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| The new 208 GT line fills the boots of the original hot hatch, the Peugeot 205 GTI. |
But I had preconceived notions that a puny little three-cylinder engine, with has less cubic capacity than the motors in most milkshake makers, would not bring all the boys to the yard in which the Peugeot 208 is parked.
I was wrong. They came in droves, in all ages and sexes. The pensioner who drives a BMW, the life partner who loves her Clio; and the petite motorbike rider all agreed — this Pug clears off!
(Only, they used a rather more fricative verb.)
The wee mill makes 118 Nm from only 2 750 rpm. This is exactly like a toddler bench pressing 118 kg. The beautifully engineered engine can deliver this power at a work rate of 60 000 Watts, which is like that toddler doing lighting fast repetitions with the 118 kg. Small wonder this mill has an Engine of the Year award to its name.
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| It has the looks, and the goods, well... |
Peugeot claims this PureTech engine delivers 5,8 l/100 km in the city, but at no stage during an all too short week of testing did any of the drivers above feel inclined to go light on the right foot to get even close to this.
The 0 to 100 km run got done in just over 10 seconds with my heft and a bit of a head wind, and top speed is a claimed 190 km/h. That is about three times too fast for KZN’s rural roads, but never mind, for the five cogs in this Pug have ratios that play best between traffic lights.
On the open road, our consumption did go to over 20 km per litre, even up Field’s Hill, which should get close to 1 000 km from the 50-litre petrol tank.
That is twice what most people drive a month.
Peugeot is also proud of the new i-Cockpit, which it says “enhances style and ergonomics”, but the bike rider and life partner had a bone to pick on the seat ergonomics. Both stand just over an old-fashioned five feet in their socks and their petite frames found the built out frames of the 208’s special GT Line bucket seats get in the way of snappy gear changes.
Paying R10 000 more would get them an equally snappy automatic box.
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| ...the GT-line certainly enjoys going between lights rather rapidly. |
The seats fitted the pensioner and myself very well and we got to enjoy how this Pug lives up to all the heritage of the original hot hatch from the 1980s — the Peugeot 205 GTI.
Unlike those super light, foil-wrapped, 80s death traps, the new 208 comes with five-star safety and active driver assist systems to make the 17-inch Caesium alloy wheels grip more and squeal less.
Active safety systems include ABS anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist (EBA), while passive features include dual front and curtain airbags, inertia reel seat belts, and front and rear head restraints.
Luxuries include a trip computer, electric power steering, air-conditioning, electric front and rear windows, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, height and reach-adjustable steering wheel, and a refrigerated glove compartment makes sure that every journey will be an enjoyable one. The sound system includes both Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
Also standard on the GT Line are an electrochromatic rear-view mirror, auto-activating headlights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers. An automatic bi-zone climate control system ensures a comfortable air-conditioned trip whether it be around the city or to a distant destination.
Another feature is the “Peugeot Mirror Screen”, which allows your compatible smartphone to communicate with the car, allowing you to display compatible apps on the seven-inch touchscreen and manage them using the vehicle controls.
Pricing includes a three-year/100 000 km warranty and three-year/45 000 km service plan, which won’t frighten the Kia and Hyundai competition, but which will have the Japanese and German competitors take note.
Add to this that a fast little French hatch endows the driver with instant style, and one can see why 40 people bought a 208 model last month, despite the recommended retail prices being on the steep side compared to the other fast hatches.
Peugeot 208 prices*:
Active: R224 900
ALLURE BVM: R239 900
208 GT-Line: R269 900
208 GT-Line auto: R279 900
(*Valid at date of posting)
