31 May 2013
New car report: Getting back to basics.
Remember when a car was just a car without unnecessary add-ons, and judgements were made on how good or bad the actual car was, not the accessories?
It seems we might have lost our way in recent times, since manufacturers started installing gear that has no business being there in the first place, and we often read about brilliant colour touch screens and voice activated this or wireless that, with no mention of driving dynamics, comfort, performance and handling, the very fabric that really makes up a good car. It’s a bit like a food critic raving about the sauce and garnish but failing to recognise whether or not the beef is any good.
For example, what business does a cup of coffee have being in a car when you’re supposed to be focusing on the road? None, right? Hence, while Peugeot's tiny orifices that masquerade as cup holders in the centre console warrant a mention due to the fact that they simply won’t fit two take-away coffees side by side without spilling their contents all over the place, they don't detract from the drivability of the car.
Sure, if your measure of a good car is having a place to stow a couple of Wild Bean flat whites to go then read no further – the 208 GTi isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you have a passion for driving, this little hot hatch is one of the best bang-for-buck super-minis money can buy.
Performance and comfort
It’s incredibly well sorted from the driver’s seat, goes like a cut cat and has a great chassis. And, given all this power and brilliant handling, Peugeot engineers haven’t lost sight of the ride quality either. It’s firm and well planted, but it’s not overly hard and jiggly like many hot hatches. Peugeot trump most of their competitors in this regard as they excel at building comfortable cars that handle well more than just about any other manufacturer. Some get the handling right, but the ride is bone-shakingly awful and others provide a comfortable ride quality but they handle like jelly, however we rarely see the two together.
Ride quality has been Peugeot’s strength for some considerable time, and although some of their earlier performance motors such as the old 205GTi and 106GTi were a bit harsh and rattly, they’ve well and truly got the hang of things now and got the combination right.
But it’s fair to say that in addition to the afore-mentioned coffee cup issue, there are also a few other strange little quirks the French have introduced that deserve a mention.
For example, the steering wheel is there for the driver to dictate the direction of travel, and yes, the 208 GTi steers as well as anything else out there; better than most, especially for a hot hatch delivering 147kW (that’s 200bhp in the old money) through the front wheels. But due to the placement of the instruments, the odd shaped little wheel can also act as a shield between the driver’s line of sight and the speedo, so the wheel needs to be adjusted relatively low in order for the driver to see the dials clearly.
And then there’s the placement of the pedals. This has been a Peugeot foible on RHD manual models in the past and they still have yet to address the issue. Anything bigger than about size 7 boots, and the pedals and lower steering column can get horribly tangled with the driver’s feet. It’s potentially irritating but once you get used to it and given the otherwise brilliant driving experience, not a deal breaker.
The 1.6 litre award winning turbocharged powerplant is mated to a slick shifting 6 speed manual ‘box and at just 1,160kg, the nimble little hatch gets to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds and has a claimed fuel economy of 5.9L/100km, being Euro 5 emission compliant and producing 139g/km of CO2.
It yells "GTi" inside and out
There are a few little trick design cues that give the sporty GTi game away. For starters, there are numerous red and chrome accents throughout, including red brake callipers visible through the 17 inch sport alloys and a red lower grille trim. The rear three quarter panels proudly display chrome GTi badges with red highlights and there’s red Peugeot lettering on the tailgate and grille.
The racy red bits extend to inside the car too, with red seat stitching and inserts, red door handle accents and a red stripe around the top of the steering wheel to point you in the right direction.
At $38,990, the little 3 door hatch offers quite a lot. It’s a heck of a lot of fun to drive in anger, as was demonstrated on a race track during the launch programme, but it can also be a sedate shopping basket too. As a coffee cup conveyance, it’s flawed, but as a hot little pocket rocket, they don’t come a whole lot better.