New Peugeot 208 for Australia

The future of the Peugeot 208 in Australia is battery-electric.

Peugeot Citroen Australia is planning a single-model strategy for the new Peugeot 208 from late 2021 and its first EV appears likely to be either the new e-208 (pictured) or the first battery-powered Peugeot 208 GTi hot hatch.

The previous Peugeot 208 GTi was discontinued in Australia in late 2018, before the all-new Peugeot 208 was revealed in February 2019.

A GTi version of the European Car of the Year-winning new Peugeot 208 is yet to be revealed, but will reportedly be all-electric, making it a strong chance for Australia.

Peugeot Citroen Australia said it will make a decision before the end of the year and confirmed it will import a single halo version of the 208 – a similar approach to Renault Australia, which is only expected to sell the RS version of its new baby Clio in Australia.

“Yes, that would be our first electric car. We would be a pioneer with that car,” the recently appointed general manager of Peugeot Citroen Australia, Kate Gillis, told carsales.

“Electrification is the future of the brand, in terms of the innovation coming from the factory. So we want to make sure we’re reflecting that,” Gillis said.

But she still stops short of a full confirmation for a battery-powered 208.

“We’re still evaluating it. We need to work out the best opportunity we can give it. And that’s the electric car as well as the petrol version.

“If we have the right products then the choice is quite clear. Sometimes you can have too much choice. We’re looking to simplify our ranges.”

Gillis admits the importance of a GTi performance package for the 208, perhaps even if it’s EV-only.

“We need to look at what’s right for the market,” she said.

“We are still evaluating and should be in the position in the near future to make a call. And probably the electric version is the one we’re looking strongly at.

“At this stage it’s a matter of how we evaluate the market, and how the 208 lands. It goes more to our appetite than the price point (of small hatches).”

Gillis knows the importance of the 208 in the Peugeot line-up and the history it has in Australia, despite dreadful sales in recent years.

“The 205 GTi is a legendary car and it’s that marque continuing into the next generation. In the 1980s, the 205 was the model that turned the business around. It’s the personality of the brand here.”

The all-new Peugeot 208 shares its mechanical platform and styling cues with the new Peugeot 2008 small SUV that is being previewed this week ahead of first Australian deliveries from December.

But there is more to the electrification story at Peugeot than a battery-powered 208, as the company is also shifting the emphasis on its SUVs – 3008 and 5008 – towards plug-in hybrids.

“We are moving to PHEV markets as well in 2021. The first stage is PHEV in the existing models, then the new models,” says Gillis.

“We are very confident that the market, particularly in this space, will move quite quickly. Peugeot has always had a reputation for innovation.

“People are talking differently. Public transport is not necessarily what people want to do. We will always keep our eyes open, and see what role Peugeot can play in that market.”

Gillis says one of her key roles is to re-invigorate Peugeot in Australia and bring younger buyers to the brand.

“There is growth potential. I’m talking growth. We are going to be moving forwards with new products, to support our efforts in growth,” she said.

“We’re looking at ways to have a broad customer demographic. We are very conscious that Peugeot has a long history, but a young audience might not know our history.”