Peugeot 108 1,0 Active
Loaded with standard equipment, is the bang-for-buck new 108 worth considering over the segment’s established rivals?
Price: R179 900 0-100 km/h: 16,41 seconds Power: 53 kw Torque: 93 N.m Top speed: 160 km/h CAR fuel index: 5,16 L/100 km CO2: 99 g/km
With myriad offerings from Japan, Korea and France already vying for cash-strapped (or cash-savvy) consumers’ attentions at the bottom end of the market, another option has recently joined the fray in the shape of the stylish Peugeot 108. But has the release of the little French car made the decision more dif cult, or will it enjoy only niche appeal?
The sole model in the local line-up, this 1,0 Active certainly looks chic, especially in this Plum colour scheme. A brighter hue would signi cantly highlight its contoured sheet metal, though. Boasting similar design cues as larger Peugeots and familiar dimensions from the related Toyota Aygo, the French rm’s smallest vehicle does not look out of line with the rest of the range.
The front apron is endowed with edgy headlamp clusters housing halogen headlights and LED daytime-running lights, plus standard foglamps. The sculpted taillamps, meanwhile, are equipped with Peugeot’s familiar lion-claw motif.
The funky hatchback’s exterior can be personalised with an array of items. Our test unit was tted with barcode-styled vinyl decals (a R3 571 option) and a set of side-mirror caps with a distinctive purple-and-white tartan pattern (R1 596). The key can be speci ed to match the latter for R981.
On the inside, the exposed purple body panels of our press car injected the otherwise two-tone black-and-grey cabin with a dash of colour. Although soft-touch materials are obviously absent, the hard plastics feel solid. Here, the seven-inch touchscreen dis
play – replete with Apple Carplay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity – can be navigated via a multifunction steering wheel. What impressed CAR’S testers the most was the 108’s standard safety equipment. The Peugeot features a class-leading six airbags, ESC and hill-start assist.
Built on the same platform as the Aygo, at 3 475 mm front to rear the 108 is 10 mm longer than the sharper-edged Toyota. According to our measurements, rear passengers
are treated to an additional
24 mm of kneeroom while boot capacity is 152 litres. Utility space is nearly 200 litres less than that of its competitors’ highlighted left.
The cabin remains snug, though, and seated aft, even more so, especially in terms of headroom. The majority of the CAR team commented unfavourably on the latch-operated rear windows. The hindquarters are better suited to those of ner stature (fortunately, Iso x child-seat anchorages are standard tment here). Headroom up front is acceptable, however, and elbowroom just about suf cient when two burly blokes occupy the front seats.
There is an upside to the Peugeot’s diminutive measurements: it excels round town. The ride is comfy and, thanks to direct steering, the vehicle lls gaps in traf c with aplomb. As a result of its 9,8-metre turning circle, manoeuvrability is excellent.
Dispatching 53 kw and 93 N.m of torque to the front axle, the free-revving 1,0-litre triple is a generally re ned unit, becoming strained only at higher revs.
Although the 108 completed the 0-100 km/h sprint at a leisurely pace, in city driving the slick
ve-speeder’s short rst and second ratios serve up enough pep, while the taller gears aid fuel consumption (although performance in the top three ratios was too languid for it to accelerate from 120-140 km/h on our test strip). On our mixed-used fuel route, the Peugeot returned 4,80 L/100 km.
TEST SUMMARY
Available only in Active speci cation, the 108 doesn’t want for much spec. Peugeot has thrown in a generous range of comfort and safety equipment, an absorbent suspension setup and suf cient punch for urban driving; all packaged in a stylish design backed by Japanese drivetrain reliability and a best-in-class standard service plan of ve years/100 000 km. Two members of the CAR team were so impressed with the Peugeot, they scored it 80 and 81 respectively. For reference, the accomplished Suzuki Swift 1,2 GL MT netted a rating of 80/100 when we tested it in the September 2018 issue.
We remain curious as to how the 108 will fare in our market where brand cachet plays a large role. That said, since its introduction on local soil, the fun-to-drive 108 has made choosing a boutique hatch an increasingly dif cult task. It’s a worthy addition to this segment and deserves to feature on many a shortlist.