PEUGEOT 208 IS PUG PRETTY

THERE'S a lot riding on the small shoulders of the Peugeot 208.

Cars guide Peugeot 208

THERE'S a lot riding on the small shoulders of the Peugeot 208.

It follows in the long shadow of the iconic 205 that became the benchmark light hatch in 1983 and shone a halo bright enough to draw 15million buyers to Peugeot 2-series cars - including the less-glowing 206 and still dimmer 207.

And the new baby has arrived in a cash-strapped household, forced to sell off a room full of shares to General Motors. But the 208 is dressed for success, and with the right spec and pricing should be able to help fill the family coffers.

* VALUE

The 208 will arrive with three- and five-door bodies in three spec levels - Active, Allure and (ahem) Feline.

Spec and prices will be announced closer to the October launch, but Peugeot Australia says the range will start sub-$20,000 for the 1.2-litre manual (an automatic arrives later).

The entry-level car is likely to get some extra kit, including a touchscreen and alloys.

That base model is pitted against the VW Polo, Mazda2, Ford Fiesta and Suzuki Swift as main rivals, with a strong second row in the form of Hyundai's Accent and i20 and the Micra from Nissan.

But most buyers for Euro city style are shopping in the premium-light class segment and Peugeot owns that field. It sells 51 per cent of that sub-segment, more than the Fiat500, Alfa MiTo, Citroen C2 and all the rest put together.

* DESIGN

Warnings about reinventing the wheel have been dismissed with a Gallic shrug. Peugeot has reinvented the one you steer with.It's been shrunk to dinner plate size so the instrument panel behind it can migrate to the top of the dash.

At 35cm wide and 32cm deep, the wheel feels immediately comfortable in the hands, and the new instrument position - viewed over rather than through the wheel - will probably take a couple of days to bed into the brain cells.

That idiosyncrasy aside, the 208 is the best looker in the city car field, with a chic little body and perfectly judged amount of jewellery: including a grille that floats in its surrounds, chrome accents, LED head- and tail-lights plus the optional blue LED accents for the glass panorama roof. It's lighter and shorter than the car it replaces, but there's no less space for legs or luggage.

* TECHNOLOGY

We get a choice of four engines, starting with a 66kW/118Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder. Then there's the four-cylinders: a 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre VTi, 115kW/240-260Nm 1.6-litre turbo and 86kW/230Nm 1.6-litre e-HDI diesel. Gear-changing is done with either a five- or six-speed manual or a six-speed semi-automatic.

* SAFETY

The exiting 207 gets five ANCAP stars and with the 208 you can expect the same rating and similar safety equipment: six airbags, stability control and anti-skid brakes with electronic aids for panic stops and uneven loading.

* DRIVING

It might have a baby wheel but this is no Barbie car.

The massive weight drop plus tweaks to suspension springs and variable-input dampers makes for much better handling than the 207.

Overall, cornering is grippy and nimble fun, and the steering speed and precision tips in for the party, but it feels remote and over-assisted, especially at higher speeds.

We've had to retract our prediction that the 1.2-litre three-pot would be a dud. It's got ample output to capably punt the light 208 around, although fully loading all seats will probably have it gritting its teeth for hill climbs.

But of the three drivetrains we tested (the turbo we're also getting wasn't on the launch), the tiddler ended up being our favourite and we were left thinking it's a pity it's coming only in base spec.

The 1.6-litre diesel was quiet and smooth, and could still overtake happily from 120km/h.

The e-HDi's six-speed manual transmission is smooth and precise, but the shift feel will be too firm for some.

Following the diesel, the 1.6-litre petrol VTi up next felt underdone, but mainly suffered being undermined by a five-speed manual we kept wishing for an extra cog on the highway.

Cabins are well-trimmed across the range, and the grey plastics and fabrics of the lower spec suffer only in comparison with the premium look and feel of Feline's top-spec fit-out.

Clever packaging means there's as much space in the 208 as in the larger 207 it's replacing which means it is still tight in the rear seat.

And new sound-damping means wind rush around the A-pillar and along the seam of the panorama glass roof was the only irritant to invade the otherwise quiet cabin.

But the flaws are small - and forgiven every time we look at the 208's engaging design.

* VERDICT

Great styling and with the right combinations of drivetrain, price and spec this is one that should be on every hatch shopper's test drive list.

*** AT A GLANCE ***

Peugeot 208

Four stars

PRICE $19,990+

WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km

RESALE 58 per cent (est)

SERVICE INTERVAL 10,000km/6 months, capped $330/yr

SAFETY RATING Five star

SPARE Space saver

ENGINES 1.2-litre three-cyl 66kW/118Nm; 1.6-litre four-cyl 88kW/160Nm; 1.6-litre four-cyl turbo 115kW/240-260Nm; and 1.6-litre diesel (with stop-start) 86kW/230Nm

TRANSMISSIONS 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, six-speed semi-auto; FWD

BODY 3.96m (l); 1.74m (w); 1.46m (h)

WEIGHT from 975kg

THIRST 4.5/100km 104g/km Co2; 5.8/100km 134g/km Co2; 5.8/100km 135g/km Co2; 3.8/100km 98g/km Co2;

                                                                     --- Pugnacious forecast---

SMALLER car and SUV sales are booming in Australia, and that's the sweet spot of the size spectrum for Peugeot.

The French brand expects a 25 per cent lift to 7000 units this year, riding on an aggressive schedule of new models.

The invasion has already started with the recently arrived 508 GT Touring.

Next to land will be the 4008 compact SUV, a special edition of the RCZ sports car, the all-new small 208 plus limited edition run-out models of both the 207 it replaces and the 308.

And there will be a green push with the 508 RXH and/or 3008 Hybrid4 being considered. 

"The 208 and 4008 head into segments pumped with buyer energy while others like the gasping large car sector are looking for life support," Peugeot Australia boss Ken Thomas says. 

Australia will be one of the first markets to get the Japan-built 4008, and Thomas expects buyers will go for its European styling, safety, performance and luxury equipment and, above all else, competitive pricing and capped price service plan.

He is also expecting a splash from the freshly designed 208 hatch in the buoyant premium light car segment.

                                                                   RATED BY PAUL GOVER

WOMEN love the look of little Pugs but many men can't get along with tiny pedals and underachieving aircon.

The 1990s Peugeot 205 GTi remains the French company's benchmark. That's despite being unable to have aircon and power steering in the same car, a cheap cabin and buzziness at highway cruising speeds.

Since then there have been many great looking Peugeots but good looks are never enough.

These are the fashion-first rivals for the 208:

* Volkswagen Polo GTI

$28,990 4 stars

The current benchmark in smaller hot hatches is a good looker that delivers a real kick in the pants. The GTI upgrade adds to the strengths that made the Polo a Carsguide Car of the Year - pity it comes only with a DSG gearbox and needs premium unleaded.

* Abarth 695 "Tributo Ferrari"

$69,990 3 stars

Stupid money for a car that's really a Fiat 500. Then you drive it, realise it's a genuine pocket rocket, and wonder how it would look in the garage alongside the Ferrari 458 Italia it's made to complement.

* Citroen DS3

From $26,990 3.5 stars

A DS badge signals classy Citroen design work. The DS3 is also a new French rally hero - not that the WRC winner shares anything with the showroom car - as well as a happy drive and reasonable value.

* Suzuki Swift Sport

$23,990 3 stars

These days you can't just slap a GTi badge on a car to bait buyers. So Suzuki goes with Sport, serves up a taut chassis, but falls short in the engine room and on looks.

* Alfa Romeo MiTo

From $29,990 2 stars

A face only a mother could love on a Fiat with an Alfa Romeo badge. Get the picture? The MiTo sounds good on paper, and stands out from the crowd, but the 208 shouldn't have much trouble beating it.