Peugeot 208 Fast Fleet test – living with France's alternative to the Ford Fiesta

Given Peugeot Sport’s withdrawal from the hot hatch genre, you could be forgiven for thinking the new 208 GT isn’t particularly evo-relevant. The version you see here comes with a mild-hybrid 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine that produces 134bhp – or just 14bhp more than the 106 GTi that launched 27 years ago.

However, being turbocharged it does have a whole lot more torque – 170lb ft to be precise, 67lb ft up on the ’90s classic – and while it may not wear Peugeot Sport or GTi badges, its compact size, relatively light kerb weight (1228kg) and nippy 0-62mph time (8.1sec) should automatically qualify it for consideration if you’re in the market for a supermini.

> New Peugeot 208 GTi – all you need to know about the Alpine A290 rival

It’s a segment that’s been hit hard in recent years, making the 208 one of the last of its kind. The dynamically excellent Ford Fiesta is now off sale in all its guises, Volkswagen’s Up has gone too, and while the VW Polo and SEAT Ibiza are still around, they’re not exactly exciting. The 208 GT, by contrast, combines its small size and welcome economy with a good dose of French design flair and the promise of performance to match the looks.

And it really is an eye-catcher, especially in our car’s luminescent Agueda Yello. It gets a surprising amount of attention out on the road, with its striking ‘claw’ daytime running lights, bold contrasting arch extensions and stout proportions ensuring it looks like nothing else in its class. The theme continues inside, with Peugeot’s small steering wheel a given, plus quirky digital dashboard graphics, protruding central control knobs and a sculpted, double-deck dashboard.

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Options on our car are limited to a ‘Drive Assist Pack Plus’ (adaptive cruise control and lane assist, for £300) and Alcantara seats with green stitching (£500), taking the total up to £29,160 from £28,360 basic for the 134bhp hybrid GT (there’s also a 99bhp GT for £1200 less).

The fitment of self-charging, mild-hybrid tech has made the 208 more economical than ever before. In fact, so far it’s been supremely economical at all times. Even on a spirited drive and long, high-speed motorway stints it will regularly achieve a near-50mpg trip average. Given its small 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine under the bonnet, that’s rather impressive.

A manual would always be our transmission of choice in a supermini, but beyond the entry-level, 98bhp pure-combustion offering, a six-speed automatic (replacing the previous eight-speed unit) is all that’s available. While the added involvement of three pedals would be nice to have, response is good in normal driving, with the transmission calibration considerably more refined than some for everyday use.

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What’s most impressive, though, is the chassis, with its quick steering direct and confidence-inspiring, though not particularly feelsome. The 208’s performance envelope isn’t as expansive as those of its ancestors, but its chassis feels perfectly at home on a British B-road, allowing you to carry satisfying pace even on more challenging tarmac.

Slightly less satisfying are the interior ergonomics, the positioning of that small steering wheel and the instruments beyond once again making this a Peugeot in which drivers of a certain height can’t comfortably read vital information, necessitating a contortion of the neck to catch a glimpse of what you’re looking for.

We’ve also experienced some slightly unnerving whirring noises coming from within the engine bay. Whether these are characteristic of the hybrid powertrain or a quirk of our particular car is something we’ll investigate, but as everything appears to be functioning as it should, we’re leaning towards the former for now.

The 208 GT may be one of the less performance-focused members of the evo Fast Fleet, then, but with great fuel economy, sharp looks and pleasant handling, there’s a lot to like here. It might prove more popular than you’d first think…