Road Test: Peugeot 208 GT-Line

For under 300k you can get a Peugeot 208 GT-Line But should you? I spend a week with the feisty French hatch and take it for a  long distance cruise up the West Coast.

The South African market is a tough nut to crack, just ask Renault and since Peugeots been back they have slowly, with the help of some VERY good cars, (I’m looking at you 3008)  massaged there way back into the hearts and minds of SA buyers. But the 3008 costs over R380 000. What if your budget is under R300 000 and you’re looking for something with some flair?

Well the Peuguot 208, as with the rest of the range, has finally seen Peugeot get back on form.  The car feels spritely, exciting and has awesome styling. Unlike other manufacturers, Peugeot has made the GT-line look more Gti but without the compromise.  This is a double edged sword as expectations can be set too high when driving, but again, this is a car that retails for R276 900 in manual trim. So one has to be realistic about what it can and can’t do.

The chassis is good up until about 9 tenths, perfect for a car like this. The chassis also outperforms the engine.  Again, not a great quality in a GTi, but perfect for a GT-Line.  The interior is fresh and new and Peugeots really, umm, interesting dashboard layout took a few days to get used to but as with anything in any car, I adjusted, eventually found a good seating position and enjoyed twirling the tiny steering wheel in and out of parking bays. Speaking of parking, the GT-Line tested came with park distance sensors and although quite spacious inside, I sometimes forgot how small this car is to manoeuvre around the city.

The car also comes with SatNav, blue tooth and comfy cloth/leather seats.

The 1.2 GT Line pushes out 81kW and 205Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is claimed at 4.5l/100 which I did struggle to attain, managing only 6l/100 with mixed driving. Surprising as the diesel Peugeots are incredibly  frugal.

Verdict

The GT-Line lacks fizz, and that works, its NOT a GTi so don’t expect that. The suspension is firmer than an entry-level model and that 205Nm torque gets you going when you need to.  It’s a good compromise with more show than go. And that’s by design.

Find a clean demo model and you could have a fully specced GT-Line for under the list price.  Bargain!