The new Peugeot 208 GTI, which was shown in concept form at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in February, has been officially revealed ahead of its premiere at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month. As with the Peugeot 206 and 207 GTI models, the French car maker is aiming to rekindle the magic of its 1980s 205 GTi hot-hatch.
As previously reported, the three-door 208 GTi gets the 147 kW and 275 Nm, 1.6-litre, turbocharged petrol engine found in the RCZ coupe. These figures give the 208 GTI the edge over competitors such as the Audi A1 (136 kW and 250 Nm ), the Renault Clio RS (147 kW and 215 Nm) and the Volkswagen Polo GTI (132 kW and 250 Nm).
In addition to the generous amount of power on offer, the 208 GTI only weighs 1 160 kg. No performance figures have been released yet, but armed with this new detail, the previous expectations of a 0 – 100 km/h sprint time in the region of 7 seconds, are likely to be a little pessimistic. Peugeot hasn’t released top speed or fuel consumption figures yet, but the company has said the car emits 145 g/km of CO2, which by our math is roughly 6.25 L/100km.
Peugeot’s front-wheel drive pocket rocket uses a 6-speed manual transmission and the company has re-tuned the steering, as well as enhanced the front sub-frame and rear cross-member for improved torsional rigidity over that of the previous 207. The suspension has also been given a reworking and uses sport springs, shock absorbers and new anti-roll bars. The 208 GTi now rides on 17-inch wheels wrapped in 205/45 rubber, which hide 302 mm ventilated brake discs at the front and 249 mm items at the rear.
Visually, the three-door 208 GTi features new halogen headlamps, gloss black mesh grille with chrome inserts, matching rear skirting with trapezoidal chrome dual exhausts, silver mirror caps and, in a nod to the 205 GTi, a chrome window sill strip with the GTi logo on the C-Pillar. The new car will also be easily recognisable at night, thanks to a ‘cat’s-eye’ pattern created by the indicators and running lights.
“The 208 was an excellent base for developing a sports hatchback,” commented Marie Beaumont, 208 GTi Dynamics Manager. “We have worked with particular attention on the steering response, the chassis dynamics and the rigidity of the suspension. The 208 GTi successfully combines performance, safety and driving pleasure.”
The 208 GTi’s interior features a red and black colour scheme that includes: red-stitched, black leather and cloth combination upholstered sports seats; a flat-bottomed steering wheel; high-gloss red-painted door handles and dashboard inserts; aluminium pedals, footrest and gear lever; as well as a red backlit instrument cluster that features a brushed aluminium background with white needles and a black chequered flag motif.
The new 208 GTi will go on sale in Europe in the second quarter of 2013, by which time the standard 208 should’ve been on South African roads for a good few months.
