Peugeot e-208 Review 2024

Initially, all Peugeot e-208s came with the same 136PS motor and 50kWh battery. Later, however, a second powertrain option was added to the range, teaming a 156PS motor with a 51kW battery for a little more range. Which you'll want depends on how much range you need. If you can live with between 218 and 225 miles, you can same money by choosing the less powerful version, but if you want the security of the more powerful car's 248-mile range, you might consider it worth paying the extra for.

There's no shortage of new electric cars, and as a small electric electric car that looks very conventional, the Peugeot e-208 is similar to the Vauxhall e-Corsa (later renamed as the Corsa Electric), which in fact shares the Peugeot's mechanicals. In fact, the Stellantis Group that owns both brand also offers loads more electric models that sit on the same architecture: the Vauxhall Mokka Electric, the Peugeot e-2008, the Jeep Avenger, the Fiat 600e, the DS3... the list goes on.

There are other conventional-looking small EVs, but the Renault Zoe, MINI Electric and Honda e are all smaller.

The Peugeot e-208's cabin scores on visual appeal rather than interior quality. It doesn't have the same big-car-in-a-small-package feel that you get with the Volkswagen Polo, because less of its plastics are soft and squidgy, and the infotainment screen displays aren't quite as sharp and colourful. That said, you'd never describe the e-208 as looking dour, an accusation the Polo doesn't shake off so easily. 

Even the basic Peugeot e-208 comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so it is easy to mirror the display of your smartphone on the car's big screen, giving you access to apps like Google Maps and Spotify. In early examples, the screen was a 7.0-inch item on most versions with the range-topping GT getting a 10.0-inch screen. Following a 2023 facelift, though, the bigger screen became standard across the board.

Step up the range a bit, and you'll find mid-range models combine the centre infotainment screen with a digital dashboard that sports cool animations that bring the interior to life. This display is 3D on the GT model.

Top-of-the-range Peugeot e-208 GT models, meanwhile, swap the seven-inch screen in the rest of the range for a 10-inch version which has connected services. That means the sat-nav can route around congestion as well as display petrol station fuel prices and other information, it's a neat trick although not really needed if you have a smartphone that's compatible with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. 

All early Peugeot e-208s came with one USB-C and four USB plugs, giving you plenty of charging capacity at your fingertips. On later cars, entry-level Active cars had a single USB-C port in the front and USB-C and USB-A ports in the back, while Allure and GT trims add an additional USB-C in the front.

Externally, the Peugeot e-208 is identical to the 208, measuring 4055mm long and 1755mm wide (ignoring door mirrors), which means when comes to interior space the Peugeot e-208 is identical to the petrol 208. That means you get odd ergonomics up front, which can make it tricky to simultaneously have the steering wheel at your ideal height, while also seeing the dashboard's dials and readouts. If you can crack that, however, there's plenty of room up front for two adults.

The same is not true in the back where two tall adults will feel squeezed for kneeroom, while shoehorning a third person into the middle pushes your passengers on the outer seats into the car's low-slung roofline. Whichever way you look at it it's not ideal, although compared to other small electric cars, the e-208 - along with the Vauxhall e-Corsa - is actually one of your better options for rear-seat passengers.

The same is true for boot space, because while the Peugeot e-208's 311-litre boot is someway off a conventional alternative like the Volkswagen Polo (351 litres), it's some way ahead of EV alternatives like the MINI Electric (211 litres) and Fiat 500 Electric (185 litres). 

Anything else worthy of note? Well, the Peugeot e-208 is packed full of smaller storage spaces and it is good to see ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats, so it is easy to mount a pair of child seats. 

Initially, all Peugeot e-208s had the same 136PS electric motor that produced its 260Nm of torque instantaneously. That means the car can get away with having a single-speed transmission, and it operates just like an automatic car, although even more smoothly. 

It scampers off the line with a handy enthusiasm that is useful when you're trying to put some clean air between yourself, cyclists and scooters, or just trying to nip into gaps in traffic. 

Its official 8.1-second 0-62mph time doesn't really do this low-speed acceleration justice, as the performance tails off significantly the faster you go.

Another feather in the Peugeot e-208's cap is its regenerative brakes. They recharge the e-208's battery every time you lift your foot off the accelerator, slowing the car as they do so, meaning a lot of the time you can start and stop using the accelerator, only pressing the brake pedal when you need to slow quickly. The regenerative brakes also reduce wear of the car's friction brake discs and pads.

Later on in 2023, the 136PS powertrain was joined in the range by a 156PS version that also has a slightly bigger battery. In reality, it's hardly any quicker, certainly not by enough on its own to warrant spending the extra it costs to buy. It's only worth it if you need the extra range it provides, which amounts to just 23 miles according to official figures.

Initially, the Peugeot e-208 could officially travel up to 217 miles on a single charge of its 50kWh battery. Over time, improvements in the battery technology raised this to between 218- and 225 miles, depending on the spec of the car in question.

When the more powerful version with its bigger 51kWh battery was introduced, the maximum range leaped up to 248 miles according to WLTP figures. OK, so this is more of a hop than a leap, but some might find it useful.

The regular 208 is a mature small car that leans towards comfort, with compliant suspension and impressive noise suppression at a cruise. The Peugeot e-208 model amplifies these qualities by being extremely quiet and relaxing to drive at town speeds thanks to its almost-silent, torquey electric motor.  

The Peugeot e-208 was awarded a four-star safety certificate when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2019. It comes with most of the safety kit you would expect of a small car including a glut of airbags and automatic emergency brakes that can detect pedestrians and cyclists as well as cars. However, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control are optional extras, and can only be added to high-spec versions.

Right now, we're not aware of any common issues that plague the Peugeot e-208, and with fewer moving parts to go wrong compared with a petrol or diesel car, the e-208 should be a dependable choice. Peugeot offers a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, while the battery has an eight-year warranty.

Peugeot as a brand performs pretty averagely (and that's being kind) in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, ranking 24th out of 29 manufacturers in the 2023 study.

Buy an early Peugeot e-208, and it sits between insurance groups 26 and 28, so it won't cost a fortune to get covered, but it will be significantly more than a standard petrol model. Buy a car from after the 2023 facelift, though, and it'll be in group 31, regardless of trim level. We're not entirely sure what's to blame for the hike, but even so, premiums still shouldn't be ruinous.

As an electric car, you don't pay any road tax on the Peugeot e-208 whatsoever. However, this is likely to change in 2025.

Once upon a time, the Peugeot e-208 was available in five trim levels called Active Premium, Allure, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium. 

Active Premium is the basic trim but it's still well equipped to offset the e-208's high price relative to a conventional model of the same size. It has 16-inch alloy wheels on the outside and inside you get a seven-inch centre screen, rear parking sensors and air conditioning. 

Peugeot e-208 Allure models add to that with full LED rear lights (only the daytime running lights are LEDs in Active Premium), climate control and automatic wipers. Allure Premium models feel posher inside thanks to their digital dashboard and part leather seats, while the reversing camera and four interior USBs make them easier to drive and live with. 

Peugeot e-208 GT models look the smartest: they get 17-inch alloys and LED lights front and back, plus plenty of sporty GT badges. Inside, you'll find the upgraded 10-inch centre touchscreen, which has connected services so you can communicate with it wirelessly using an app on your phone and route around congestion on the fly.

GT Premium models get kit that makes the e-208 feel like a little luxury car. You can open and start the car without needing to take the key out your pocket, you get posh Alcantara heated seats to sit in and once you're underway you'll find the active cruise control, which can brake and accelerate the car automatically, a major boon on long journeys.

As part of the 2023 facelift, the trim levels were pared back to Active, Allure and GT. The Active has 16-inch steel wheels, a leather steering wheel, climate control air-con, electric and heated door mirrors, four electric windows, rear parking sensors, and the 10.0-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Allure adds alloy wheels, extra exterior styling touches, part-leather-effect upholstery, front parking sensors, digital instruments, and power folding door mirrors. GT trim gets you a colour reversing camera, keyless entry and go, and wireless smartphone charging, along with sporty styling touches inside and out.