Peugeot 208 Review & Prices

Imagine the state of your family tree if each generation changed their surname – things would get mighty confusing, mighty quickly. In a similar way, Peugeot hasn’t had consistency in its small car naming over the years, offering everything from a 104 to a 207. However, that changed with the Peugeot 208.

This is its second generation, which had an extensive redesign inside and out compared to the old 208, as well as offering diesel, petrol and pure-electric versions. Those looks and all that choice, Peugeot hopes, will tempt you away from small cars such as the Volkswagen Polo, Seat Ibiza and Ford Fiesta. It’s also different enough from its sister car – the Vauxhall Corsa – to make it appeal to different customers.

The 208’s sculpted bonnet, three-claw LED light designs, large chrome-flecked grille and prominent rear piano black trim give it an even more distinctive look than its predecessor, as well as its alternatives. Inside, things have taken a step up too, with Peugeot’s now-familiar i-Cockpit dashboard design benefiting from a notable step up in quality.

A 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system lies at the centre of it all, which includes DAB radio and Bluetooth, but more importantly Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too. An option (or standard on GT models) is a 10.0-inch version of the same system which also includes a built-in sat nav. In both cases, the screen is high resolution and the menus fairly easy to navigate, although the small on-screen buttons can be hard to hit confidently while driving.

There’s no knocking Peugeot’s new 3D digital dials, though. Standard from Allure trim, they’re projected onto different layers to give a three-dimensional effect and look superb, but importantly also display key information clearly and are customisable so you can choose what you want to see.

Space is more of a mixed bag. Two adults will have no problems getting comfortable in the front seats and the driver gets loads of manual seat and wheel adjustment. However, adults in the back seats will find their knees brushing the front seat backs even if their heads are clear of the ceiling. Ultimately a VW Polo is better at accommodating people in the back.

The 208 comes with the choice of three different 1.2-litre petrols, a 1.5 diesel or pure-electric version tested separately here. Unless you’re doing huge mileage then ignore the diesel and head straight for the 100hp 1.2 petrol, which is punchy, yet smooth and will return more than 50mpg if driven carefully. If you have the budget and the charging, though, the pure-electric e-208 is even punchier around town and more relaxed thanks to its silent operation.

If you really value the way your small car makes you smile on a winding B-road then a Ford Fiesta is a better buy, but for most the way the 208 steers and changes direction eagerly will be more than enough. Less impressive is the way models with larger alloy wheels deal with bumps in town.

Nevertheless, the Peugeot 208 should be cemented on your to-buy list. It looks brilliant, its interior is one of the best of any small car, it’s keenly priced and the fact you get the option of a superb electric version means it stands out against most small cars. See what you can save on a new 208, or check out our selection of used Peugeot models.

20 years ago, the entry-level Peugeot supermini had some seats, a steering wheel and not much else. Now every 208 comes loaded with features including a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, aircon, cruise control and rear parking sensors. There's a generous helping of safety features, too, including automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.

All 208s are reasonably priced, but if you are buying privately it is best to look out for special deals which appear, especially using finance, to make them more affordable. It’s no surprise that the all-electric e-208 is the most expensive version, but the total cost of ownership will mean the monthly running costs will be less for most buyers.

The petrol and diesel engines are eager, economical and fun to drive, although the electric version makes the most sense if you are city based 

In town

The 208’s small steering wheel and light steering make it extremely easy to thread about urban streets. Visibility is good straight ahead, but to the sides and behind, the 208’s swoopy styling makes for rather large blind spots. 

Still, rear parking sensors are standard, and front sensors too from the GT Line spec, at which point you also get a rear parking camera.

Like most cars on sale, the secret to buying the most comfortable 208 is keeping its wheels as small as possible. For instance, the smaller-wheeled Allure model is more comfortable over bumps at low speeds than the sportier, larger-wheeled GT Line. Even then, the 208 isn’t as settled over broken urban road surfaces as a Fiesta or Polo, but it never frustrates.

All of the engines cope well with traffic but the e208 is obviously the nicest to drive in town. It has punchy but silent performance and zero tailpipe emissions. Besides being better for air quality, it also means you’ll be able to drive into some restricted zones where petrol and diesel cars are banned or charged.

On the motorway

If you are doing a lot of motorway miles, the long-legged and economical diesel will make the most sense. The petrols cope with big journeys too, while the electric can easily keep up with traffic flow. 

The comfort over bumps improves the faster you go in all models, and the 208 stays nicely planted at speed on the motorway. Avoiding the larger alloy wheels means less road noise, too, and the only wind noise is a faint bit around the door mirrors at 70mph.

On a twisty road

The 208’s small steering wheel and light steering make it feel sporty and fun to thread around twisty roads, although ultimately the 208 doesn’t feel as fun as Ford Fiesta. Its steering isn’t as communicative and it doesn’t contain its body lean in bends quite as well either, but there’s nothing alarmingly bad about the way it corners. 

It has high grip levels and enough steering accuracy to be confident in what you’re doing.

Two adults will have no issues in the front, but space in the back is more limited and the 208’s boot is average in size for the class

The 208 is a small car, so owners won’t be expecting miracles, but it is worth noting that the Peugeot isn’t going to cut it as a family car once your children grow into lanky teens as it starts to get tight on head and legroom in the back.

Two adults will have no problems getting comfortable in the front seats and the driver gets loads of standard manual seat and wheel adjustment. Electric adjustment is optional if preferred.

There’s not quite as much headroom as you’d find in taller cars such as a Volkswagen Polo or Honda Jazz though, but it won’t be an issue unless you are much bigger than average. However, the tiny and oddly shaped steering wheel can cause issues for taller drivers as it blocks the view to some of the instruments when in its most comfortable position.

Between the front seats is an armrest which covers a storage space which is big enough for a purse or phone. Elsewhere in the cabin there are quirky features such as a flip-down smartphone ledge, along with decent sized (but more conventional) door pockets and a glovebox. As you’d expect, there are also cupholders behind the gear lever.

Space in the back seats

Adults in the back seats will find their knees brushing the front seat backs even if their heads are clear of the ceiling. They will also have to fold themselves up in order to access the back seats in the first place. The door openings are deceptively small, which will make it tricky for those of larger proportions or who are less mobile.

The two outer seats are comfortable enough once the headrests have been moved up, but the sculpting of the bench means anyone in the middle is going to feel short changed. The door bins are smaller but still take a litre bottle of water. The nets on the backs of the front seats are pretty shallow, though, and there’s no rear armrest or cupholders.

Boot space

At 311 litres the Peugeot 208’s boot is average compared with its alternatives. To put it into context, it’s slightly larger than the boot in a Ford Fiesta, but around 10% smaller than the VW Polo and Seat Ibiza.

There’s quite a pronounced lip to lift your bags over, but the access is good via the opening and once your bags are inside the space on offer is a usefully square shape – albeit on the narrow side. You have to do without any handy extras such as hooks, lashing points or 12v sockets, and there’s no option of a variable height boot floor either.

The Peugeot 208’s interior not only looks stylish, it is also well built from quality materials. Its infotainment system has all the kit you want, too, although it can be fiddly to use

Not only does the 208 look striking outside, it stands out for its interior design and quality too. There are some cheaper feeling plastics on the door tops and lower-down areas, but overall the soft-touch dashboard and classy, nicely damped switches help the 208 feel a cut above the rest.

The two-tier, concave dash design is striking, too, and touch-sensitive buttons for the infotainment and heated seat controls (if fitted) that help make the 208 feel more expensive inside.

Entry-level Active Premium + models get cloth seats and a leather steering wheel, while Allure Premium + upgrades this to cloth and faux leather. GT models then get a different stitching colour, plus a perforated leather steering wheel, and top-of-the-range GT Premium cars get cloth and Alcantara seats. If you prefer, full leather seats are optional on some models.

On the tech front, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system sits atop the 208’s dashboard as standard, which includes DAB radio and Bluetooth, but more importantly Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too.

An option (or standard on GT models) is a 10.0-inch version of the same system which also includes a built-in sat nav. However, you’re better off relying on the traffic info that your smartphone navigation apps offer, and Apple and Android’s user experience is better too – Peugeot native system has a few too many small, tricky-to-hit on-screen buttons.

Peugeot’s new 3D digital dials are standard from Allure trim. They’re projected onto different layers to give a three-dimensional effect and look superb, but importantly also display key information clearly and are customisable so you can choose what you want to see.

Wireless charging also comes as standard from Allure trim, but if your smartphone can’t handle that then the USB connections are plentiful – there are two in the front (one standard, one USB-C) and from Allure trim you get a further two in the back. There’s just one six-speaker audio system across the range and no option to upgrade, but it offers a good sound in any case.

Nobody can accuse Peugeot of being stingy with the 208’s engine range. There are petrol, diesel and even an electric version to choose between.

The petrols are all 1.2-litres in size, all with a turbocharger and three cylinders, in 75, 100 and 130hp power outputs, while the single 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel comes with 100hp. 

The entry-level petrol comes with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, the diesel and 100hp petrol get a six-speed as standard, and the latter the option of an eight-speed automatic. The 130hp petrol gets the auto only.

The fuel consumption figures range from 56mpg for the 75hp version, while the 100hp is actually marginally more economical at 57mpg as it doesn’t have to work so hard. Adding the auto box does though rob you of 7mpg.

As you’d expect, the diesel is the most economical with an official figure of 74mpg and emissions of 107g/km.

If emissions (and company car tax) are your priority then the e-208 is the answer. It uses a 50kWh battery and electric motors to produce 138hp. It will travel around 211 miles on a single charge, and charging it up can take as little as 30 minutes to 80% via a rapid charger. 

In terms of safety, the 208 scored four stars in the independent Euro NCAP safety assessment, which is average for a car of this size and price.

All versions have Automatic Emergency Braking, road sign recognition and a lane departure warning system as standard, but the AEB is more sophisticated on the GT models as it will also spot (and stop for) pedestrians and cyclists.

The GT also gets blind spot monitoring top GT Premium also adds adaptive cruise control and active lane positioning on the automatic gearbox equipped models.

In terms of security, all 208s have an alarm and remote central locking as standard.

Peugeot doesn’t historically have the greatest of reputations for reliability, but it is getting better and this is reflected in customer satisfaction surveys, where it now rates above average.

The company’s three-year warranty offering is only average too, although it does cover you for unlimited miles in the first two years. The third year only covers up to 60,000 miles though.