Peugeot

108

The Peugeot 108 is up against some very stiff opposition in the city car market, but can proudly hold its head up high. It handles sweetly, oozes individuality and can be personalised to suit each owner’s taste. It is available as a three-or five-door hatchback and there is the option of a retractable fabric roof.

The good

Fun, funky, economical and stylish

The bad

In a fiercely competitive segment

Tech Specs

Price from

£8,345

Combined Fuel up to

68.9mpg

0-62 from

11.0 seconds

max speed up to

106mph

co2 from

95g/km

Test Drive

Peugeot 108 Allure 1.2 TOP! 5-door

There’s no denying the competition in the small city car segment is fierce and the arrival of the new Peugeot 108 ups the ante even further.

That’s because the successor to the popular107 city car is fun, funky, fashionable and very flash without being garish along the way.

Priced from £8,245 the 108 is available in three or five-door versions with a choice of trim levels to choose from.

In addition buyers can select from a whole range of decal packs to stamp their mark on each car. These are aptly named Dressy, Kilt, Diamond, Tattoo and Barcode.

The test car – in Allure trim priced at £12,245 (plus £850 optional extras) – was a five-door model.

It also featured a full length canvas roof in an eye-catching purple shade and the interior featured the Barcode trim with striped fascias that were very striking.

But in all honesty, it would be fair to say that the 108 looks great both inside and out.

Eye-catching features include striped door mirrors, bright white paintwork that contrasted beautifully with the purple roof, the trademark Peugeot floating grille, LED daytime running lights, 15-inch alloys, front fog lights, tinted rear windows and chrome door handles.

The spacious interior is suitable for four adults although leg room in the back is a little limited for longer journeys. And the boot capacity is pretty good too at 196 litres. This can be increased to a whopping 868 litres with the 50:50 split-folding rear seats flat. And there are plenty of handy storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin proving that Peugeot has made full use of every available space.

There’s a whole host of techno treats to be explored within the cabin too, such as a reversing camera, a 7-inch touchscreen, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, air conditioning and plenty more besides.

So the 108 certainly looks the business and is packed with creature comforts, but how does it handle when put to the test? The answer is very well indeed. The 1.2-litre petrol-driven engine delivers plenty of oomph and acceleration through the five-speed manual transmission is both smooth and responsive.

The car can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 11.0 seconds and tops out at 106mph and according to official figures it can deliver a creditable 65.7mpg with carbon emissions of just 99g/km.

In and around town, the 108 is nippy and zips through the busy traffic and the car’s compact dimensions makes parking in tight spaces an absolute breeze.

Then out on faster country lanes and motorways, the 108 steps up to the challenge and capably holds its own with faster moving traffic.

As one would expect, Peugeot has packed a comprehensive range of safety features into the 108, including anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability programme, six airbags and lots more.

All in all, the 108 which is built in the Czech Republic alongside stablemates the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1, is a great little car which is packed with energetic characteristics and full of flair.

And as Peugeot claims in true French style it offers an a la carte menu of options and personalisation packs.