In jurisdictions where every automaker is eventually legally mandated to go electric, what’s going to happen to fun, affordable cars? While manual transmissions and revvy engines will probably go the way of the dodo, that doesn’t mean we have to give up on performance hardware. The same lineage that spawned the awesome 205 GTi is going electric. This is the Peugeot e-208 GTi, and it’s a serious electric hot hatch that probably won’t cost absolutely silly money.
At the heart of the e-208 GTi sits what Peugeot calls its M4+ motor, which cranks out 278 horsepower and 254 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s packaged into a unit containing an actual limited-slip differential and should propel this admittedly slightly porky 3,519-pound hatchback from zero-to-62 mph in 5.7 seconds. That’s right in Volkswagen Golf GTI territory.
As for the battery pack, it’s the same 54 kWh NMC CATL-sourced unit used in the standard e-208, but Peugeot’s tweaked the cooling system and logistics for more fun before any derating occurs. Figure 217 miles of WLTP range, or about 17 miles less than a base Hyundai Kona Electric, which is rated at 200 miles of EPA range in North America. Not exactly eons, but enough for shorter trips.
Obviously, power is only half the equation of a hot hatch, because any feisty small car worth its salt needs to attack the bends. In pursuit of that goal, Peugeot’s gone a bit nuclear with the tire option on the e-208 GTi, speccing Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2s. This is essentially a trackday tire that, while not as aggressive as the Cup 2R, still has found its way under some of the world’s greatest supercars, and should be just the right amount of overkill for backroad blasts. At a sizing of 215/40R18, they aren’t crazy wide either, which suggests good things for replacement costs and potential playfulness.
Tires alone will only take you so far, so not only has Peugeot widened the track of the e-208 GTi by 2.2 inches up front and 1.06 inches out back, it’s dropped the ride height by 1.18 inches on new springs, re-tuned the dampers, added hydraulic bump stops, and bolted in a thick rear anti-roll bar. A sizeable set of 14-inch front discs clamped by four-piston calipers complement that package, and at this point, my eyebrow is fully cocked.
See, the regular e-208 is a reasonably affordable electric car that starts at €27,000 and tops out at €35,610, a price range of roughly $31,155 to $41,090 at current conversion rates. While lots of automakers have been launching EVs in that price range, few have announced variants that promise to be both quick and fun.
Oh, and to put a cherry on top, Peugeot’s made this thing look good. The chunky black-and-red arches and 205 GTi-inspired pepper pot alloy wheels give the e-208 GTi a really good stance, and the split-tone black-and-red interior mixes modern materials with classic color themes in a fun and interesting way.
While the Peugeot e-208 GTi won’t make it to America, the more manufacturers that enter this segment, the better the chances are we’ll see something like this cross the pond. Alternatively, the more serious electric hot hatchbacks get made, the more interesting metal we can import in 25 years or so.
Top graphic image: Peugeot
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Yet another one that chose wrong wheel drive when going electric could have allowed a sensible shift to better driving dynamics…
Going FWD for “heritage” reasons is so short sighted. These cars were great in spite of being FWD, which they had to be due to their pedestrian underpinnings.
The e-208 is FWD because it shares an architecture with hybrids and ICE models. PSA (pre-merger) decided that they’d be unable to offer a cheap EV without sharing the platform with ICE cars.
It’s a totally different question than when you’re developing a pure-EV platform. The e-208 is built on the same assembly line as the ICE 208!
Many, if not most cars are gonna switch to RWD as they shift to EV. FWD still makes some sense for smaller cars, because it still has packaging advantages, and having FWD options increases the diversity of driving experiences on the market, especially as EVs tend to be more similar to drive to each other than ICE cars. Plus, some people just like ‘Wrong Wheel Drive’.
Stellantis is far behind on EV tech.
-Slow charging.
-Platform shared with ICE.
-FWD layout (combined with EV torque)
And starting to suffer from serious problems with suspension that was not upgraded from the ICE version (read: “wheels are detaching”).
Avoid, Avoid, Avoid !!!
“Not exactly eons, but enough for shorter trips.”
Wrong unit Bob Falfa!
An eon is a very long time, like a parsec is a very long distance.
I like it. A LOT. But I’d probably like the regular e-208, though like the new Renault EV that Adrian just reviewed, US$31-41K feels like a LOT for a small hatch, even if it’s an EV. Does that mean this GTI with its red paint and cute wheels and sticky tires is going to cost $45-48K? Ouch.
Sadly, Peugeot (and Citroen, and Renault, etc…) will likely never return to American shores in my lifetime, and that makes me sad.
I never understood the craving for European and Japanese cars that we don’t get here in the US until I got into EVs and now I have the same issue.
Like Kei cars, I’m a big dude so meh, all the little weird Morris and Skoda and what not I’m like, we had Pontiac LeMans and Geo Metros so we had equivalents.
But now with EVs, and I feel like it’s ever since the Honda E, the European hatchback EVs just look so much cooler, the Renault 5 Adrian reviewed, this, the Honda E, even the VW ID.3, like why not ship a couple here, just to see if we like them.
As said in the article maybe if this market gets big enough in Europe, they might bring some here, i can hope.
European cars I’ve always understood. I feel like we’ve missed out on a ton of great Euro cars. Japanese cars, I’m kinda with you on the kei class thing (don’t get me wrong, I get why people like them) aside from a few select models. Otherwise I feel like in most cases (outside of a few models) we get some of the best of the best Japanese models our way. Where I feel like we do miss out though, are on some fun engine/transmission combos that are available overseas but not America.
If that’s not just a concept, it looks undriveable with no suspension travel or sidewall.
Nice little hot hatch. Shame that Peugeot’s reliability is basically the same as the structural integrity of a baguette
Somehow I conjure up a visual of a Peugeot with a delicious crust and am reaching g for the butter
Peugeots were only unreliable in the US it seems. Maybe it was due to inept or poorly rained techs used to working on leaf springs and pushrod engines, but If you travel to some 2nd and 3rd world destinations, beat-up decades sold Peugeots are still faithfully carting people and cargo around, and are very sought after.
The structural integrity comment really makes me scratch my head though. They’ve had to meet the same tough EU safety cars standards as every other car sold in Europe, which are tougher than ours. Maybe your reference is a two day old baguette, which then makes since, because you can build a house with them.
You are wrong to assume I’m from the US. I’m from a 3rd world country where Peugeots (new Peugeots mind you), are some of the worst cars you can buy. In fact, a friend of mine was shopping for second hand BMW X1s and saw a barely used Peugeot 3008 for sale (it had like 15k kms). It didn’t even start. He told the salesman had a “this fucking piece of shit” face.
All 206s that sold here like hotcakes when they were new are all in junkyards or crushed. You don’t see one on the road today. True that 80’s Peugeots were more reliable, but Top Gear said it right that around the late 90’s and early 00’s they decided to start making the shittiest cars in the world and I think they succeeded.
Well, this is an American website so I assumed…But hey, the 90’s and 00’s were 20 to 30 years ago! Things change and every brand has good and bad eras, ups and downs, bad, good and better products. They’re making very good cars today, but you don’t have to take my word for it. You can read any European car magazine.
I’m actually somewhat indifferent to Peugeot, being more interested in Renault, Alpine and Citroen, if we’re talking French brands, and there have been few models I’ve found interesting. However, last year in Europe I put several thousand km in rental 508 Wagon that replaced the BMW 3 Touring that broke down a two days into my trip. Over the course of 3 weeks it impressed me with its solidity, quality, tech, comfort and handling. It was also pretty quick and had so much more flair and character than the 3.
So, who knows, maybe this new 208 GTi will update your perceptions.
French here.
Peugeot has been sucking ass for 20 years.
Current cars are great until they decide to grenade their engines for some reason (wet timing belt for Puretech, timing chain tensioner issues for THP).
Previous gens (X07) are just uninspiring, and it seems like every Peugeot I’ve ever worked on had head gasket issues, no matter how old.
So like some Toyota, Honda, BMW and Mercedes engines then?
My dad has a ’00 Citroen Xsara Estate in Portugal he keeps as a vacation car which refutes your claims. It’s the slowest car I’ve ever driven due to its 1.5l N.A. Diesel, but it has 330,000 km on it, has never failed to start and has never broken down.
The transmission bushings are worn,the second gear synchro doesn’t like to be rushed, and some of the interior plastic trim is loose or dry-cracked,and the driver’ seat padding is sagging, but its engine and transmission have never been opened, it has most of its OEM engine accessories and all electrical systems work perfectly. Even the AC works perfectly. It has been well maintained all of its life, however, so that may have something to do with it.
You’ll notice ’00s is more than 20 years ago 😉 (I feel old too buddy).
That’d be the X06 era for Peugeot, not X07. Citroën seemed more indépendant back then too.
First I see nowhere in this review the size of number of cupholders so do better Matt. Second since by the 2035 mandates to eliminate ICE and replace with EVs will actually be when we no longer have EVs I don’t think this is the right question or answer. The left can throw themselves a party for pretending to cancel Elon but this is really just the end of EVs. Mainstream economics, which I keep asking for an expert employee on the matter here, will tell you a more expensive poorer product with a lack of support or power is doomed to fail. In 2035 we will have ICE and Hybrid but EVs will be considered a failure and every automotive journalist will change their opinion and say they predicted EVs were a fad.
The rest of the world – where they are tired of subsidizing Russia and the Middle East and care about breathing – beg to differ.
This take is appropriately hot! But it’s more likely that EV growth in the US will continue (slowly). In 2035, I’m guessing hybrids are the most popular type of car here.
I’m guessing hybrids all the most popular car here well before 2035.
“a more expensive poorer product with a lack of support or power is doomed to fail.”
Let us walk through that:
More expensive:
You mention basic economics. I am saving quite a lot driving and EV compared to my old cheap diesel. This is before I include the low maintenance cost, high reliability and greater comfort. The batteries in my car will last 500.000km, which is around 20 years of use for me, and 10 years more than I would ever consider keeping the car anyways.
Poorer:
Look up “dunning kruger”, I simple have no response to this.
Lack of support:
I am confused here, what kind of support are you looking for?
An EV is serviced and repaired, under and after warranty, as any other car.
Lack of power:
Look up “dunning kruger”, I simple have no response to this.
That looks great, but those triple vertical lighting elements under each headlight look like tacky and aftermarket to me.
That last shot looks like they used spacers to get the wheels out to the edge of the wheel wells. If it really does have that stance, I’m impressed.
So.. this brand new “GTI” barely have a better power to weight ration than the 40 year old 1.9 GTI, and less power than a single motor Model 3?
This is good.
That looks properly sick. And I’m no fan of French cars.
How quickly can they slap a Chrysler (or Dodge) badge on this thing and get it to NA?
Sadly, even if that were the case they’d probably slap a whole lot more than just the badge.
Sadly, you are probably correct.
Not for the next three and a half years.
I really want to like this a lot – I have a thing for the Rampant Lion badge.
But I just cannot get past the Stellanis gear selector/parking brake, etc pushbuttons in the console in lieu of smart storage – and the lack of a baguette basket.
It’s the R5 for me.
Dang! First the new R5 and now this? Why can’t we have these in the States?
Checking passport: yup, still valid through 2027. But it’s not a visa.
Portugal is fairly liberal with their visas – particularly for pensioners.
I definitely qualify as a pensioner. But I only speak French and Spanish as a kindergartner (at best). Portuguese, feels like a hybrid that I could maybe read, (I kinda managed in Brazil) but not speak or understand aurally.
Sucks to be me.
You don’t need to know Portuguese to get an EU resident card which enables you to get EU healthcare, etc – many people speak English in and around Lisbon.
You only need to speak Portuguese to become a citizen (to get a passport – Which you don’t need to give up your US passport for)
Interesting. For now, my 89-year-old mother still requires assistance getting though life and taxes. Maybe, some day.