• Identical interior to Peugeot 208
• Read our full review for more
• Few differences in GT trim, though

How is the quality and layout?

The E-208’s cabin is almost identical to the regular 208, which means it looks good but larger drivers may find it rather cramped – this is a small car that seems to feel even smaller on the inside. Something that’s not helped by Peugeot’s divisive i-Cockpit interior design concept, which is dominated by a tiny steering wheel and high-set instrument cluster.

The idea is that you look over the wheel to the instruments rather than through it. This will almost certainly require some adjustment to your normal driving position. And though most will get used to this in time, we can’t help thinking that the layout now seems unnecessarily restrictive since a head-up display could achieve a similar degree of visibility with less compromise.

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Still, the centre console is striking, with all models getting a touchscreen infotainment system. This sits above an attractive array of chromed piano-style keys, which act as shortcuts to key functions such as navigation or the climate control. Interior quality is superficially high, but you may start to find things feel less premium over time and we’ve seen some inconsistent gaps between components.

Infotainment and tech

All cars get at least a 7.0-inch infotainment screen which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – crucial items which, in our view, remove the need for built-in navigation. A larger 10-inch touchscreen is fitted on more expensive variants, and this does come with built-in sat-nav should you require it. These models also feature a digital instrument cluster.

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The infotainment system isn’t the most responsive, and some functions are buried a little further down than we’d like – screen brightness, for example. And some may take objection to the climate control being manipulated via the touchscreen rather than a separate, physical control panel – it’s certainly harder to use on the move.

More annoyingly, there appear to be a fair few glitches in the system, and we’ve known our share of frozen interfaces or unresponsive controls.

Comfort

• Supportive seats
• More comfortable than rivals
• Tight rear accommodation

While seats and steering column are adjustable, there’s no escaping the reality that the i-Cockpit design enforces a driving position that not everyone will be comfortable with. The seats appear to be of good quality, however, and we’ve experienced no notable problems when driving longer distances.

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Rear leg and head room isn’t great, however, and you’ll struggle to fit four even slightly tall adults inside the E-208 for long journeys. But if this is a problem don’t worry, just buy the Parkers Car of the Year Award-winning MG4 EV instead – this is a larger electric car that costs less than the Peugeot does while also delivering greater performance.