PEUGEOT 208 GT- LINE

PREMIUM PACKAGE

Although one of the minor players in the compact hatchback category, the Peugeot’s 2XX range has carved out a tiny but respectable niche for itself among motoring fans who are after something different to the norm. Over the years, the brand that built its reputation on solid, tough comfortable vehicles has overlaid that with a new-generation tech-savviness and, at times, serious performance credentials. The 208 Gt-line combines elements from all of those approaches.

To start with, the base 208 is already pitched a little above the run-of- the-mill hatchback brigade. What the Gt-line adds is an array of premium trim and features along with the punchy 1,2-litre turbopetrol.

Inside, leather upholstery with contrasting stitching is all over the place. Aluminium trim on the door sills and pedals adds a suitably sport touch. Clearly the idea is to hope that some of the glitter from the marque’s GTI moniker will rub off. That’s not entirely accurate, of course, because the drivetrain is hardly the last word in high performance. Still, the gruff yet smooth threecylinder turbopetrol strikes a purposeful note and it doesn’t take too much imagination in day-to-day driving to convince yourself you’re driving a sporty hatchback. The snug interior and the meaty feel of the controls combine to create a drive that’s engaging and refined at the same time. In other words, put your foot down and it will surge, without exactly leaping forward. At the same time the ride remains supple and although the sporty steering wheel may feel a little tiny to some – and can obscure the instruments – the steering is precise and well weighted. In hooligan mode, it never feels less than solidly planted during hard cornering.

For this model, the 208 gets sufficient body kit including side skirts, blacked-out areas, 17-inch alloys and businesslike tailpiece. So the Gt-line exudes the kind of presence that almost guarantees that the person who draws up next to you at the lights in a dropped Citi Golf or Civic will start revving ominously. For what it’s worth, one thing you will have in your favour is the six-speed auto. Though what Peugeot refers to as Quickshift technology is said to allow faster changes is not what we’d call snappy in the shifts, it seems well matched to the engine and responds eagerly. It’s safe to say that I didn’t miss having to stir a manual gearshift.

To summarise, the Peugeot 208 Gt-line blends brisk performance and striking looks, a cossetting interior and high-tech features, admittedly at a premium price.