Peugeot 208 review

Prices begin at just over £20k – Style is the entry level at £20,495 (£200 a month) and it’s almost joyously sparse. It covers basics like all-round electric windows, rear parking sensors and a central touchscreen, but not a whole lot else. So there’s a manual handbrake, a single USB port and not a semblance of a drive mode. You even get 16in steel wheels hidden behind alloy-mimicking hubcaps.

It's kinda lovely, actually, although its basic air con system is a proper faff to operate through a screen and you’ll crave some proper climate control. If it had another 30 or so horsepower, you might think of it as a modern day Rallye or suchlike – but its sole 100bhp, 1.2-litre petrol option naturally lacks lustre when it comes to performance. Even if its sensation of speed cheerily outpaces the reality of its 10.1sec dawdle to 62mph.

More power and spec comes with Allure trim. It starts at £25,145 with the same engine, or £26,950 as a hybrid auto (and a whisker under £29k as an electric E-208 with the new government grant applied). Its spec highlights over the Style are climate control, front parking sensors, 16in alloys, plusher interior trim, more touchscreen tech (and charging ports) and plush digital iCockpit instruments. If you want a Hybrid, it’s your cheapest entry spec; if you’re going pure petrol, its leap in list price over the Style looks poor value on RRP alone. But if the monthly payments are close, don’t let us stop you.

And the posher ones?

GT trim starts at £27,295 and adds keyless go, 17in rims (handsome, but watch out for the ride), full LED headlights, a reversing camera and ambient lighting. It also includes a ‘3D effect’ instrument display which some testers have found tricky to focus on – another reason it’s crucial to test drive a 208 before signing.

GT Premium is a further £1,500 and adds heated seats and loads of active safety stuff, including Adaptive Cruise Control (which is a tempting £300 option on all other 208s). Both of these trims are the only ones to offer the full gamut of powertrains, but be wary you’ll have soared past £30k with the sprightlier options.

Every trim and engine comes with neon Agueda Yellow as its standard colour. Lean into the bold design by sticking with it – or at the very least, choose red or blue (£950 apiece) from the remaining optional colours which are otherwise a bland sea of white, grey or black (£750). A contrasting black roof is standard on GT and GT Premium specs.

What about running costs?

In our experience, both the base 208 petrol and hybrid average low- to mid-50s mpg in mixed use, the former nudging 60mpg on a long haul and the latter improving usefully when limited to urban environs. Weight is a factor here: the base car is just 1,090 kilos, whereas the hybrid versions are all 1.2 tonnes.

Their servicing schedules also slightly differ, the petrol quoting 12,500 miles/one year and the hybrid 16,000 miles/one year (whichever comes first, in each instance). Unless you’re using this car a lot, their reality will be much the same.