At the wheel of new 208 EV
We get behind the wheel of the attractive 208 EV
PEUGEOT has an interesting take on the electric car. While rivals are going down the route of delivering EVs on bespoke platforms with deliberately different styling, the French brand is telling customers that electric power is normal; nothing to fret about, just the next step.
Hence the e-208, which looks, feels and drives in much the same way as the petrol equivalent, and has a 211-mile range.
Peugeot could be on to something with this, by giving a slightly bewildered carbuying audience something so recognisable and familiar. It’s very competitively priced too, starting at just over £25k, or £26,250 with the mid-range Allure trim that we’d recommend. That equates to around £330 a month with a deposit of £4,500.
It’s cohesive and likeable to drive, too. Sure, the 0-62mph time of 8.1 seconds doesn’t sound like much, but stick the willing electric 208 in Sport mode and it zips off the line with satisfying vigour. It has a heartier mid-range response than you’ll enjoy in the likes of the Renault ZOE.
The trademark small Peugeot steering wheel is still an acquired taste, but it does give the e-208 an enthusiastic nimbleness that suits town and country roads alike. The mild brake energy recuperation forces feel very natural right from the off, although you can increase them by nudging the gear lever into ‘B’ mode.
What’s less ideal is the ride comfort, or rather the shortage of it. Our top-spec GT test car rode on 17-inch alloys and it was a bit restless and lumpy, even if it settled enough at higher speeds to deliver relaxing motorway manners.
Road and suspension noise was also noticeable, although the sheer absence of fuss from the almost-silent electric motor means that this is still a quiet car compared with any petrol rival.
More than the way it drives, it’s the way it looks – inside and out – that’s likely to sell the e-208. The interior has a smart, tactile blend of contrasting materials and colours that feel modern and fresh without being too garish, and complement the very tech-focused dash.
A seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto is standard across the range, although our GT had the 10-inch version that’s a £650 extra on most versions. It can be tricky to figure out the menu layouts, and it still seems counter-intuitive to have to leave your nav screen to change the cabin temperature, but otherwise it’s great.
The e-208 is easy to charge, too. A CCS and Type 2 port pops open on the rear
“Stick the willing e-208 into Sport mode and it zips off the line with satisfying vigour”
wing, and this lets you charge up at most public charging stations or using a home wallbox. A 7kW wallbox will charge the e-208 in about eight hours, while the car also gets 100kW rapid charging that’ll add 100 miles to the range in around 20 minutes (40 minutes at one of the more common 50kW units).
Mind you, a cable giving you access to three-pin domestic sockets costs extra, and there’s nowhere to store the cables in the car. It’s also a glitch in the Peugeot’s matrix that the updated ZOE has arrived with a longer official range, at 245 miles.
Even so, our brief test drive suggested that the Peugeot will be able to cover 200 miles in the summer (expect around 150 in winter or on long motorway journeys), and that’s plenty for most EV users.
Overall, the e-208 has got a youthful, energetic feel that rivals such as the ZOE can’t lay claim to, so while there are niggling frustrations to contend with, it’s still a great addition to the small EV class.