The B-segment hatchback market is a difficult one to penetrate. It’s ruled by the likes of the Volkswagen Polo and Ford Fiesta when it comes to premium feel and reliability, and by the Kia Rio and Hyundai i20 when it comes to overall value for money. Anyone wanting to break into it had better offer a little bit of both. So, where does the new Peugeot 208 fit in?
Styling – inside and out
The face of the 208 features Peugeot’s new-look grille with characteristically angled headlamps, while at the back there are boomerang tail lights. There are unique chiseled lines and side window shapes that give this hatchback a distinct look when viewed from the side. This model and the 1,2 Active (60 kW and 118 N.m) feature body-coloured door handles, bumpers and side mirrors. The 1,2 Access (R154 900) has to do without these items.
If you’ve spent a lot of time in Peugeots over the last few years you’ll be left feeling a bit confused when entering the 208. Everything looks different. It can get a bit confusing, but the more time you spend in the car, the more accustomed you get to everything. There’s a lot of plastic about, but it doesn’t feel flimsy.
That said, I’m not mad about the new-look instruments and controls. The markings on the instrument panel are a bit small and the controls and the position of these instruments is odd. The instrumentation is placed higher than the steering wheel so that instead of looking through the wheel, you now look over it. I’m short, so I found that I had to sit rather high to be able to get a confortable view of the instruments. Also, initially, the steering wheel felt as though it was positioned a bit low, but I got comfortable with it after a while.
On the road
The 1,6-litre unit in this particular model has a maximum output of 88 kW and 160 N.m of torque available from 4 350 r/min. It comes mated with a five-speed manual transmission.
The launch route covered over 300 km of Western Cape roads and I found that on the open road and in top gear, the engine got a bit buzzy. It makes you want to look for a sixth gear. It is, however, quite revvy and can easily get you past slower cars while overtaking. The transmission isn’t smooth and the stick requires a good shove to get into your chosen slot. Steering is precise and a tight turning circle plus short wheelbase make for easy parking and inner-city driving.
The most impressive aspect of the 208 is, however, the ride quality. You barely feel uneven road surfaces and, when these couldn’t be avoided, it made light work of small potholes.
Standard comfort and convenience features
Peugeot doesn’t skimp on standard specification for its 208. This particular model comes fitted with front, side and curtain airbags, climate control, an MP3, Bluetooth and USB compatible audio system (no CD player though) that can be accessed via the touch-screen on the facia, front fog lamps and Isofix anchorages on the rear pew to name a few.
Overall
I can’t help but feel sorry for Peugeot. The company has a good product here. The 208 is classy, feels premium with all the bells and whistles that it offers, has one of the best ride qualities in its segment and offers reasonable value-for-money. However, the brand continues to be plagued by a perception of poor resale value and it’s up against rivals such as the Kia Rio and Volkswagen Polo. I really like this car and I hope that it sells moderately well.
Specification
Model: 208 1,6 Allure
Price: R189 900
Power/torque: 88 kW/160 N.m
0-100 km/h: 10,42 (CAR’s test figure)
Max speed: 190 km/h
Fuel consumption: 5,8 litres/100 km
CO2: 134 g/km
Luggage capacity: 248 – 912 dm3 (CAR’s figure)
Service plan: 5 years/60 000 kms
Make sure you get the November 2012 issue of CAR where we feature the Peugeot 208 1,6 VTi Allure in a comparative test with eight of its rivals.
