Electric hatchback arrives with at least four crucial questions to answer
Why we’re running it: To get under the skin of a promising hatch and assess its tech in daily use
Month 1 – Specs
Life with a Peugeot e-208: Month 1
Welcoming the e-208 to the fleet
French carmakers have always done things a little differently. At various times they have tried – somewhat successfully to change the perception that a car needed to be a box on wheels.
Remember the shark-like Citroen DS, a car that made half-covered wheels cool, then the bonkers-looking Ami6 and, more recently, the daft Renault Avantime MPV At other times, they have tried less successfully – to reimagine what a car should be.
There was the Renault Project 900, a car that was built back to front (yes, really); the Voisin Biscooter, which looked more like a school project than a production car; and even the propeller-driven Leyat Helica, because who doesn’t want a plane that doesn’t fly?
We can’t leave out the Renault Twizy and Citroen Ami electric two-seaters, created as alternative mobility vessels. The Ami in particular feels like it has been produced for French 14-year-olds who are fed up with cycling everywhere.
But sometimes they really do get it right, like with the super cheap Citroen 2CV, which did indeed transform the automotive industry by opening motoring to the masses. Down with the haute bourgeoisie, et tout ça.
More recently, Peugeot had a stab. It’s not as dramatic as some, nor as symbolic as others, but it’s no less transformative: the iCockpit. For those unaware, this positions the instrumentation above a smaller steering wheel to enable, as Peugeot says, better manoeuvrability and increased focus on the road.
Why is this relevant? Because it’s the second generation of the Cockpit that I find in my new Peugeot e-208 – and since it concerns the primary way you interact with your car, it’s rather important. The iCockpit has featured in all new Peugeot models since it was first launched in 2013.
I remember the original advert in 2012 and a real desire to try the new 208 with the smaller wheel. That finally happened in 2017, when I got given one: a hand-me-down from my dad, who was upgrading to a Honda Civic (FK generation).
And I really did love it. The set-up was brilliant: a small car that was already quite chuckable with a smaller wheel to make it even more chuckable. What fun. So when I received a call saying an e-208 was heading my way, I was not so silently thrilled.
I’ve had some really great times in my old 15-plate 208 – which my brother now runs as his daily – and I am excited to see if this new generation is just as smile-inducing. The new iCockpit generation, introduced in 2016 and upgraded in 2022, is definitely a move away from the original.
Gone are manual dials and the round steering wheel; in comes a customisable digital instrument cluster – which links up to the new i-Connect infotainment – and a wheel with a flat top and bottom.
First impressions are… mixed. It really is a slick bit of kit to use, but worries are looming over being able to adopt my preferred driving position: low seat, raised wheel. In this set-up, I’m finding the speedo is obscured by the steering wheel.
Unlike in the e-308, the screen isn’t as customisable – for example, moving the speedo so it’s higher on the screen – which is annoying. Lowering the wheel to counter this is also proving problematic because it restricts leg movement and easy pedal use. So this is an area to tweak and report back on, but I’m confident of a solution.
Anyway, beyond that, the key to a successful hatch is good looks. This has them. The updated second-generation 208 gets a more imposing face than its predecessor, with new tri-fang daytime-running lights and a broader front grille.
Our car also sports the Agueda Yellow exterior, which has proved to be a bit divisive among colleagues and friends, but I think it’s great. It would be on my spec shortlist.
We also have GT trim, which, along with a new 10in touchscreen with wireless smartphone support and all-round sensors, adds 17in alloy wheels, a 3D instrument panel (which is quite funky) and ‘dynamic’ front seats.
Underneath, we have gone for the biggest, 54kWh (51kWh usable capacity) battery, which gives a WLTP range of around 250 miles. It can apparently be charged from 20-80% in less than 25 minutes by a 100kW charger.
Power is delivered by a new front-mounted 154bhp motor. For the eagled-eyed, this is indeed the same set-up as the new, bigger 308, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and others in the Stellantis stable. So what are we looking to achieve during our time with the car?
First, to see why this French supermini was Europe’s best-selling car in It finished sixth last year, but with only a 6% year-on-year drop, and it currently sits fifth.
Second, to see if small hatches like this – especially with an electric powerplant – have a future. In April (the most up-to-date figures at the time of writing), it was demand for superminis – including the 208, Renault Clio and Volkswagen Golf- rather than SUVs that increased the total of new car sales across Europe by 12%.
A rather tempting £251-per-month offer – in our car’s spec – adds another pull to buyers.
Third, to find out whether the claimed range is achievable during the long-haul motorway driving I will mostly be undertaking, and if it isn’t, whether the lower mileage it offers can be lived with.
And, finally, to ascertain if the iCockpit is as good as it once was. Colleagues who have experienced it previously aren’t convinced it is and some are using that as a reason to write off the car completely. This will be a key question to answer.
So can this little electric hatchback live up to my nostalgic expectations? I hope so. During my short time with it so far, I’m already forming a bit of a connection. I’m excited to see what blossoms.
Second Opinion
I’m intrigued that Will got on with the first generation but not (yet) the second generation of iCockpit. Mostly because I truly think Peugeot iCocked it up from the start. I’m slightly below average height and I find it unusable. And I am not the only person who thinks this
Murray Scullion
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Peugeot e-208 156 GT specification
Specs: Price New £36,250 Price as tested £36,250 Options None
Test Data: Engine Permanent magnet synchronous motor Power 154bhp Torque 199lb ft Kerb weight 1455kg Top speed 93mph 0-62mph 8.2sec Fuel economy 4.0mpkWh CO2 0g/km Faults None Expenses None
