Peugeot e208 (electric) test drive

[Draigflag]

Today I took my Peugeot GTi for a quick oil and filter change, having done only 4200 miles since my last service, I figured it was the only and most essential thing that required changing. Entering the showroom, I was excited to see the new Peugeot 208 sitting proudly and loudly in eye catching metallic yellow on the shop floor.

Peugeot have nailed the design of this ever popular hatch once again, with thier signature design features like the led fang daylights, led 3D tail lights and gloss Black waist band around the rear hatch. The most impressive thing though is the interior, that oozes style and quality, super bright white led front and rear courtesy lights, frameless rear view mirror, and materials that feel so soft and solid to to the touch. This thing is as well built as my friends new Audi A1, that's quite a comparison to make, but it's true. The most impressive feature is the hollowed out instrument binnacle which has a true 3D readout making use of a rear digitalized screen, and a trick hidden screen with backwards graphics that projects the information onto a double glass layer in front of you. Hard to explain, and capture on camera, but when you see it in the flesh, you'll find your jaw dropping to the floor. It's simply stunning and leagues ahead of anything else on the market, even Teslas flat tablet instruments look dated in comparison.

After finding out they had a fully electric version on demo, I was thrown the keys and given a breif idea of how to drive it. Being a "petrol head" I put the car in sport for the most responsive feel. After creeping in silence to the first junction, I prodded the throttle with a bit of spirit, and the tyres scrambled for grip. Once straighten out, I floored the throttle and wasn't disappointed. As with all electric cars, the sensation of being pinned into the seat by the instant torque whilst you zoom off in near silence is a novelty that doesn't get tiring. Despite having just 134 bhp, this little EV really gets a shift on when setting off. I overtook an 18 wheeler, and whilst the same kick in the chest you get when setting off was still there, it wasn't as noticeable, and the power faded much quicker at higher speeds. All perfectly normal for an EV, there was still plenty of power for overtaking and the fact that it was so instant made it much easier than a regular car, deciding gears and waiting for turbos to spool up. Descending back into town, I selected B mode, and the regenerative brakes are very strong in this mode, almost like you forgot your turn and pressed the brakes hard. Not quite one pedal driving, but on some of the hills here, it would be ideal for keeping a good controlled speed whilst recharging your battery. The general quietness and smoothness of how the e208 drives was repeated out loud by myself several times on the drive. Yea its obvious, but until you experience one first hand, it's something you notice and notice again, and again.

So the e208 like most other EV's is quite expensive for a small car, however I've seen new examples being offered online, identical spec to the one I drove for just £22990 which makes it an absolute bargain for a car with this much style, quality and driveability too. Given Peugeots history, this is probably one of the best handling electric cars on the market right now, I cannot wait to see what they do with the GTi version, which is rumoured to be all electric too. I won't be swapping anytime soon, my daily driver still has twice the power, and pulls like the e208 does everytime you change gear, no matter what speed you're doing. But I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I would, I'm actually looking forward to owning an electric car now, whether it be next year or the one after, they are very enjoyable to drive. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the e208, so here's a couple of pics of the petrol 208 and the new small SUV 2008 too, of which there's also a full electric version of!

[JockoT]

I had a test drive in a Nissan Leaf earlier in the week and was suitably impressed with the initial get up and go. Once you get up there it is pretty much the same as driving an ICE car. Do love the lack of a gear change though. Wish I had never gone back to a manual.

[LDB]

Very interesting. I really like the yellow.

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Originally Posted by JockoT

I had a test drive in a Nissan Leaf earlier in the week and was suitably impressed with the initial get up and go. Once you get up there it is pretty much the same as driving an ICE car. Do love the lack of a gear change though. Wish I had never gone back to a manual.

The latest one or the old one? The new one is an awful car, accelerates just fine, but has an awful interior made of cheap plastic, poorly laid out and has a dated design, not to mention low definition graphics and low definition reversing camera too. There is alot wrong with the new leaf, not just the interior.

"once your up there, it's just like a regular ice car" in a way yes, kinda depends what your used to. Think it takes mine 38 seconds to get from 0-155 MPH, so there's aggressive acceleration available in almost any gear/any speed. At legal speeds, an EV feels a little more out of breath, unless you're in a Tesla or Taycan etc.

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Originally Posted by LDB

Very interesting. I really like the yellow.

Me too, and my mum does aswell. We had the salesman work some figures on a top spec one with a 1.2 litre 130 bhp 3 cylinder version with Peugeot's latest 8 speed auto gearbox.

[JockoT]

It was a 64 plate Tekna. All leather with the bells and whistles. Decided against it due to the limited range. Looking for a Kona or a Nero.

[Draigflag]

Don't overlook the little 208, it's the most interesting EV on sale at the moment, drives awesomely and is built like a rock. 211 mile range is fine for most, and with the discounts available, you can get a new mid range model for £5000 less than a two year old used kona. Just a thought. But be warned, once you've sat in one, you'll probably want it.

[JockoT]

I think the Pug looks great and the 200-mile range would be more than adequate for my needs.

[luv2spd]

I'm a big fan of the e208 as well. I re-watched Johnny's review on Fully Charged a number of times. Looks great inside and out, and drives well and is affordable.

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Originally Posted by luv2spd

I'm a big fan of the e208 as well. I re-watched Johnny's review on Fully Charged a number of times. Looks great inside and out, and drives well and is affordable.

Yea I watched the same video for the second time today. You can end up watching review after review, but after all, no opinion matters more than your own.

Another benefit of the e208 is that rapid charge is standard across the range, whereas you're expected to pay for it as an option on many other models, such as the Zoe where it's a £750 option...