Battery size: 51kWh
Company car tax: 4%
Range: 219 - 233 miles
Introduction
It just looks like an E-208, right? Well, yes and no. There are loads of styling details to set the Peugeot E-208 GTi apart, including all the red bits, the wider tracks and arches, the gloss black diffuser at the back, the ‘pepper pot’ alloys that hark back to the legendary 205 GTi… Oh, and ‘GTi’ badges everywhere.
It’s got all the hot hatch trappings, including nods to the past and a nice, meaningful stance. I like the way it looks! It’s got more theatre to it than the Vauxhall Corsa GSE that shares the same platform and powertrain, but it’s not quite as over-the-top as the Abarth 600e. Is it quite as chunky and cute as the Alpine A290? I’d say not, but the E-208 GTi definitely strikes a happy balance between unmistakable hot hatch aggression, and more subdued everyday styling than some of its rivals.
Anyway, it’s got to be good, this. Because Peugeot’s GTi cars have been struggling to get out from under the shadow of the hallowed 205 GTi for decades, now.
So, it’s good to know that this all-electric Peugeot E-208 GTi has the numbers you’d hope for on paper. With 281hp going to the gront wheels, 345Nm of torque, a limited slip-diff, bespoke suspension settings and a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds, it looks like it’s got the chops to take on all of those electric hot hatch rivals.
Range, battery and charging
The Peugeot E-208 GTi gets a 51kWh NMC usable battery, which is good for a WLTP range of up to 233 miles (378km) – provided you go for the no-cost option Hankook tyres. But you’re not buying this for its efficiency and range are you? So you’re going to go for the sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, aren’t you? I know I would – even if they do bring range down to 219 miles (352km).
To be honest, the range is nothing to write home about on the E-208 GTi, but it is competitive with rivals like the Alpine A290 (which gets 236 miles WLTP). We’ve found that this battery can be quite temperature-sensitive despite the standard heat pump, so expect real-world range to drop down to around 150 miles if you’re on a wintery motorway run. Summer range will be more like 200 miles, although we haven’t spent enough time in the GTi (and have only driven it on Michelin tyres) to give a more specific estimate of real-world range.
Rapid charging is up to 100kW, which is good for a 20-80% rapid charge in 30 minutes, or 100 miles of additional range in around 25 minutes, is on a par with most of the Peugeot’s rivals.
You get vehicle-to-load (V2L) as well, so you can charge your vape from the car’s high voltage battery if you want to.
Motors, performance and handling
- Power: 281hp
- 0-62mph: 5.5sec
- Powertrain: FWD
I had a lot of fun in the GTi! It really is quite naughty in all the right ways, but I do like that it feels fast enough to be a bit rebellious and savage, but it always feels friendly. It’s not too fast or explosive, it’s just the right amount of power.
Even in a rainy Scotland, the limited-slip diff keeps things tidy and you can get the power down well, while the small steering wheel and quick steering makes the car darty and responsive. It’s great! Really chuckable, and I think it’s got just the right amount of theatre. You notice that the wider tracks – 56mm wider at the front and 28mm at the rear – make it feel really planted, too. It’s got loads of grip, loads of feedback and it’s just a proper riot.
Mind you, the ride is quite firm. I mean, you don’t need to pack a sports bra or anything, but you will notice the car jarring over potholes and it’s just… busy and bumpy. You’re never really going to forget that it’s a hot hatch, then. But, it is a hot hatch and I can see why you might want it to feel keen all the time! Some people will love it. I found it a bit too much. I reckon I’d want the ride a bit calmer for everyday stuff.
Apart from that, I like the ‘engine’ noise that you can turn on with a prod to the screen. It’s subtle enough to be good fun without droning away in the background and driving you mad the rest of the time (and you can turn it off, if it does). There’s also brake regen but it’s fairly mild in the normal drive mode, and then even when you dial it up with ‘B’ mode it’s stronger but it’s no one-pedal mode. It’s nice and smooth, though, and while I wish it was more variable and controllable on steering wheel paddles, this does the job.
More problematic is the brake pedal feel, which doesn’t feel quite sharp enough for my tastes. Given that the brakes are heavily uprated for the GTi, it’s no surprise that the actual stopping power and endurance under heavy use is really good. But the brakes could definitely offer a bit more feel and initial bite, if you ask me.
Is the E-208 GTi as good as the Alpine A290? Tricky. It really is good, the Peugeot, so we’ll just have to get them together to find out!
Practicality and boot space
Come on, you didn’t come here for practicality stuff, did you?! It’s a 208, so you know it’s got five doors and you’ll get a couple of average-sized adults in the back. Taller people may struggle with legroom, as the chunky bucket seats up front eat into legroom a bit, but this will still be just fine as a small family car – or more likely, as a small car that you can get your mates in for those trips to McDonalds.
The boot is 309 litres, which is plenty enough for your baseball cap collection and that aftermarket subwoofer that you’re planning on fitting. You want to know more? Check out our full 208 review! We’re all about the GTi with this review, innit?!
Interior, design and technology
The interior is basically the same as the standard Peugeot 208 but with loads of red bits!. Although I will say that the sports seats are pretty special. They hark back to the original Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9, with the central red insert and mesh detail. I reckon there is an appealing retro-esque look to them in the blocky shape of the bolsters, and they’re certainly really comfy with lots of support and enough adjustment that even taller drivers should fit comfortably.
The Alcantara steering wheel is nice, too, but I’d like the Alcantara bits to be where my hands go, rather than right at the top of the wheel, because I love an Alcantara wheel and I want to feel that it’s Alcantara! Oh, and there are thicker, GTi-specific carpets. Yes, that’s right. Thicker carpets. I would have assumed they’d go thinner to save some weight but I’m not gonna lie – the thicker. Carpets are rather cushy and lovely.
Infotainment is – again – much the same as the standard Peugeot E-208, and that means that you get a 7.0-inch driver’s readout and a 10.0-inch central touchscreen with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s not the best system to use as some of the system settings are quite awkward to find – actions like dimming the screen can be more of a faff than they should be – but there are configurable shortcuts, and touch-sensitive buttons to take you back to the home page.
To be honest, when you’ve got your setting sorted and you’re using CarPlay or Android Auto all the time, it’s not so bad!
Running costs and pricing
The E-208 GTi costs £34,995 in the UK, but it’ll be eligible for the £1,500 UK plug-in car grant (for now, anyway), which brings it down to £34,495. That’s a very similar price to the Alpine A290 GTS, Abarth 600e, and Vauxhall Corsa GSE.
You also get an eight year, 100,000 mile warranty on the car and the battery thanks to the Peugeot ‘Electric Promise’, but you do have to service the car according to the schedule (one service after the first year or 8,000 miles, and then every two years or 16,000 miles thereafter) at official Peugeot dealers to validate that long warranty.
Verdict
The Peugeot E-208 GTi is fun, characterful and has loads of heritage touches that give it credibility and desirability. I really enjoyed firing it around Scotland and making the most of the diff, the performance and the general theatre. I would like to see more variable brake regen – ideally on paddles – for more control on that front. And I’d like more immediate brake pedal feel. Even so, I can absolutely see why you’d go for the Peugeot E-208 GTi. It’s naughty. And I like it.
8
