Peugeot e-208 review: reliability & safety rating
The electric Peugeot 208 has good safety equipment, although others fare better in crash tests and there’s no space-saver spare wheel
| Euro NCAP | Adult protection | Child protection | Safety assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 stars (2019) | 91% | 86% | 71% |
The Peugeot e-208’s four-star official Euro NCAP crash-test rating looks low compared to some rivals, such as the MG4 EV and Ora Funky Cat which both received five-star Euro NCAP scores in 2022. Weak points for the e-208 included pedestrian safety and safety assistance where the electric hatchback scored just 56% and 71% respectively. However, the e-208’s tried-and-tested running gear bodes well for reliability.
Peugeot e-208 reliability & problems
It’s hard to comment on reliability given that the e-208 is still relatively new. However, as a rule, electric cars are very reliable given that the motor has far fewer moving parts than a petrol or diesel engine. Peugeot fared well in the 2022 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, finishing fourth overall out of 29 brands. What's more, the 208 finished a very respectable 37th in the rundown of the top 75 cars, with a top-10 finish for ride and handling.
Safety
The e-208 might not have excelled itself in Euro NCAP’s crash safety test, but it does come as standard with a host of standard driver aids, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and traffic-sign recognition that beams the relevant speed limit onto your dials.
However, you do have to go for GT trim to get upgraded autonomous emergency braking that uses radar rather than a camera-based sensor, and can respond to a cyclist or pedestrian as well as a vehicle. What’s more, you have to get the optional Drive Assist Pack Plus if you want adaptive cruise control and it’s only offered on GT spec cars.
Adaptive cruise control was standard on the top-of-the-range GT Premium trim, but that’s currently unavailable to order. It’s a shame that you can’t get a space-saver wheel either as there isn’t room in the boot because the batteries take up too much space.
