Peugeot e-208 review

Driving position 

One of our biggest gripes with modern Peugeots has been the driving position. Ever since it introduced the smaller steering wheel and odd i-Cockpit dashboard design, we’ve found ourselves yearning for the 205 GTIs of old. 

However, something’s changed with the e-208. Something we can’t quite figure out, but things are different. In a good way. 

Perhaps we’ve just come to terms with this new design, or we’ve finally given up complaining but it’s really not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be – even if you’re over six foot. 

The small steering wheel has a flat top and bottom that almost gives it a ‘yoke’ feel but without the added awkwardness. It’s comfortable to hold and has plenty of adjustment. There’s lots of adjustment in the seating position, too, thanks to electronic controls for the driver’s seat (only). You even get a massage driver’s seat – something that used to be reserved for fancy Mercedes and the like. 

This added level of adjustment does help you see the dials clearly ahead of you – perhaps that’s what’s changed. It’s still always worth sitting in one before you buy it to make sure it works for you. 

Tech and features 

If you’ve seen a Stellantis advert on the telly recently, you’ll know Peugeot, Vauxhall etc. aren’t messing about. It’s clearly appealing to a younger audience, and the e-208's interior proves it. 

We can’t say it’s on the same level as The Hoobs’ bus with its (actually quite scary) human-like instruments, but for a small hatchback and not a kids’ cartoon, it’s spot on. 

A big plus straight away is the convenient wireless Apple CarPlay (Android Auto is also available for all you Samsung users). The one downside we found, however, is the wireless charging pad. It gets its own cubby door but just didn’t seem to add any battery to the phone. 

We popped an iPhone 13 Pro (with a thin case on) in the holder and it started charging. Two hours later and it was still charging but showing 29% battery. The phone never disconnected or died, but it might be safer to plug in using the [ports] if you need some juice.  

On CarPlay, the system works seamlessly alongside the car’s infotainment, allowing you to switch between Beverly Knight and controlling the air-con without interrupting your maps, or Shoulda Woulda Coulda. 

The infotainment screen itself is a decent sized 10 inches, mated to another 10-inch driver’s display with 3D technology. It’s not as fancy as it sounds but does mean your speed stands out at you while driving. 

Other nifty features include front and rear parking sensors, LED light strips across the dashboard and lots of customisation. 

It was also great to see a heat pump in our test car (even if it was a £400 extra), which meant no dramatic loss of range while driving with the heater or air-con on. 

Without sounding like a broken record, another thing we don’t love in the e-208 is the lack of physical controls. Almost everything is done via the screen, even the temperature controls. It would be nice to see at least one physical dial – but that’s just the way the world’s going unfortunately. 

Electric motors and power 

Right, now for the fun part; the driving. 

Being a front-wheel drive hatchback, the Peugeot e-208 has what it takes to be a hoot. While it hasn’t got stats that’ll melt your brain, it’s still fun to drive. 

Sitting at its heart is a 51kWh battery that produces 156hp and 260Nm of torque. This means a 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 93mph. 

This is far from impressive by today’s standards, with other electric cars capable of producing 2,000hp+, but in the e-208's package it just works. 

It’s most at home around town because you can flick it into its ‘B’ regenerative braking mode, and it slurps up any available range it can. But take it onto a twisty B-road and it won’t disappoint. 

Even if Sport mode is nothing short of an extra burst of energy, it helps this little Peugeot feel like more of an old school hot hatch, even if it’s got less horsepower than a fancy toaster in 2024. 

On the motorway, it shouldn’t struggle. Most electric cars face plummeting ranges on longer motorway journeys, but it’s not as severe in this car. If you stick to appropriate speeds and keep it in Eco mode, you’ll eke it much further than you may think. 

Handling and ride comfort 

It’s no Hyundai Ioniq 5 N but the e-208 holds up pretty well around the bends. It won’t cock a wheel like some feistier rivals but what it does offer is a smooth ride, allowing the dampers to iron out any bumps in the road. 

Our test car was fitted with Michelin Primacy 4 tyres, which are very quiet and yet still very grippy. These, mated with the precise and nimble steering, give you confidence around corners. 

It just pulls you ound and carefully lays you out on the other side like the BFG picking you up and carefully placing you back down onto the tarmac. 

Boot space 

Taking a press car away for the weekend can be a real gamble. Sometimes you haven’t planned well enough ahead and find all your luggage doesn’t fit, but not this time. 

This is partly thanks to some expert packing but a shoutout goes to the e-208's 309-litre boot, which is enough for two small suitcases and a lot of hiking gear. 

If you need the extra space, its luggage capacity grows to 1,118 litres when the rear seats are folded flat. 

Rear seats 

If you’re a taller person, long journeys won’t be all that fun in the back of the e-208, but if you have kids or smaller adults, it should be fine. 

Rear-seat passengers do benefit from phone charging capabilities in the form of one USB-A and one USB-C port. 

Storage solutions 

Those in the front especially will be pleased to know there’s lots of clever storage solutions to make this small hatchback appear bigger than it is. 

In between the driver and front passenger is what looks like an ordinary small arm rest, but hiding underneath is a deceptively deep storage box ideal for wallets, keys, sunglasses, etc.  

While the glovebox itself is compromised, it’s still large enough for small things like tissues, wipes and, most importantly, sweets. 

Safety 

As always, safety is paramount in new electric cars, and the Peugeot e-208 is no different. 

The latest 2024 model hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP yet but the previous gen from 2021 scored four out of five stars with the stricter testing regulations, so it’s safe to say this would be roughly the same. 

Standard onboard safety features include rear parking sensors, lane-keep assist, driver attention warning, active brake assist and cruise control. 

Our e-208 GT model gets the above plus adaptive cruise control and lane position assist, too. 

Range and charging times 

Range is another strong point – a big green tick for the new e-208. 

It gets a claimed 248 miles of range from a full charge and it doesn’t lie. We brimmed it at a fast charger (40%-100% in around 40 minutes, while eating breakfast) and it stayed impressively true to this claim. 

The only slight shame is that it’s limited to 100kW rapid charging, which is usually plenty, but when other cars can take on up to 150kW, it feels like a kick in the teeth.  

We found in our testing that if you do a mixture of town, city, countryside and motorway driving, you’ll stick to this claimed range figure and can even make it last longer with a bit of regen thrown in too. 

Reliability 

It's such a new car so commenting on reliability is tricky, but based on the previous generation, we’d say there’s no need to worry. 

Peugeot offers a three-year/unlimited-mile warranty and a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery.  

And it’s obviously electric, so there are fewer mechanical things to go wrong, which is always nice to know. 

Insurance groups 

Being a fairly expensive (our test car was £34,710) small electric hatchback, insurance will be slightly higher than an old banger, but this is to be expected. 

You can expect it to sit in between insurance groups 26 and 31.