New Peugeot 208 GTi could resurrect the brand’s hot hatch heritage

It’s looking more and more like a new Peugeot 208 GTi could be on the way, as the French brand’s new boss has revealed he wants to embrace its heritage – and that includes the hallowed GTi badge.

When asked about the potential for a new 208 GTi, newly appointed Peugeot CEO Alain Favey told Auto Express and other media: “That’s a very good question. As you can imagine, being 10 days in the job, this is one I’ve been asking myself very much.

“I’m very, very eager to connect the Peugeot brand and what it stands for to its past, to its heritage, in every sense. So we will look back at what the heritage of the brand is, and we will see to what extent this can be adapted to the modern world.

“And there is nothing excluded in our review of this, and certainly not the GTi badge for sure.”

Unfortunately, Favey didn’t share any concrete plans for Peugeot to return to its hot hatch roots. But this is actually the second time we’ve had reason to hope a faster version of the next Peugeot 208 is on the cards – and our exclusive images preview how it could look.

Following the recent demise of the Peugeot 508 PSE, the French firm has been left without a performance-focused model in its line-up. 

In an exclusive interview with Auto Express, managing director of Stellantis UK, Eurig Druce, suggested the demise of the 508 PSE doesn’t mean the end of the brand’s performance lineage. 

“There may be other products in the future,” he told us. “Peugeot has always had a penchant for fast, small hatchbacks, as we’ve seen various generations of GTis. I remember the 205 GTi when I first joined the company. And the 206 GTi thereafter.

“It would be a sad, sad day for us to declare that we will never go there again. I wouldn’t want to see that sad day coming and I don’t think I will.”

Avarvarii

Peugeot’s glorious hot hatch heritage offers plenty of encouragement that the brand may return to this genre for its next performance car – as opposed to a crossover or family SUV. Plus Auto Express revealed last year that there will be a hot GSe-badged version of the next Vauxhall Corsa – the sister model to the 208. Both superminis are due to be launched in 2026, and will share parent company Stellantis’s new STLA Small platform.

A go-faster version of the next Peugeot 208 would also give the company a rival to the Alpine A290 and MINI JCW Electric.

We asked Druce directly whether we could see a tuned version of the 208 later down the line and he admitted: “I'd love to see it, personally. Peugeot Sport engineers would be the people that would do that.”

We asked Druce if the PSE badge (which stands for Peugeot Sport Engineered) could return, or whether GTi would make a comeback, but he refused to be drawn either way. Our exclusive image leans towards the latter; its resonance with fans and nearly 40 years of history would see it chime well with UK and European buyers.

Druce said: “The crucial bit for me is the credibility that came from [the involvement of] PSE. So whether we call it PSE or GTi, the truth about it was that Peugeot Sport had engineered the car and there were drivability differences between that and a standard car. I think that’s crucial.”

He continued: “What we cannot do ever is to put a GTi badge on something that is a conventional car with a slightly bigger e-motor, for example. One of the big things about this future market is that almost every electric car can be a quick car. 

“The beauty comes from being able to make a fast car and a really enjoyable, drivable car as well.”

Other brands in the Stellantis family have launched their own small fast EVs recently, with the Lancia Ypsilon HF, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce and Abarth 600e all based on the same underpinnings as the current 208. They also provide some clues to what kind of performance upgrades a new 208 GTi could receive.

Abarth’s souped-up version of the Fiat 600e, for instance, received a big power boost to produce 237bhp in the standard model, and up to 278bhp in the top-spec version. If the 208 GTi was given a similar amount of power, it would hit 62mph in under six seconds. 

An even more significant addition to the Abarth is the Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential that improves the car’s agility, traction and handling. The 600e also benefits from stiffer suspension and anti-roll bars, a wider track, a new braking system and liquid cooling for the battery – something Peugeot would probably look to do with any future GTi.

There would be some visual changes too, such as a lower ride height, bigger wheels and a subtle bodykit with a couple of GTi badges. Inside, expect contrast stitching and sportier seats – as well as a fresh take on Peugeot’s famous i-Cockpit instrument cluster. 

There’s a good chance Peugeot will also look to incorporate a version of the Hypersquare steering wheel expected to feature in the standard 208 when it arrives in 2026.

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