Peugeot 208 GTi - 200bhp, 7s to 100km/h & 1,160kg

Peugeot 208 GTi is promised to be spiritual successor to the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi. The latter was never really quite replaced in the Peugeot contemporary line-up due to, largely, lack of lightweight hatchback that rekindles the spirited drive of the old Peugeot. The 208 GTi sets to change that.

Initial signs are good. Packing 200bhp and 275Nm of power and torque, courtesy of a turbocharged 1.6L THP mill, the new GTi has a small inertia too, tipping 1,160kg at kerb, some 165kg less than the 207RC, a car it succeeded. Paired to a close ratio 6 speed manual, sprint to 100km/h is a touch less than 7.0s, with impressive in-gear acceleration to match.

Peugeot 208 GTi also benefits from re-spec springs, re-calibrated shock absorbers, stiffer anti-roll bar, an enhanced front subframe and rear crossmember rigidity over the cooking 208. The main aim is to delight its driver with an incisive driving experience due to the involving chassis dynamics, providing superb driving sensations thanks to its agility of the car achieved from great steering response, chassis dynamics and the rigidity of the suspension. Braking power is provided by  302mm ventilated discs at the front and 249mm at the rear. It shod on  205/45 tyres, the 17" diamond Carbon wheels, with Storm paint and matt varnish finishing.

To differentiate the scorching hot 208 from its lesser sibling, Peugeot has modified the front end of the car with the new grille trimmings with gloss back panel and chrome insert.The gloss black grille draws the eye with bright chrome inserts, which reinvent the sport chequered flag effect but in 3D. The side profile is garnished with the quarter panel trim proudly bears the GTi logo, in bright chrome accentuated in red highlights. Regardless of the exterior colour chosen, this red punctuates throughout the vehicle: on brake callipers, grille lower bead, Peugeot lettering on the tailgate and on the grille. The rear end features gloss black rear skirt with the exhaust emerges with a trapezoid chromed double tailpipe.

Opening the door reveals the sport seat with Nappa leather and Caro Weave cloth, accompanied red detailings. The dashboard too comes with red stitching. The pedals and footrest are aluminium. In addition, there's also a unique 208 GTi floor mats with black surround and stitched in red. Similar upholstery is used for the steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake lever with black full grain perforated leather steering wheel with red stitching. 

More photos of the Peugeot 208 GTi can be found after the jump.

Peugeot 208 launched - smaller, lighter and more frugal

Peugeot has launched the replacement for the cheeky 207, in the form of even cheekier and funkier Peugeot 208. The supermini superceed the 5 year old 207, and it bring a host of improvement in terms of aesthetic, better packaged and promised to be more economical. Both 3 door and 5 door versions are launched simultaneously.

The new 208 carries the latest incarnation of Peugeot design language. The gaping mouth grille of current Peugeot has made way for more elegant solution, which is smaller and higher positioned. The grille frame is "floating" chrome. The hood has crisp character line running in the middle, flanking the lion badge. The heavily contoured bumper is accompanied with intricate headlamp, as well as chrome foglamp housing with fancy protruding strip outwards.

The rear end is dominated by big rear bumper, with centre mounted reflector. The rear combi is an evolution of current complicated Peugeot rear light (as demonstrated by Pug 3008), with twisted outer edge. Strong character line split the tailgate into two.

It is the side profile that distinctively separate the new 208 not only from the rest of other supermini, but also between the 3-door and 5-door variant. While both has a strong waist-line that run upwards along the door handles line, into the curved fuel filler door and into the rear combi, the 5-door version has secondary lines running downwards from the front wheel arch, and along the side sills. Distinctive A-pillar base apart, the window line for 5-door is conventionally wrapped with chrome accents.

The 3-door is more distinctive in side detailing. The chrome accent run along the beltline moulding only and grows into thicker chrome garnish half-way through the height of C-pillar. Character line start at the door, gently indenting the lower portion of the door before kinked up-rearward and grows crisply thicker and continue along the door outside handle, rear flank onto the rear lights. More after the jump.