Peugeot e-208 2023 review | Goodwood Test

At a time when small cars seem to be falling by the wayside, the Peugeot 208 continues to thrive, and rightly so. Attractive, well-appointed, good to drive and reasonably-priced, it’s a European best-seller for good reason. It’s also something of a pioneer, being one of the first in its class – alongside the Vauxhall Corsa with which it shares a platform – to offer an electric model.

It’s this, the e-208, that’s proven in the last couple of years to be both the most interesting version of the 208 and the one with the most room for improvement. And improve it Peugeot has, with a much-needed bump in range. There’s a facelift coming next year, but we don’t expect to see anything beyond a few styling tweaks. So this, for the foreseeable, mechanically and interior-wise at least, this is the e-208 at its best. So how does it hold up in 2023?

As above, a new facelift is coming to market very soon, with updated triple-claw DRLs that have dropped out of the main headlight cluster, along with Peugeot’s new corporate schnoz. What’s indicative that this pre-facelift was a good design is the fact it looks no older, no more outdated, than the face that is going to replace it.

The Peugeot fangs have been a delightful signature across the range, and I’ll be sad to see them go in favour of the updated car’s triple vertical style. In short, there are things I prefer about this pre-facelift and what’s carried over – the shape, the general look – are all good things. This e-208 remains a very modern, attractive and distinctly French little car.

We’ve heard it from the CEO herself, Linda Jackson, that while outright sporty versions of all Peugeots are no longer the plan, anything Peugeot makes has to be good to drive. I’m happy to report that this e-208 meets those criteria. At medium speeds it feels every bit the supermini, though as you push on, you’ll begin to notice the added mass. It’s not so much that the car is rolling – the battery is in the floor, so the centre of gravity is low – but you feel the tyres struggling underneath you with the extra 400+ kg the electric version brings. Happily, the steering is pleasant and the simplicity and relaxation of electric power around town is a delight. Needless to say the instant torque delivery when pressing on is always entertaining.

Any gripes when not driving like a fool? Under braking, the handover from regenerative to pad-on-disc is a little disconcerting, with a momentary runaway feeling.

Secondly? This is more a general EV thing, but the range drop when using the car at speeds over 60mph is dramatic. Even with the new and improved battery, with its 248-mile WLTP-certified range, motorway driving will lop 100 miles off the top of that. A few long runs to Silverstone and Norwich meant I was planning a charging stop with every journey, but the 100kW charging speeds meant that 80 per cent was never more than a half-hour charge away at my local zapping hole.

Nevertheless, I’ll only be truly comfortable with an EV once we’re getting 200 miles of driving at motorway speeds in cold conditions. The little Pug manages in almost all localised use cases, but you’re going to want to know what the charging network is like on all but your least frequent routes. I wonder if a potential 300-mile capable Renault 5 debuting next year will give Peugeot something serious to think about on this front…

On the inside, as ever, it’s divisive. I personally love Peugeot’s weird-shaped steering wheels. They give the car an oddly exotic feel, and in this case specifically it’s configurable so that the wheel is comfy and the dials are visible. The two together haven’t always been an option in Peugeot cabins of late… Material quality is generally good – certainly above your hip line – though certain control surfaces like the protruding volume nob feel a little delicate. The fake ‘carbon’ might be a bit much for some too, though the mood lighting adds a premium feel. To run around in, the e-208 is a comfortable, practical little car with a nice cabin on the whole.

What’s curious is the new facelifted e-208 isn’t really being updated inside. It’s not even getting the ‘i-Toggles’. Just a month ago I was in France sampling the cockpit of the new Peugeot e-3008, with its 21-inch curved screen that integrates infotainment and the driver’s display. It’s very difficult in this day and age of advancing cabin tech to keep things current, but there’s an aged feeling to the tech in this to-be-updated e-208.

It does the job, though. The digital 3D dash is cool – as seen on the Peugeot 408 too – though it could do with a touch more configurability. Likewise, the infotainment screen is Android and Apple compatible, though you’ll want to make sure you get a decent wire to make it work. As we noted in the 408, the driver assistance systems are intuitive and not too invasive, either.

The e-208 is still a good little car suited well to most short and medium-distance use cases. It drives nicely and while the low-speed braking is quirky, you can get used to it. As for the high-speed range issues? Well, I ask you, have superminis ever been comfortable at high speeds? It’ll do them with ease, with more refinement than most cars of its size that came before it, it just happens to burn through a lot more energy to get it done.

You might be wondering whether you can get away with having the Corsa, with which it shares a platform, instead. We’re here to say the ‘Peugeotness’ adds a certain appeal. Is it feeling its age a little bit? In terms of the cabin and the driving range, yes, and that’s only going to get worse over the next couple of years, even with the inbound update. Our advice? If you want one, use the opportunity to get a good deal on the last of this pre-facelifted version. There’s no doubt Peugeot will need to bring an all-new e-208 to bear sooner rather than later.