Peugeot e-208 review
The electric Peugeot 208 is a smart, grown-up package that's fun to drive and has both a useful range and decent rapid-charging capability
Pros
- Great, high-tech interior
- Decent passenger space
- Tidy handling and performance
Cons
- Fussy sat-nav interface
- No proper cable storage
- Renault ZOE goes further
| Car type | Electric range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | 225 miles | 7hrs 15mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 27mins (10-80%, 100kW) |
The Peugeot 208 is a car that almost every household has heard of, with a strong aura of familiarity and dependability. These days, you pick what colour and trim level you’d like, then you choose your powertrain – petrol, diesel or electric. As ordinary a choice as deciding on ketchup or mayo with your chips. Or that's how Peugeot wants it to feel, anyway.
Go electric, and the e-208 is what you get. Visually indistinguishable from its siblings – save a blue-green tinge to the lion badge and body-coloured highlights to the grille – it’s a smart-looking, five-door hatchback that rivals the Renault ZOE and Vauxhall Corsa-e (which shares the Peugeot’s platform), and even goes up against the larger but similarly priced MG ZS EV.
Until late-2022, the e-208 was powered by a 134bhp electric motor sending drive to the front wheels, fed by a 50kWh battery. Official driving range, with this set-up, stood at 225 miles. But Peugeot has now revealed that from 2023, cars will get a slightly larger battery and tweaks to reduce energy consumption, which should boost the car’s range to 248 miles – three more miles than the aforementioned ZOE.
While the e-208 might lack any proper cable storage under the boot floor, charging times are competitive. Plug in to a 100kW public rapid charger and it’ll gain about 100 miles of range in around 20 minutes, while a 50kW charger will do the same in roughly 40 minutes.
It’s good to drive, too. It's more than potent enough, whether you’re launching away from the lights or making use of the mid-range shove. Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes adjust the throttle response and weight of the steering, but keep it in its standard setting and the steering is light but precise – ideal for driving through town. Select the stronger regenerative braking in ‘B’ mode, and the car slows smoothly and remains easy to judge.
The tactile, tech-heavy, eye-catching interior might be what sways you towards the e-208 over the mechanically identical Corsa-e. A seven-inch 'floating' touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, but top-spec models come with a larger 10-inch unit. It can be a bit of a faff to figure out some simple actions on Peugeot's infotainment system, but otherwise the features and graphics are great.
You get multiple USB charging sockets in the front and back, and in all but the cheapest model there’s wireless phone charging and a snazzy configurable instrument cluster with ‘3D’ graphics. Space in the e-208 is exactly the same as in the petrol car, so there’s plenty of room in the back for average-sized adults to get comfortable. Meanwhile, the 311-litre boot is a good size for this type of EV.
Overall, it’s the style, on-board technology and generally sophisticated feel of the e-208 that sets it apart. We wished it offered a slightly more forgiving ride, but at least the updated model will offer a slightly superior range to the rapidly-ageing Renault ZOE – not to mention faster charging. Though it’s worth mentioning that before you rush out to your nearest Peugeot dealership, you can’t actually order the new e-208 just yet – and pricing won’t be revealed until 2023. For more on the e-208, read on for the rest of our in-depth review…
