Test Drive – Peugeot 208


[Automobile]

Hot hatches are really fun to drive so when the nice folks at Peugeot Malaysia (aka Nasim Sdn Bhd) invited me to test drive the Peugeot 208 (5 door) for a weekend I happily obliged. Of course it also helped as I have an affinity towards Peugeot cars as I love the level of refinement and detail on their mass market cars.
Styling wise, the Peugeot 208 looks sleek and stylish with the large grille and swept back headlights. Under the hood is a 1.6 litre 4 inline cylinders DOHC 16 valve, VTI (dual variable valve timing and lift) engine which generates 122ps and has a max torque of 160Nm at 4,250rpm.
The engine is mated to an auto adaptive gearbox with Tiptronic and sport mode, and this translates into a quick nippy little hot hatch that’s great for city roads while parking is a breeze!

 The driver and passenger electric folding side view mirrors come with a heater
 The headlights feature Peugeot’s LED Signature Lighting, and have the “Follow Me Home” setting in which the headlights stay on for a couple of seconds after you lock or unlock the car which helps to illuminate your path

The Peugeot 208 runs on 16″ two-tone helium alloy rims with 195/55/R16 tyres and is steered by an advanced electric power steering system. The front suspension is MacPherson struts with anti roll bar while the rear features a trailing arm with deformable cross-member axle. The front brakes come equipped with ventilated discs while the rear uses solid discs.
The Peugeot 208 has a 5 star EURONCAP rating with safety features that include:

6 Airbags
Anti Lock Braking System (ABS)
Emergency Brake Assist
Electronic Brake Distribution
Electronic Stability Programme with Anti Skid Regulator and Dynamic Stability Control
Very high strength steel body structure
Deadlocking doors
Electronic child safety door lock
Auto hazard light on de-acceleration
2x ISOFIX anchorage points at the rear
3x 3-point safety belts in the rear

Now let’s have a look at the interior.

 The boot is pretty spacious for a car this size. For size comparison I placed 2 brochures – A2 size on the left and A3 size on the right.
                        

 
 The aircon has a digital dual zone function which is normally found in more premium cars.
 There are audio and multi-function display controls on the steering wheel so you can keep both hands on the wheel when driving. I always like this feature but it’s usually on C segment/ more premium cars. Glad to see it in the 208.
 The floating dashboard comes with a LCD colour display and multi-stage illumination
 The interactive HD colour touchscreen allows you to control the radio/ audio, and the Bluetooth hand-free kit. The audio system is an impressive Arkamys 3D system equipped with 6 speakers and this was a feature that I really liked about the 208!
 Depress the (S) button to enable the “Sport Mode” which gives a sportier ride and gear shifts at higher RPM. The (*) button is for “Snow Mode” and starts the engine at second gear (not that it’ll ever be used here in Malaysia).
 Roomy enough for me (I’m 5′ 10″ tall)
 The chrome trimming gives the 208 a sporty touch, and if you look carefully you can see the speakers embedded subtly in the door
 The rear speakers are also embedded in the door. All of the windows are one touch and anti pinch.
 Girls would love this feature – driver side vanity mirror with lights!

Other features included in the Peugeot 208:

60/40 one touch foldable rear seats
Glove box with cooler
Auto wipers function with auto rear wipers in reverse gear

The Peugeot 208 (5 door) is available in five (5) colours namely digital white, platinum black, virtual blue, rogue red, and passion silver.
Price: RM85,888.00 (on the road with insurance) and comes with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty from the date of first registration.
More info at http://www.peugeot.com.my