Is The new Peugeot E-208 GTi a Legend Reborn?
When Peugeot introduced its most recent generation of the 208 and e208 back in 2019, there was one glaring omission. With its super-cool looks and design features that harked back to the glory days of the 205 GTi from the 80’s, there was no GTi in the line-up. And it’s taken nearly seven long years for Peugeot to correct that.
But let’s get the headline numbers out of the way first, just to whet the appetite.
A rather tasty 281 hp electric motor
0 to 62 mph takes just 5.5 seconds
WLTP range of up to 233miles
The E-208 GTi starts from £34,995
PEUGEOT CARE warranty of up to 8 years
To address the couple of glaring elephants in the room, £35,000 is a lot of money for a small, if not stupendously fun hatchback. And that range comes from the now long-in-the-tooth Stellantis 51 kWh battery. In other words, real-world range could limit that fun to well below 200 miles. More on that later.
Peugeot chose today, as part of the PEUGEOT press conference at Le Mans to announce the new E-208 GTi, which is an event synonymous for its petrol-head pilgrimage to watch the 24 hour racing. And it’s perhaps those middle-aged, slightly more cash rich folk that Peugeot is aiming this at, because very few youngsters today will appreciate the hot hatch heritage from the 80’s and early 90’s.
Christophe Auriault, E 208 GTi Project Manager at PEUGEOT Sport sums it up as: “From the very beginning of the project, it was obvious that PEUGEOT SPORT should be involved in the E 208 GTi project. We have unique experience and expertise in designing this type of car. It was also clear that the goal was to create a 100% electric GTi. We wanted to prove that all the PEUGEOT GTi DNA can be found in an electric car. And we have succeeded.”
Confident words from Peugeot, and I sincerely hope this little pocket rocket delivers some smile-inducing fun that warrants the GTi moniker.
Battery and Range
Peugeot has used the same 54 kWh gross battery (51kWh useable) in the E-GTi as the standard E 208, but its battery and power management systems have been adapted to meet the demands of a higher performance motor that has been given the GTi treatment.
It’s slightly disappointing that Stellantis (or Peugeot) are constrained with only one battery option in the E 208 and it’s perhaps because it’s built on a multi-fuel platform, but also because such a large conglomerate of car brands has taken the economy-of-scales approach to its limits. I just wish there was more flexibility that set it apart from other Stellantis offering, with more uniqueness, a better battery, or a bespoke platform, even.
Having said that, Peugeot Sport engineers have applied their wealth of motorsport knowledge in further developing the battery thermal management system, paying close attention to its coolant flow to deliver just the correct amount of coolant depending on the demands laid down by the driver. This ensures the E 208 GTi can always deliver maximum performance, even when the driver has engaged their own spirited driving mode.
Surprisingly, Peugeot offers two tyre options, although there is a trade-off in grip, or range. This shouldn’t be a decision that anyone should be forced to make, and further emphasis the limited battery choice and lack of flexibility within the group to increase the capacity just a little to make it a more desirable proposition, given its asking price. The tyre choices are:
233miles* with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 tyres (No Cost Option)
219miles with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S performance tyres
The Upgrades
Peugeot says they have made numerous modifications to the E 208 chassis, which I will summarise below:
Body lowered by 25 mm
Tracks widened by 56 mm at the front and 28 mm at the rear
18 inch wheels with 215/40 R18 tyres
An additional 31 mm rear anti roll bar, retaining the original 17 mm front bar for optimised balance and cornering behaviour
Mechanical limited slip differential integrated into the reduction gearbox
Upgraded springs and dampers with hydraulic bump stops
355 mm front brake discs with fixed 4 piston callipers
Red brake callipers bearing the PEUGEOT Sport mark of excellence
ESP with a Sport mode
Regenerative braking disabled in Sports Mode
Calibrated steering for a faster response
The last point actually makes me a little sad, because maximum regen braking is a joy to use on the twisty roads as I treat it in a similar way to downshifting a manual car, with lift of regen as I approach a bend. It’s not for everyone, but I feel this should at least be an option rather than an omission.
Colours
Seven body colours are available that Peugeot says references the original 205 GTi:
Okénite White
Elixir Red
Miramar Blue (New colour)
Nera Black
Cumulus Grey
Selenium Grey
Agueda Yellow
Inside
Red carpets, floor mats and seatbelts – as found in the original 205 GTi – evoke memories of a bygone era when hot hatches were at their height, and desired by many youngsters back in the day who are all now - cough cough - middle aged.
Additionally, there’s red stitching on the dashboard, door panels and steering wheel with the front reflecting a central red insert and red mesh detail evocative of the 205 GTi 1.6.
There’s also some red ambient lighting (plus seven additional colours ) and the new E-GTi features a selectable sound that’s linked to motor speed. If car noise in an EV isn’t for you, it’s at least easily deactivated (that will be me then).
Features are:
PEUGEOT i Connect Advanced
High performance connected TomTom navigation
“OK PEUGEOT” voice control
Wireless Apple CarPlay / Android Auto
Alcantara steering wheel and centre console inserts
High quality seat fabrics
Thick, GTi specific floor mats
Charging
Charging the E-GTi on a 7.4 kW AC Wallbox takes 4 hours 40 minutes, which is really rather quick thanks to that smaller battery. There is an 80% charge limit function for everyday use, which was lacking at launch back in 2019.
The 208 E-GTi takes 30 minutes to charge on a DC rapid charger from 20–80% with the onboard charger rated at 100 kW.
Peugeot says its connected route planner optimises range and charging, but hasn’t elaborated on how, albeit it sounds beneficial to use.
Vehicle to Load (V2L) is added for powering external devices, something that has been introduced by many brands this year, and a handy feature to have.
Pre-conditioning the cabin (warming or cooling), setting charging schedules, and sending navigation routes are available via the MyPEUGEOT® app: remote
Warranty
The same warranty applies to the E 208 GTi as it does to all other E-208’s with up to 8 year / 100,000 miles vehicle warranty via PEUGEOT Care and up to 8 year / 100,000 miles battery warranty.
There’s no confirmed sale date or order date yet.
Conclusion
From reading through the press material, there is some highs and lows among the blurb. Peugeot being constrained with the multi-fuel platform and only battery pack available may limit its appeal, or certainly curtail it a little.
When you consider a regular 80% charge, the range at best would be 186 miles if you can hit the claimed WLTP range, so it’s more likely to have 150 miles of range available for day-to-day use in the real world, and less in winter. And that’s fine for commuting, and running errands, or ferrying family about, but stick that in Sport mode with no regen and I would be surprised to see 100 miles of range. And this is what I mean by limiting its appeal, but I will caveat that by saying that I sincerely hope my pessimistic calculations are proved to be wildly inaccurate.
Perhaps my expectations are ahead of the available technology, but for these hot hatches to work, they need to be practical in the sense that they’re good for 300 miles of WLTP range, or 240 miles from an 80% state of charge. It just means more fun and fewer stops to charge.
However, I am very happy that the GTi lives on in electric form, and undoubtedly I should reserve judgement until it has been driven, but if cars like the E-208 GTi exist, and draw in some enthusiasm for electric cars, then I welcome that.
About the Author
Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.
You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb