Think of chic small French cars, and there’s a good chance the Peugeot 208 – or one of its predecessors – will pop into your head.
The 208 is one of the best small cars on the market today, and matches smart styling on the outside with a classy interior and a crisp driving experience. It's a strong rival for cars like the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa. But this is a model that's had some highs and lows in its history, not to mention a succession of different names.
Peugeot’s ‘20x’ series of cars can be traced as far back as 1929, and the 201, which was the company’s first mass-produced car. However, it – and its successors – were more intended to be compact family cars, rather than small hatchbacks in the vein of the 208.
To find the true origin of the 208, you have to look instead past Peugeot’s reshuffle of its naming strategy in the early 1980s, and the company’s first attempt at a small car, or supermini: the 104, which arrived in hatchback form in 1974.
The 104 was a moderate success, but larger, more modern competition meant that it was soon outdated. As a result, Peugeot realised it needed to take a big step forward if it wanted to be a key player in this new and lucrative market. And that’s exactly what it did.
To show that its new baby was bigger and better than the 104 in every way, Peugeot revived the ‘20x’ model line, which had been in hibernation since the 204 had gone out of production in 1976. The 205 was born. It was an instant hit. Since then it's grown in size and numerals, but it remains a hugely popular small car.
Generations: 5
- Peugeot 208 (2019-present)
- Peugeot 208 (2012-2019)
- Peugeot 207 (2006-2012)
- Peugeot 206 (1998-2006)
- Peugeot 205 (1983-1996)
Peugeot 208 (2019-present)
Bodystyles:
- Five-door hatchback
Notable features and facelifts of the Peugeot 208
- Three-door model dropped
- All-electric e-208 introduced
- Awarded European Car of the Year in 2020
- Having stopped short of 209 lest it run out of numbers, Peugeot retained the 208 name for the current model.
Arguably, the new Peugeot 208 is the best small car that the company has come up with since it ditched the 205 more than 20 years ago. However, in character it’s a very different beast, with more luxurious trimmings, better quality, and a slicker, more upmarket feel all round. The interior is particularly smart, with a small steering wheel and stylish instrument panel called i-Cockpit, which works in sync with the touchscreen infotainment system. That system also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Trim levels are many and well-specced, starting from Active Premium and rising through Allure Premium, GT and the fully-loaded GT Premium model. All have alloy wheels and LED daytime running lights, as well as air-conditioning and rear parking sensors, and the top-spec model has adaptive cruise control.
The best news is that it’s engaging to drive, too, with an agile chassis that rewards keener drivers and supple suspension. What’s more, just as the 205 was one of the first cars to introduce a turbodiesel in a small car, the 208 is one of the first to offer electric power, as an alternative to the responsive three-cylinder PureTech petrol engines and BlueHDI diesel engines already offered. The Peugeot e-208 electric car has been given excellent reviews by the press, with a bhp figure of 134 from its electric motor, and a zero-emission range of up to 217 miles.
So good is the 208 hatchback, in fact, that it’s won the coveted European Car of the Year award for 2020 – an accolade not even the 205 could lay claim to. After many years, then, it seems Peugeot has finally managed to come up with a successor worthy of its most famous model.
Read our expert review of the Peugeot 208 mk2 or search for a Peugeot 208 mk2 on CarGurus
Peugeot 208 (2012-2019)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
Notable features and facelifts of the Peugeot 208
- No convertible and estate models, unlike the 207 predecessor
- Petrol and diesel engines carried over from 207, with new engines added
- Three-door model was discontinued in 2018
- Performance Peugeot 208 GTi is an enjoyable hot hatch
- Facelifted in 2015, with tweaked looks and new GT Line trim level
The arrival of the 208 heralded the start of the revival of Peugeot’s superminis. Stylish looks meant it stood out from the crowd better than before, while inside, quality had been lifted, although the unusual new dashboard arrangement - with the instruments above the steering wheel - wasn’t to everyone’s taste.
The 208 was decent enough to drive, too, though it still lacked the sort of vim and pep of the 205. Not that buyers really cared; what mattered to them instead was the 208’s chic detailing, touches of luxury and vibrant colour schemes.
Interestingly, Peugeot ditched both the CC convertible and SW estate versions of this new model, leaving only the three-door and five-door body styles on offer. But as ever, there was a performance GTi version sitting at the top of the range. It was once again pretty good to drive, but it was the awkwardly-named 'GTi by Peugeotsport' version that really showed Peugeot was getting its small car mojo back, with an exhilarating driving experience and enough power to really compete with its best rivals.
Read our expert review of the Peugeot 208 mk1 or search for a used Peugeot 208 mk1 on CarGurus
Peugeot 207 (2006-2012)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
- Two-door convertible
- Five-door estate
Notable features and facelifts of the Peugeot 207
- Successor to the 206 garnered average reviews
- However, it sold well in the UK
- GTi performance model could be entertaining
- Facelifted in 2009 with a new grille, different headlights and more power in some models
Of all the models in the 208’s ancestry, the 207 is probably the least loved. Not because it was a bad car per se, but more because it was simply deeply average. After the sparkle of the 205, and the immense popularity of the 206, it was a little bit of a disappointment.
It was underpinned by an able but unexceptional range of engines, and once again there was a GTI at the top of the tree. This time, though, it had a bit more pep than the 206 it replaced, and consequently felt a bit more exciting to drive.
The rest of the range succeeded the old 206 pretty much like-for-like, with a folding hard-top CC version and an SW estate. All were absolutely fine, but the 207 was an also-ran: rivals had moved on, and Peugeot was going to have to run to keep up.
Read our expert review of the Peugeot 207 or search for a used Peugeot 207 on CarGurus
Peugeot 206 (1998-2006)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
- Five-door estate
Notable features and facelifts of the Peugeot 206
- The 206 is the best-selling Peugeot model of all time
- Changed up the boxy looks of the 205 with sleek lines
- Convertible hard-top model, the 206 CC, proved popular
- Still made today in Iran, by Iranian carmaker IKCO
Peugeot realised that demand was still strong enough for the 205 to warrant a direct replacement, and two years after the 205 was axed, that was what we got.
The 206 offered sleek, sharp styling and funky colour schemes in place of the 205’s boxy charm. Inside, there were plush fabrics and a much more modern interior, too. And while the 206 wasn’t quite as far ahead of its rivals as the 205 had been, it was still a competent and very likeable little car, not to mention the sales success Peugeot needed it to be.
Sadly, the GTi model was a damp squib, short on power and excitement and boring to look at, but Peugeot did offer a popular convertible version, this time named ‘CC’, or Coupe Cabriolet, to reflect its folding hard-top roof. There was also an estate, in the form of the SW, which offered loads of boot space with compact external dimensions.
Peugeot 205 (1983-1996)
Bodystyles:
- Three-door hatchback
- Five-door hatchback
- Two-door convertible
Notable features and facelifts of the Peugeot 205
- Revived hatchback was a big hit
- Named Car of the Decade by Car Magazine in 1990
- Used examples of the 205 GTi hot hatch are highly sought-after
The Peugeot 205 was clean and modern to look at on the outside, airy and spacious inside, and above all, it was terrific to drive, with a ride quality that was far more comfortable than anyone had come to expect from a small car. It was fun, too, with responsive engines and agile handling, and that made bombing around town in a 205 an absolute blast.
But great as the standard car was, the best was yet to come. In 1984, Peugeot released the GTi, and a legend was born. With a stocky stance, punchy performance and laugh-a-minute handling, it was a sensation. Soon it was joined by a 1.9-litre version and a stripped-out Rallye model, and together these three hot hatches sealed the 205’s place in the history books.
While it was the GTi that grabbed the headlines, though, the ordinary 205s went from strength to strength, too. Economical diesel versions – and eventually a punchy turbodiesel – were released, as was a cabriolet. In world rallying, meanwhile, the monstrous 205 Turbo 16 conquered all comers.
So popular was the 205 that even the introduction of the new Peugeot 106 and Peugeot 306 in the early 1990s failed to kill it; demand remained strong, and the car wasn’t taken off sale until 1996.