Peugeot 108 Review (2014-2020)

If you think the Peugeot 108 looks a lot like the Citroen C1 or Toyota Aygo, then you're not imagining it. The three cars were all launched in 2014, and are very closely related under the skin. Indeed, the exterior styling and the badge plonked in the centre of the steering wheel were just about the only differences. At the time, all three new models received largely positive car reviews.

Like its predecessor, the 108 was the entry-point to the Peugeot range, its small size, relatively simple mechanicals and rock bottom running costs making it one of the most affordable city cars. The 108 was available in conventional three- and five-door bodystyles. Unusually for a city car, the Peugeot could also be ordered with a retractable fabric roof. It's more like an extra-large fabric sunroof than the proper convertible that Peugeot claims. Even so, these cars – which Peugeot called 'TOP!' – are good fun on a sunny day.

Peugeot kept things simple with the engine line-up. There was no diesel, instead buyers had the choice of two small petrol engines. Most are fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox, although there’s also an automated version of this unit that makes no demands on your left leg but isn’t the last word in smoothness. The 108 first hit UK showrooms in 2014 and was subtly facelifted in 2018. However, increasingly tough emissions regulations that hit small cars particularly hard meant that Peugeot decided not to replace this tiny tot when production ended in 2021.

Whether you go for three doors or five, a steel roof or a retractable one, the 108 is a very small car. At less than 3.5 metres long and with a turning circle of 9.6 metres, the 108 is easy to thread through city streets and will fit into the smallest of parking spaces. No wonder the 108 is a popular choice for learners and first-time car buyers.

The downside to the car's diminutive dimensions is that it's not all that roomy. Open the hatch and you'll find the boot is small, with a luggage capacity of just 196-litres. That compares with 251-litres of boot space if you choose the VW up!. On the plus side, the rear bench has a 50/50 split/fold function and can be lowered in seconds for extra carrying capacity.

Rear-seat space is tight as well. Choosing the five-door model makes getting in and out a bit easier, but adults will find their knees squashed against the front seats due to limited legroom. There are also seatbelts for just two rear-seat passengers, not three, while like its predecessor the rear side windows pop out for ventilation rather than wind down. But in fairness, practicality is acceptable for such a small car, and the 108 is better in this respect than the 107 it replaced.

There’s better news for those in the front, where there’s generous head and legroom, while the driver gets a decent range of seat and wheel adjustment to help them get comfortable. There’s also a glovebox, some handy door bins and a pair of cupholders up front as well as one at the rear.

There’s no denying the Peugeot is most at home in the urban jungle, where its pint-sized dimensions, decent visibility and light controls make it a nimble and confidence-inspiring choice. Not only are you able to nip into the smallest gaps in traffic, it’s such a doddle to park that you won’t need parking sensors or reversing cameras - although they are available as options.

That said, the 108 doesn’t feel totally out of its depth on the open road, where its quick steering, low weight and small size make it surprisingly fun to fling through a series of corners. There’s more grip than you’d think and the Peugeot can happily keep pace with more powerful and expensive machines.

This is helped by the car’s eager three-cylinder petrol engines, which rev keenly and have characterfully thrummy sound. Yet while the entry-level 68bhp 1.0-litre is fine for town driving and by no means out of its depth on major roads, we prefer the 82bhp 1.2-litre Puretech VTi. An extra 14bhp may not sound like much, but it's enough to make this little car feel a good bit livelier, delivering just the brand of nippy motoring that city car buyers love.

All the engines are quite noisy, however, and there's lots of wind and road noise at higher speeds. Some city cars, like the Hyundai i10, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo, feel like bigger cars on A-roads and motorways. That's not the case with the Peugeot.

From launch, the car was available in four trim levels – Access, Active, Allure, and Feline. Access cars were specified with LED running lights, remote central locking, USB connectivity, six airbags, Isofix points and stability control. Air conditioning is the obvious omission from that list of kit, something that's put right if you choose the Active. It also had a height-adjustable driver's seat and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring a DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity and Mirrorlink smartphone compatibility.

Allure spec added 15-inch alloy wheels, electric heated door mirrors, a reversing camera, and more. High-end Feline cars have leather upholstery, chrome door handles, and dual-zone climate control, while Feline Nav added sat-nav. There was also a GT Line, which features some sporty styling tweaks.

However, by the time it bowed out in 2021, the 108 range was slimmed-down to Active, Allure, and Collection models. That said, these versions featured an improved touchscreen infotainment system that included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for simple smartphone integration.

The four-star safety rating the car earned from Euro NCAP in 2014 is a solid performance for a city car. Bear in mind, though, that the test has become tougher since then and rivals with more safety kit have seen their scores dropped to three stars following a more recent retest. All versions of the 108 come with six airbags, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes, but there’s no autonomous emergency braking or lane keep assist.

Any Peugeot 108 will be a cheap car to run, although not necessarily the very cheapest car of its kind.

City cars like the Peugeot are popular with first-time buyers, who will want to keep insurance bills as affordable as possible. However, the Peugeot 108 is in group 6 to 13. That's low in the grand scheme of things, but the Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen Up ranges both have cars in group 2, so should be more affordable for young drivers to cover.

That said, you won't pay much to fuel the 108. The early 1.0-litre cars should achieve around 53-54mpg. Models with a stop-start system should be marginally cheaper to fuel than those without.

Go for a 1.0-litre car with a semi-automatic gearbox, and fuel consumption of closer to 50mpg can be expected, so there's not a big penalty if you'd prefer to let the car change gear for you. The more powerful 1.2 will also travel around 50 miles on every gallon.

By the time it left showrooms in 2021, the 108 was available with just the one engine: a 72bhp 1.0-litre petrol. This achieves 54.8-58.9mpg, according to the official figures. This more recent engine has been tested to the latest WLTP standard, which gives more representative results than the old NEDC tests. So you can expect to get close to that sort of mpg in everyday driving.

There's no fuel-sipping diesel version of the 108, but when the petrols are so fuel efficient, that doesn't seem like any great loss.

If you hate paying road tax every year, it's worth finding a 108 registered before April 2017. There's no Vehicle Excise Duty to pay since the Peugeot has low emissions of less than 100g/km of carbon dioxide. Owners of cars registered after this date will pay £140 due to a change in the tax rules.

Servicing costs will be cheap, and consumables like tyres won't cost a lot to replace.

As a brand, Peugeot doesn't have the strongest reputation for reliability, but the 108 is one of its more dependable cars. It certainly doesn't hurt that Peugeot co-developed the car with Toyota.

Both the 1.0 and 1.2-litre petrol engines have been around for a long time, so any niggles with the design and engineering should have been ironed out by now. However, if you are worried about unexpected bills it's worth remembering that the Toyota Aygo comes with a five-year warranty – that's two years longer than the cover Peugeot provides with the 108.

Many 108s will have been driven by learners or inexperienced new drivers. So make sure you check the bodywork and wheels carefully for any dings and scrapes if you are looking at a used example. Scuffed alloys can be repaired, but any cosmetic faults can be used to chip away at the asking price.

There are a couple of recalls to be aware of. One concerns a defect in the front bumper frame that could make it ineffective in a collision. Another relates to a faulty component in the steering column that can fail, causing the driver to lose control over the car's direction. Any car affected by either of these recalls should have had the fault fixed by now, but it never hurts to check. A Peugeot dealer or the recall checker on the gov.uk website should put you in the picture.