Peugeot 208 GTi

Peugeot has done a good job with the 208 GTi. The engine is strong and the chassis is well sorted, but it’s not quite as much fun as the Ford. It also costs a lot more, while ergonomic flaws ruin its otherwise pleasantly upmarket cabin.

The success of the 205 GTi has left every subsequent Peugeot hot hatch with some very big shoes to fill. And it’s fair to say the 206 and 207 GTis were some way from pulling it off. So can the new 208 GTi live up to the legend? And more importantly, does it do enough to humble the Ford and Renault?

Thanks to its compact wheelbase, the 208 sends out all the right messages when stationary. It’s classy rather than aggressively sporty, with chrome door mirrors, a unique GTi grille, subtle wheelarch extensions and a double tailpipe helping to give off the same sort of grown-up hot hatch vibe as the more expensive VW Golf GTI.

The upmarket feel continues inside, where our car’s £400 glass roof lets plenty of light into the elegant cabin, which immediately feels a step above its rivals in terms of quality and ambience.

Smart red stitching traces its way around the curved dash, and red flashes brighten up the seats, trim and gearlever. There are some neat touches, too, such as the strips of red LEDs that frame the rev counter and speedo – although some of our testers found the high-set instruments were obscured by the steering wheel rim.

This ergonomic flaw aside, the 208’s solidly built cabin is great. There’s lots of adjustment for the comfortable part-leather seats, while the chunky steering wheel and metal gearlever feel good. DAB radio, a multifunction touchscreen and dual-zone air-con also add to the upmarket tone.

At £18,900, the 208 is £905 more than the Fiesta ST-2, but you do get a bit more power for your money. The 1.6-litre THP engine produces 197bhp – that’s 17bhp up on the Ford – and gets an extra 35Nm of torque.

So, helped by a dry test track (the ST’s figures were recorded in the damp), it was three-tenths quicker from 0-60mph, with a time of 7.2 seconds, and its in-gear response feels stronger. But on the road the 208 doesn’t feel quite as eager as the Fiesta.

Find an empty stretch of tarmac, and the Peugeot’s chassis comes alive, delivering fast turn-in, good body control and plenty of grip. The ride height is 8mm lower than the standard car’s, while the track is wider front and rear. A stiffer front sub-frame, plus thicker front struts and rear torsion beam, all help the GTi to feel sharper, tauter and more agile than a conventional 208.

With a lively rear end, there’s a hint of the old 205 magic, but it never feels edgy and remains stable at speed. It rides well for a hot hatch, too, and excellent refinement helps the car feel surprisingly sensible.

For some, this broad spread of talents is a plus point, but the trade-off is that the chassis lacks sparkle at lower speeds. While the Ford is fun all the time, the Peugeot feels a little inert unless it’s being thrashed.

At the track, the 208 was just three-tenths slower than the Fiesta ST, setting a 69-second lap time, although its brakes soon started to fade. But it was faster than the Renault and the precise six-speed manual box offers the involvement that the dual-clutch Clio lacks.

But it’s the upmarket feel that separates the 208 from previous hot Peugeots – it’s a performance car you could live with every day.

Fixed-price servicing and decent residuals help running costs, too, while generous standard kit goes some way to offsetting the price premium over the Ford. The 208 still doesn’t have the raw thrills to match the old 205, but it fully deserves its GTi badge and represents a stern test for its rivals here.