Bruce Newton•21 Sept 2012

REVIEW

Peugeot 208 2013 Review

Name: Peugeot 208 2013 Review
Brand: Peugeot

Pint-size Peugeot prevails, but could pack more punch

Peugeot 208

Local Launch

Gold Coast, Queensland

What we liked

>> Classy interior

>> Efficiency improvements

>> Equipment levels

Not so much

>> Nat-atmo engines are uninspired

>> Tight in the backseat

>> Still not up to Polo driving standard

OVERVIEW

>> French legend reborn?

The Peugeot 208 has a lot to live up to: the 205, the 306, the, er, 207. Well maybe not so much the 207, which took the lightweight mini-hatch with brio concept and added weight, sent the styling to blandland and essentially lost its mojo.

The 208 does its best to recapture that original zest. It is restyled completely, if a little derivatively (Toyota Corolla/Yaris anyone?), has dieted assiduously and goes on sale Down Under on October 6 priced competitively.

Despite its shortcomings, the 207 was the VFACTS Premium Light segment leader, so the 208 has some work to do to prove itself. But Peugeot Automobiles Australia is confident it will be a very strong performer, forecasting 1800 sales per annum primarily to 30-40 year-old inner-urbanites looking for something different to the mini-car mainstream. That’s around a 33 per cent uptick from 207.

The 208 is also an important early salvo in a model rush designed to push Peugeot toward record sales levels in Australia, lifting it from its current doldrums.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

>> Get Active in Allure, Sport

There are four equipment grades in the 208 line-up: the base model Active comes as a five-door hatch powered by a new 1.2-litre triple-cylinder or carry-over 1.6-lite naturally-aspirated petrol engine (both dubbed VTi); the mid-spec Allure is offered only as a five-door 1.6; and at the top of the range the 208 splits into the five-door 1.6-litre Allure Premium and the Allure Sport. The Allure Sport is alone in having 1.6-litre turbo-petrol (THP) power and a three-door bodyshell.

Pricing for the 208 range starts $500 cheaper than the outgoing 207 XR at $18,490 for the base model 208 Active 1.2 triple, which is available only with a five-speed manual transmission. The 1.6 Active is $3000 more expensive, including a four-speed auto standard.

The Allure five-speed manual is $21,990, with the four-sped auto an added $2000. The auto-only Premium and six-speed manual Sport are both $26,490.

The cornerstone of the 208’s equipment list is a seven-inch touch screen that is standard across all models, and biggest in-class. It provides access to radio, Bluetooth hands-free kit or playing of music files via a USB connection or audio streaming. In an era of smartphones, iPod's and the like, there is no CD player in the car.

The Active models come with 15-inch steel wheels, Bluetooth, six-speaker audio, USB/iPod connectivity, cruise control and power windows with one touch function.

Allure upgrades include dual-zone climate, 16-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, LED driving lights, a leather steering wheel and sports seats.

The Allure Premium and Sport add a glass sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, cornering lights, and acoustic parking. The Allure gets half leather seats, the Sport adds chrome exhaust outlets, a rear spoiler and its own grille.

All 208s come with a full-size spare tyre and a capped price servicing plan. But, notably, there are no diesel engines and the Tourer (wagon) and CC convertible don’t continue on from 207.

MECHANICAL

>>Triple treat?

Riding on an updated version of the PF1 front-wheel drive architecture that underpinned the 207, the 208 retains the same 2538mm wheelbase, yet is 70mm shorter, 20mm narrower and 10mm lower.

Importantly, Peugeot has been able to hack big weight savings compared to the 207. For instance, the Active 1.2 weighs just 975kg, compared to 1224kg (!) 207 XR 1.4.

The 1.2-litre ‘EB’ triple-cylinder is a new PSA 12-valve design, making 60kW and 118Nm. It officially averages a diesel-esque 4.7L/100km and emits just 109g CO2/km.

The 1.6-litre DOHC 16-valve engine, also used in the 308 Peugeot, C3 and C4 Citroens and MINI Cooper, makes 88kW and 160Nm, averages 5.4L/100km and emits only 134g CO2/km (as a manual).

The THP turbo also claims those economical figures, despite making 115kW and 260Nm. It is easily the performance leader of the range, taking 8.1 secs fro the 0-100km/h sprint. The 1.6 takes 9.8 secs (manual) and the 1.2 a glacial 13.9 secs.

The 208, like the 207, is suspended by McPherson struts up-front and a torsion beam at the rear. Steering assistance continues to be electric. The Active employs disc/drum brakes, while the Allures are all-disc.

PACKAGING

>>Smaller outside, more space inside

The 208 is an orthodox package, offered in either three or five-door hatchback bodies.

Although physically measuring up smaller than its predecessor, it manages to eke out 50mm more rear legroom because of its wheels at each corner stance. However, while the 208 is nominally a five-seater, it really is designed for two smaller people in the back.

Access to rear seats in the three-door is good for adults and children thanks to a front-seat slide function and large door openings. The doors themselves are long and heavy, so watch out when opening.

The 208 also has more boot space than the 207, increasing 15 litres to 285 litres. The rear seat split folds to grow that to an impressive 1076 litres.

There are front and rear door storage pockets, but the Active misses out on seat-pockets. There are no overhead grabhandles, but there are door-grabs. Front cupholders are tiny.

The driving position has its pluses and minuses; the pedals are no longer offset awkwardly and the left footrest is well positioned. The reach and rake adjustable steering wheel has also shrunken to almost race-car size, emphasising the 208’s quick steering. However, it does not adjust through enough vertical range and the sizeable and supportive seat does not sink low enough, so you can feel that you are sitting on, not in. the 208.

My driving position also meant the top of the steering wheel curved straight through the digital speedo readout in the floating instrument panel, as well as part of the analogue tacho and speedo readouts.

The iPad-like seven-inch touch screen is a funky and classy item that should appeal to the target buyers. It is surrounded by piano black and faux chrome trim and soft-touch dashboard materials. These are obvious areas of improvement compared to the 207.

SAFETY

>>Euro NCAP five stars

The 208 comes equipped with the standard retinue of safety items; six airbags, stability control and antilock aided by Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Emergency Brake Assist. All passengers get lap-sash seatbelts.

The 208 has attained the maximum five star Euro NCAP rating.

COMPETITORS

>> Many and varied

Classified officially in the VFACTS Premium Light category, the 208 lines up against the likes of the Alfa Romeo Mito, the Citroen C3 and DS3, the Fiat 500 and Renault Clio (currently only available in RS form). Peruse that lot and it's no wonder the 207 took over 50 per cent of sales in its category!

But for the 208 to sell in more serious numbers its is going to have to battle quality mainstream light hatches such as the Vokswagen Polo, the Skoda Fabia and upper-spec versions of the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2. Next year it is also going to have to face up to the revitalised fourth generation Clio line-up.

With on-the-road pricing for all models bar the Active 1.2 venturing toward (or north of) $25,000, there are small cars like the Ford Focus and VW Golf it will also be looking to snatch volume from… Not to forget Peugeot’s own 308, which is in run-out in 2013.

ON THE ROAD

>>Not another hill!

Peruse the 208 range and among the laudable efforts to pare back weight, ramp up the interior class and reintroduce the grin factor, the powertrains have decided not to play ball.

In this modern age downsized turbocharged petrol engines are becoming increasingly popular. Trouble is, in the case of the 208, there has been some downsizing but the turbos haven’t come along for the ride. The only model that gets forced induction is the three-door Sport.

It’s a decision made at factory level in France and it’s a poor one.

The 1.2 VTi is a brave lapdog, growling away but without any real ferocity. It is the sort of car you can drive just about anywhere flat-to-the-boards. Uphills you will need to! At least through all that redline activity and noise, it stays smooth.

Although no fireball either, the 1.6 is okay for the Active and Allure, but it is crying out for a six-speed manual transmission. In fifth it buzzes along at 3000rpm at 100km/h. The four-speed auto option was unavailable for testing at launch, so we won’t hazard a guess how that affects the package. But it does seem to me missing a couple of gears…

It is unfortunate the Allure Premium can’t be had with the THP engine, because extra equipment struggles to justify its extra cost over the standard Allure. More performance would help.

The THP isn’t a classic by any means, but it does have that solid midrange pulling power low-blow turbos typically deliver. There’s also a meaty exhaust burble that complements it. Alas the clunky six-speed manual in the Sport doesn’t shift as cleanly as the five-speeds mated to the VTis (although they also had long throws and late clutch pedal engagement that made quick, slick changes rare).

Riding on 205/45R17 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres, the Sport had the tightest and tautest suspension behaviour allied with a still amenable ride. Indeed, all three cars handled most bumps well. It was the big mid-corner holes and ruts that rattled the steering and triggered mild rear-end bump steer.

Steering quality varied. The Active 1.2 was consistently light, the Allure 1.6 started light and weighed up noticeably and artificially mid-corner. The Sport’s rack and pinion was consistently the heaviest, something contributed to by both tyre and tune.

Overall, none of the electric steering systems offered the intimacy and confidence of Peugeot’s long-gone hydraulic systems. Allied with the car’s small size and size, they do, however, make the 208 easily manoeuvrable in town.

On most surfaces noise levels were well contained in the cabin, although truly coarse bitumen caused quite a ruckus -- as did pushing the engines toward redline.

And that was something we found ourselves doing quite a lot in the VTis as the hatches struggled to make quick overtakes and conquer hills. Not mountains – rather the sort of terrain a VW Polo with a turbo-petrol engine and DSG boss would despatch with disdain.

Which means it’s hard to garner any real enthusiasm for the 208. Buyers will undoubtedly be getting something different, but not necessarily better.

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