2019 Peugeot 208: Another French looker

MANILA: The French kick-off the hatchback trend and do not seem to end the journey any soon. Continuing the legacy, Peugeot, one of the major French automakers, has unveiled the all-new 2019 208 hatchback. What makes the new 208 even more important is that the hatchback is the first car underpinned by the new platform that has emerged thanks to the merging of Peugeot-Opel.

Moreover, Peugeot 208 will also serve as the base for the Opel Corsa. While the 2019 Peugeot 208 will lock horns with the likes of Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo in Europe, the hatchback will take on the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris in other markets across the globe.

Emphasising on the new 208’s appearance, the hatchback is a sweet mixture of both modern and classic Peugeot elements. The placement of the 208 badge on the top of the grille is similar to what we saw on the Peugeot 104 in the past. Moving on, the C-pillar and the rear door resemble the 205.

The revamped 208 also takes inspiration from the 508. The front fascia includes upswept headlamps and LED strips. The Peugeot logo is recessed and is placed on the upper part of the bigger and bolder grille. Talking of the tailgate, while black trim is reminiscent of the 508 and 3008, the high-mounted taillamps seem to be inspired by the 206.

Moving inside the 2019 Peugeot 208, we see the i-Cockpit featuring a low-placed steering wheel along with a high-set instrument cluster. There is also the floating touchscreen infotainment system. The new hatchback now gets an electro-mechanical automatic gear selector along with an electronic parking brake.

The 2019 Peugeot 208 comes in three powertrain options. The first is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged gas-fed motor which comes in three states of tune with maximum power outputs of - 75 PS, 100 PS, and 130 PS. The turbo diesel engine comes with a maximum power of 100 PS. The third option is an all-electric powertrain that is called the e-208.

Power output is rated at 136 of maximum power and a peak torque of 260 Nm. The all-electric 208 offers a single-charge range of up to 340 km that can be extended to up to 450 km depending on conditions. The charging time for a full juice-up is claimed to be over five hours using the standard charger. However, 80 % charge can be achieved in 30 minutes when using the fast charger.

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