Peugeot 208 GT Hybrid: More than a nostalgia trip
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Sean O’Grady rekindles his passion with this super-responsive upgrade to one of Peugeot’s best models. Man cannot live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4), and this man can’t drive by SUV alone (and usually a Chinese one at that). Nothing wrong with them – very good value on the whole, and competitive on quality, too, on first impressions – but sometimes you need a change. So this week I turn to the Peugeot 208 Hybrid for a bit of a palate cleanser.
![[It looks like a car its owner can be proud of]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/16/12/PEUGEOT_208_HYBRID_UK_EXT_13.jpg)
It’s been around for a good few years now, but it’s had a minor facelift involving dramatic LED headlamps, some practical interior revisions, and a couple of new petrol-electric mild hybrid power units. “Mild” here means a relatively small contribution from the battery pack and electric motor, and you can’t plug it in either. Most of the work is done by the 1.2 litre petrol engine, which helps get the power up to a respectable 134bhp and will take you to 60mph from rest in 8.1 seconds.
![[The fashionable black-finished 17-inch alloy wheels complement the 208’s near-ideal proportions]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/16/12/PEUGEOT_208_HYBRID_UK_EXT_02.jpg)
It has very slightly hard suspension, which adds to the vaguely sporty feel, but this is no GTi in the great Peugeot hot-hatch tradition. Softer suspension options, with and without manual transmission and with rather less kit, are available. On the plus side, with its dinky steering wheel, the 208 feels highly responsive, sufficiently brisk to inspire confidence on motorways and bendy lanes, and very well planted, with good strong brakes. Indeed, in many respects it feels like it could do with a bit more power and energy, but I imagine the effects on petrol consumption and, crucially, CO2 emissions understandably rule such an old-school plaything out these days. (In fact, the battery electric e-208 GT is a little more accelerative – and, of course, much quieter.).
![[The air of quality extends to the interior]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/16/12/PEUGEOT_208_HYBRID_UK_INT_05.jpg)
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