The Peugeot e-208 GTi is France’s newest hot hatch
The 208 GTi Pug is back, and It’s got some serious spark.
Peugeot’s pulled the covers off its first electric hot hatch, and thankfully it’s wearing the GTi badge again.
Don’t go thinking it’s just a styling exercise with a bigger battery and motor, either: The e-208 GTi means business.
Like all EVs, the e-208 is heavier than a conventional combustion car (at about 1530kg), but the new GTi has been given the power to compensate for that handicap – along with a bigger battery pack, at 54kWh in place of the regular 48kWh system.
That battery pack is good for about 350 kilometres, Peugeot says, with a 20-80% recharge wrapped up in 30 minutes at the max 100kW rate.
While the most powerful form of the last petrol-powered 208 GTi offered 153kW of power and 300Nm of torque to shift its 1185kg body to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds (check out this old Motor review), the new e-208 GTi lists 205kW, 344Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds.
That’s all sent to the front wheels, as befits the classic hot hatch formula, so there’s also just the one motor on board.
Again, in bullets!
- 205kW
- 344Nm
- 5.7 seconds to 100km/h
Are you kidding me with those wheels? BEST. And that massive GTi logo is unreal.
Remembering that performance is as much in the stopping as it is the going, Peugeot – specifically the team behind its 9X8 Le Mans hypercar – have also added 355mm discs behind the front wheels.
They’ve also packed in a limited-slip diff – uncommon for an EV, as most will use torque vectoring and multiple motors for the same job, but sensible in a front-wheel-drive performance model that’s targeting a traditional feel.
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres wrap a set of very retro-cool 18-inch ‘Hole’ alloys, whose 205 GTi-inspired design come with the added benefit of aerodynamic efficiencies and brake cooling. That’s joined by tweaked and 30mm-lower suspension, and a track widened by 56mm at the front and 27mm at the rear.
On the style front, there’s extra chunky black arches to cover the wider track, a red finish to the brake calipers, a plainly more purposeful wing and diffuser setup, and just the right number of GTi badges. The red metallic paint is standard, too.
Inside there’s Alcantara trim and red stitching, sporty seats with go-fast stripes, and a tiny flat-bottom steering wheel that won’t look out of place to anybody familiar with the past few generations of Peugeot.
The 10-inch screen gets some GTi-themed graphics, and yes, there’s a built-in sound generator, love it or hate it. (If it’s anything like the one in the Ioniq 5 N (see Youtube), I’m here for it.)
Is the Peugeot e-208 GTi coming to Australia?
Aussie availability hasn’t been announced yet, although the official word a few years ago was a green light. We’ll see if that’s still the case.
As for pricing, the regular model is a $50K prospect, so it’ll be a pretty penny for this one. Watch for details to come soon.
Alpine A290 or Peugeot e-208 GTi?
As the performance companion to the Renault 5 E-Tech, the A290 is a more retro-styled alternative to the e-208 GTi.
It's less powerful though, with 160kW in its top form and a 0-100km/h sprint claimed at 6.4 seconds.
But, listen, ignore that. The A290 is bound to be a hoot, so this question is instead about style.
Which one do you prefer the look of?
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