Peugeot 208 Hatchback (12 on) - Review

The Peugeot 208 hatchback has every chance of becoming a firm favourite with small hatchback buyers. It’s smart, efficient and practical. With three- and five-door bodystyles it also offers variety. It does, however, have a ghost of the past to compete with. The 205, a product of the Eighties, is remembered fondly and as a result it has become benchmark to which all other small hatchbacks are measured. Few make the grade – even the 206 and the 207 that followed the 205 didn’t match up. So the 208 has great expectations heaped upon it and, at first glance, it looks like a worthy successor to the great 205. The design is simple but effective, and it certainly doesn’t have the stodginess of the 206 and 207 - it weighs an average of 114kg less than the 207. It’s available with new high-efficiency three-cylinder petrol engines, while semi-automatic EGC models with stop/start systems promise to return in excess of 80mpg. Thing is, a small hatchback attracts a very discerning customer who won’t just be swayed by the stats. It has to be comfortable enough for urban and motorway driving, strong enough to withstanding a daily battering, and have good fuel economy and decent performance. As a runaround it has to be all things to all people. Has the 208 got what it takes to be hatchback legend like the 205? Read on to find out.