll clock the subtle body kit, the new grille and that natty red insert in the front bumper. You'll also notice the special 17-inch alloy wheels and the red brake callipers which hide underneath them, and at the back you'll notice the sports exhaust which hints at the impressive power under the bonnet.

Peugeot 208 GTI

On the inside it's a different story. Peugeot has lavished acres of red plastic and red leather across the GTI's interior, leaving you in no doubt whatsoever as to the performance credentials of the car. It's a comfortable place to sit too; however, anybody slightly over-blessed in the girth department might find the Nappa leather sports seats a tad restrictive.

Cars of this ilk can often be let down by their interiors as they tend to share them with the cheaper models in the range, and while cheap plastics may be forgivable in a £10,000 car, they most certainly are not in a hatchback costing nearly £19k. Thankfully, the interior appears to possess some genuine quality, although one of our reviewers complained that the multifunction colour touchscreen feels a bit low rent and a little bit of an afterthought.

One of the major appeals of hot hatches is their blend of performance and practicality and, in this respect, the Peugeot performs fairly well. There's a full 285-litres of boot space -- 15-litres less than you get in a Renaultsport Clio but 11 more than you get in a Fiesta ST -- and, providing you're not sitting behind John Cleese, there's a decent amount of space in the back. One major fly in the Pug's practicality ointment is, however, the glove box. It's pathetic. So, if you were looking specifically for a hot hatch with a big glove box, look elsewhere. Rear visibility is fairly shocking too and you often find yourself relying on the standard-fit rear-parking sensors.

To be honest, we're just stalling for time because, let's face it, you don't care about the 208 GTI's practicality or the perceived quality of its interior plastics, do you? You just want to know what it's like to drive.

Peugeot 208 GTI

Let's start with the engine. In essence, it's the same 1.6-litre turbocharged unit you got in the old MINI Cooper S and the Citroen DS3 Racing, here developing 197bhp and 203lb-ft of torque. The power is sent to the front wheels (naturally) via a six-speed manual gearbox and although there's no limited-slip differential to mediate the torque between the front wheels, the stability control does a fairly good job of that on its own.

Turn the key in the GTI and the first thing you'll notice is the sound, or rather the lack of it. From the outside the car sounds like a proper hot hatch should -- rorty and free-revving -- however, we just wish some more of that sound would make it into the cabin.

Put your foot down and it takes a moment for the turbo to spool up to full boost, but when it does you'll discover that the 208 GTI is a seriously quick car. You'll find that you'll want to keep the revs up above around 2,000rpm to keep the turbo on song if you really want to have fun, and you'll have to do quite a lot of changing gear to achieve this. Thankfully, however, the crisp action of the six-speeder makes changing gear a joy.

Take the GTI onto a winding country road and you'll immediately see what Peugeot was trying to achieve from the car. It's not a focussed point-and-shoot hooligan like some hot hatches but rather an accomplished all-rounder which happens to be very fast.

Peugeot 208 GTI

The ride is actually quite impressive for a car of this type; however, the trade-off is slightly too much body roll in the corners and a touch too much nose-diving under heavy braking. The steering is also a vast improvement over lesser models in the 208 range, weighting up nicely when you're giving it the beans and inspiring confidence in the bends. There's also very little torque steer, even under heavy acceleration.

We'll say right now that anyone looking for a car which recaptures the magic of the 205 GTI will not find it here. The new car offers very little of the irrepressible boisterousness and crisp, raw handling you get from the 30-year-old design but, then again, no modern car offers this. The 208 GTI's key rivals -- the Ford Fiesta ST and the Renaultsport Clio 200 -- have a slight edge on it in the handling stakes too.

The key to the 208 GTI's appeal is its blend of performance, handling and comfort. If you're looking for the sharpest car to drive in the class, get a Fiesta ST; if you're looking for arguably the greatest hot hatch ever made, get a good second-hand 205 GTI. If, however, you're looking for an excellent all-rounder which offers hot hatch levels of performance with everyday usability and impressive ride comfort, look no further.