Peugeot 208 Allure 1.2 PureTech 110 Review (2016)

Photo Peugeot 208 Allure 1.2 PureTech Review

Peugeot 208 Allure 1.2 PureTech (pictured) in for review

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This week we’ve had the Peugeot 208 Allure 1.2 PureTech 110 in for review, complete with Peugeot’s 1.2 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine. Can it match the Fiesta EcoBoost?

It’s four years since the Peugeot 208 arrived as the French take on the Ford Fiesta, and last year Peugeot gave it a bit of a mid-life makeover.

That update meant the usual facelift fodder of tweaked bumpers and grill, titivated headlights, new LED tail lights, new alloys and an interior that pushed a bit more upmarket with higher quality materials and a new 7″ infotainment screen, as well as some new technology.

But that 2015 facelift also saw the arrival of Peugeot’s 1.2 lite PureTech three-cylinder engine, an appealing three-pot lump with 108bhp and the promise of zippy performance and good economy.

All that’s new about the 208 is wrapped up in this week’s review car – the Peugeot 208 Allure 1.2 PureTech 110 – so we can spend some time, and a chunk of miles, discovering if the 208 has the measure of the class-leading Ford Fiesta.

208 Allure 1.2 PureTech – Inside & Out

Inside the 208 is much what we’ve come to expect from recent Peugeot’s, with its instrument pod sat above a low-slung, tiny steering wheel, a 7″ infotainment screen in the middle that does it’s job well (if not a stunning take on cutting-edge graphics) and tidies up the 208’s cabin by cutting the button count.

There’s enough space in the front for tall drivers, and the back seats will take three actual grown-ups, if you must, without needing to extract them with a grappling hook at the end of the journey

There’s enough space in the front for tall drivers, and the back seats will take three actual grown-ups if you must – no mean feat for a supermini – without needing to extract them with a grappling hook at the end of the journey.

The seats are supportive and good looking, if a bit firm (and even better here thanks to the optional black leather), there’s plenty of storage space in the cabin and the boot’s a decent size too.

In fact, the cabin of the 208 is properly grown-up, with nice details and a style of its own, and it’s well-equipped in this Allure model with electric windows, climate and splashes of aluminium trim as well as optional goodies like the park assist, reversing camera, Sat Nav and DAB.

And it’s not just the inside of the 208 that’s appealing, the exterior’s a good take on the supermini genre too.

The new wider grille adds purpose, and the 208 actually looks sporty without looking like it’s trying too hard.

This test car has a bright orange paint job (which will set you back an extra £1,100, including the black leather seats) as well as Gloss Black Alloys (an extra £100) and little snippets of Menthol White highlights (a £150 extra and part of Peugeot’s desire to get buyers to make their 208 more ‘personal’), and it’s a properly good looking French supermini.

208 Allure 1.2 PureTech – Performance and on the Road

The big news for the 208 after its facelift was the engine under the bonnet of this review car – Peugeot’s 1.2 litre three-cylinder PureTech, boasting 108bhp and 159lb/ft of torque, and the promise of 65.7mpg and 99g/km.

Just like every other three-cylinder engine, the economy promises just don’t translate in to the real world, but the 208’s 3-pot does seem better on the juice in the real world than Ford’s 1.0 litre EcoBoost, and despite some lively driving over a week of playing we averaged 42.1mpg.

…you spend most of your time in a gear lower than you normally would to keep the engine in the sweet zone. But do that and the 208’s got a fizzy, responsive nature that is really quite fun.

But the 1.2 litre three-pot is a likeable engine, and although it’s a bit vocal when you push on it’s quite an appealing noise, and it really does feel lively.

But the quite long gearing of the adequate five-speed manual gearbox does mean you spend most of your time in a gear lower than you normally would to keep the engine in the sweet zone. But do that and the 208’s got a fizzy, responsive nature that is really quite fun, and the long gearing makes cruising on a motorway a relaxed event.

In fact, it’s a very relaxed event because the 208 also manages to deliver a ride that seems to be from a car at least a couple of segments bigger, and soaks up lumps, bumps, ridges and potholes with real alacrity.

The downside of that is a bit more roll and a bit more diving under braking than would be ideal, but the 208 still handles well, the steering’s accurate (if a bit pointy) and it’s still capable of bringing a smile to your face when you hustle it along.

208 Allure 1.2 PureTech – Verdict

There’s no question about the appeal of the 208 as a great little supermini, and the arrival of the 1.2 litre PureTech engine has given it more character than before, and managed to do it without sacrificing comfort and practicality.

Objectively, we’d have to say the Fiesta still has the edge if your main aim in buying a supermini is to have fun round B roads, but in a lot of ways the 208 has the advantage.

It’s 3-pot engine is, we reckon, more economical in the real world, and it has performance that’s comfortably the better of Ford’s 100PS EcoBoost.

It has a style and character that appeals in ways the Fiesta perhaps doesn’t, and it’s certainly a more comfortable car top drive than the Ford, and the equipment levels on this Allure spec car are more than decent.

Ultimately, it’s a subjective decision, but if you’re looking for a supermini to run the kids to school, do errands and tackle the odd weekend away, the 208’s combination of abilities could swing it as the right buy.

Just make sure to give it a try before you make up your mind.