Hatches don’t come much hotter than Peugeot’s 208 GTI, and at this price it raises a bigger smile

THE new Ford Fiesta ST might be on the horizon and the Toyota Yaris GRMN is ramping up the pressure in the compact hot hatch class, but both cars will have to go some to beat the level of affordable fun offered by the Peugeot 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport.

The Peugeot Sport chassis tuning includes a 10mm lower ride height, meaning even more focus, with the car’s quick steering matched by the level of grip from the sticky Michelin tyres.

Add the 205bhp 1.6-litre fourcylinder turbo petrol engine – which boasts solid mid-range torque and yet still loves to rev – and a 6.5-second 0-62mph time, and you can see how hard this little pocket rocket punches. A Torsen limited-slip differential works beautifully with the firmer, more focused chassis set-up, too, giving excellent traction out of corners.

While the 208 is stiff, the highquality damping means the car is still usable day-to-day. It’s a true successor to the legendary 205 GTI that carved Peugeot out as a player in this area.

The 208 GTI is only available as a three-door, so you sacrifice a little bit of practicality, but it adds to the sporty appeal and a big enough boot ensures it does what a hot hatch should, covering near enough every base – including efficiency, with a claimed 52.3mpg.

At £8.73 per day with a 15 per cent deposit (plus a £2,200 contribution from Peugeot), performance has never been so affordable.