La lean, mean, green machine

The Peugeot 208 is now better than ever with a gently refreshed look and a new range of low-emission Euro 6-standard engines. GreenFleet explores a particularly eye-catching BlueHDi.

The Peugeot 208 is the latest in a long line of successful small Peugeots. Tracing its roots back to the legendary 205 of 1983, through the 206 of 1998, to the 207 of 2006, the 208 takes styling elements from all its predecessors. With a very definite family resemblance, the 208 was introduced in 2012 to carry on the French company's small car lineage.

Cleaner range of diesel engines
Right from the off engine choices included 99g/km variants, and a refresh in early 2015 ushered in an even cleaner range of HDi diesel engines, including the 87g/km 98bhp BlueHDi version tested here.

The 1.6-litre unit has 187lb ft/254Nm of torque from 1,750rpm and pulls well, but the four-cylinder can be noisy, especially when under acceleration. Peugeot claims that the unit can achieve 80.7mpg, but away from the laboratory, we only achieved a slightly disappointing 57.6 over our 237-mile test period.

An even greener 208 which promises even better fuel economy is now available, too – the 79g/km 208 has an official claimed fuel economy figure of 94.2mpg. However, it’s worth remembering that the engine fitted to our test car set a long-distance fuel economy record of 141mpg at Peugeot’s test track at Belchamp, watched over by independent adjudicators.

A GreenFleet event favourite, the 208 has been a regular star in the GreenFleet Arrive ‘N’ Drive ‘Beat the Sprig’ competitions with some equally impressive results.

Fun to drive
With a small diameter and leather-wrapped steering wheel, the 208 is fun to drive. The gearbox needs constant stirring to keep the engine in its power band, but it’s no hardship as the shift has a nice positive action.

On the road, the suspension does a good job of absorbing the lumps and bumps, but the relatively soft set-up can be quite bouncy over a series of undulations.

The interior differs from the norm, as the instrument dials sit in a raised pod behind the steering wheel, meaning you look slightly over it. It takes some adjusting at first, but soon becomes second nature.

The textured dashboard finish is appealing and the seven-inch colour touchscreen system works responsively and featured satellite navigation, MirrorLink, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity options on our Allure-trim car.

To make KT15 TEV stand out, ‘Lime Yellow’ (green) exterior (£150) and interior (£350) personalisation packs were fitted, along with a £645 ‘Ice Silver’ textured paint finish. Granular to the touch, the rough paint certainly made the car stand out, but also ensured it was interesting to wash...

Allure specification 208s come with a generous smattering of kit including 16‑inch ‘Titane’ alloy wheels, cornering assist fog lights, auto lights and wipers, and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. It’s just another string to add to the small Peugeot’s multi-talented bow.

Further Information
www.peugeot.co.uk