Agile style

Always better a small car done well than a large car done badly was the thought running through one’s mind after being left with a three-day gap in Dubai after a last minute cancellation of a much anticipated super saloon test drive before it had begun owing to technical problems — likely caused by an over-zealous and under-talented previous test driver. And with the similarly anticipated Peugeot 208 test drive hastily and obligingly rescheduled, one was thankful to avoid a large under-powered family saloon or crossover SUV, and left in wide-grinned delight over the little Pug’s nippy agility, sense of clarity and frugal sensibility regardless of a power disadvantage well in excess of 400BHP to the previously expected super saloon.

Well-kitted runaround

Having already driven a high torque Euro-spec turbo-diesel version and eagerly awaiting the much-lauded GTI hot hatch variant, the mid-range 1.6 litre petrol Peugeot 208 provided welcome opportunity to sample the feisty and fun French supermini. Zippier and more responsive turning-in owing to the lighter petrol four-cylinder engine rather than the previously tested oil-burner, the 1.6 VTI was a practical and maneuverable companion in a fast-paced yet congested urban setting. Darting between luxury hotels, convention halls, shopping malls and along wrong turns into near standstill back road traffic or relentlessly busy but fast highways, the 208’s four-speed automatic gearbox provided convenience in traffic, while  it’s sequential tiptronic function allowed one to manually choose and hold gears as needed.

Maneuverable in tight car parks, stable on highways and practical enough for an airport run, the 208 1.6 VTI is a fun and practical small hatchback that is just as much at home through winding roads as it is on city streets, and with a stylish new design language, recaptures some of the essence of Peugeot’s much-loved and now iconic 1980s and 1990s 205. Well-kitted in mid-spec Active Plus trim, the 208 featured useful conveniences like dual zone climate control, front electric windows, keyless entry central locking, 60:40 split folding rear seats to extend luggage capacity, variable assist steering, user-friendly touchscreen infotainment screen, and CD player with USB and AUX connectivity, ABS brakes, and driver and passenger airbags.

Elegantly toned

A return to form in terms of design, the Peugeot 208 has a classy and quintessentially French styling sensibility that combines elegant details like the chrome-ringed, low slung and wide floating style grille with an athletic form and presence owing to its wide track, short overhangs and big footprint for a small car. With its rounded but tightly stretched back skin, subtly toned wheel arches, and concave and convex bonnet and body panel surfacing, the Peugeot 208 has a decidedly contemporary style that emits a sense of urgency and purpose, and indulgence and refinement at the same time. Wraparound front and rear lights blend seamlessly with prominent side creases, while a big glasshouse provides excellent visibility.  

With a large lion emblem adorning a grooved bonnet surface to seemingly reflect the brand’s confident new design language and persona, the Peugeot 208’s measured sense of class and design refinement carries over into the cabin, where a sparingly tasteful use of metallic chrome-like details juxtaposed with glossy black panels lends a modern, elegant and upbeat cabin ambiance. Intuitively laid out and user-friendly, the 208’s controls and functions are within easy reach, while its most prominent interior design element is its low slung steering column and small and sporty steering wheel, over, rather than through, which one peers at the coned dials and instrument binnacle. Unorthodox at first, one quickly adapts to the 208’s steering and instrument layout.

Alert and revvy

With no sunroof and height adjustable seat, the driven 208 Active Plus generously accommodates larger drivers, while reach and rake adjustable steering allows one to find a suitably comfortable and alert driving position, from which the quick and direct steering ratio requires small and measured inputs, with most maneuvers dispatched from quarter-to-three grip. Though best looking in three-door format, the tested five-door version’s additional rear doors offer improved rear access and practicality, and with single glass panes, little alter the 208’s stylish silhouette or glasshouse profile, with the B-pillar moved back only slightly. However, the glasshouse outline’s decorative C-pillar chrome kink is absent from the five-door version. Rear seats offer decent space and comfort, while the 208’s boot is more accommodating than one expects.

With a 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine with variable 16 valve timing under its sculpted bonnet the Peugeot 208 1.6 VTI develops 118BHP at 6,000rpm and 118lb/ft at 4,250rpm, which allows it to accelerate to 100km/h in 10.4-seconds and onto a 190km/h maximum, while returning frugal 5.8l/100km combined cycle fuel efficiency. A buzzy but eager and revvy engine, the 208’s 1.6 motor is smooth and progressive in delivery, and refined when cruising. Mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox, the 208’s 1.6 engine could do with an extra gear ratio to distribute its power for slightly quicker acceleration and lower engine speeds on highways, but when wrung hard with aggressive throttle inputs and high revs, rises to the occasion and delivers adequately brisk on-the-move acceleration in top and mid gears.

Pouncing Pug

Responsive through gears and stable on the highway, the Peugeot 208 1.6 however feels alert and ready to maneuver. Though not slow by any means in outright terms, the 208 1.6 version’s relatively modest performance means one has to push it hard to for brisk progression, and lends it the inimitable charisma of a “slow”, small and light car being driven fast. A delightfully chuckable city car, the Peugeot 208’s quick ratio steering is well-weight for comfort and resistance, but more importantly, is direct and responsive on centre and through turns. Turning in with crisp accuracy and mosquito-like immediacy, the 208 is a fun and flickable corner carver, whose wide track and short overhangs lend it a stable footprint, while its compact size and short wheelbase make it maneuverable and agile.

Tidy turning in, the Peugeot 208 grips hard and displays good body through a tight and fast corner, or series of switchbacks, with its light 1,150kg mass easily controlled by suspension settings that find a happy medium between ride comfort and controlling body lean through bends. The 208’s tyres are similarly well chosen at 195/55R16, with good cornering rigidity and ride suppleness. The tyre choice also grips well but is slim enough to complement the steering system’s direct slack-free responsive delicacy and nuanced feel and feedback, which allows one to intuitively come back on power early to eagerly dart out of a corner and onto the next. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.6 litre, transverse 4 cylinders

Valve train: 16 valve, DOHC, variable valve timing

Gearbox: 4-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 118 (120) [88] @ 6,000rpm

Torque lb/ft (Nm): 118 (160) @ 4,250rpm

0-100 km/h: 10.7 seconds

Top speed: 190km/h

Fuel consumption, urban / extra-urban / combined: 8.1 / 4.5 / 5.8l/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 134g/km

Fuel capacity: 50 litres

Length: 3,962mm

Width: 1,739mm 

Height: 1,460mm

Wheelbase: 2,538mm

Track, F/R: 1,475 / 1,471mm

Overhang, F/R: 772 / 652mm

Luggage capacity, minimum: 285 litres

Kerb weight: 1,150kg

Steering: Variable assistance, rack & pinion

Turning circle: 10.4 metres

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts / torsion beam

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs / discs

Tyres: 195/55R16