Peugeot 208 GTi arrives

Peugeot finally recreates the 205 GTi - the Peugeot 208 GTi arrives at Geneva

The Peugeot 208 GTi Concept has been revealed, powered by the 197bhp 1.6 litre turbo from the RCZ. Debuts at Geneva 2012.

Yesterday we had what we were convinced was a tease for the Peuegot 208 GTi, and we were right. Peugeot has revealed the new 208 GTi Concept ahead of a reveal at Geneva next month – and it’s exactly what we expected.

The three-door 208 GTi gets the 197bhp 1.6 litre turbo petrol Peugeot fit to the RCZ, and although Peugeot hasn’t given us any performance figures for the 208 GTi we’d expect Peugeot’s new hot hatch to beat 7 seconds to 60mph.

The 208 GTi is Peugeot’s attempt to recreate the glory days of the 205 GTi, and to take on rivals like sister PSA company Citroen’s DS3, and it does look promising.

There’s a nod to the 205 GTi with a GTi logo on the rear quarter panel, and as a nice little touch there’s a chequered flag badge on the mesh grill with either the French flag or the Union flag, a nod to how important the UK is for sales of this more than warm 208.

The 208 GTi gets 18″ five-spoke alloys, the double chrome exhaust tail pipes we saw yesterday on the teaser photo of the 208 GTi, spoiler on the top of the hatch, butch sills and bigger bumpers. Inside there’s a smaller, flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminium pedals and Nappa leather.

Peugeot isn’t saying when the 208 GTi will go on sale, but with the regular 208 going on sale in the UK in the summer, we’d expect the new 208 GTi to hit showrooms in the UK by the end of 2012.