Peugeot 208 004
Peugeot 208 002
Peugeot 208 001
Peugeot 208 005
Peugeot 208 008
Tim Britten25 Mar 2016
REVIEW

Peugeot 208 2016 Review

Peugeot's 208 light hatchback is seriously worthy of serious consideration. Seriously!

Peugeot 208 Access
Road Test

Price-leaders are rarely thought of as volume sellers. As the money made by a car manufacturer is directly proportional to how much the customer spends in the first place, the real-world emphasis is always on the mid-rangers that better reflect car-buyers’ wants and needs than the often sparsely-equipped basic models. That’s usually the case anyway – but maybe not with the Access version of Peugeot’s latest 208 which opens at $15,990 (plus on-road costs). The automatic version tested here also comes in below the magic $20k mark at $18,990 (plus ORCs).

Car-makers can be a bit disingenuous when it comes to entry-level models.
Little more than a ruse to raise expectations of how little a customer is likely to pay for a brand-new (insert brand name), the price leader in the model range is more a presence in the brochure than in reality.

So when Peugeot announced its facelifted, aggressively-priced 208 range late in 2015 nobody, least of all Peugeot, really expected people to throng into showrooms to put money down on the new sub-$20,000 Access variants. Generally, customers just don’t do this sort of thing.

The new, basic version of the 208 posed some interesting questions nevertheless: Just how “basic” is the Access model? And is it so bereft of style and comfort that it would be an embarrassment just to be seen in one?

Peugeot 208 002

To find an answer, we booked a 208 Access from the kindly Peugeot people with the intention of finding out for ourselves if the base model is as bare-bones and nasty as you’d expect.

We weren’t exactly trepidatious, but we really didn’t expect much. To be sure, $15,990 (plus ORCs) is a pretty aggressive sticker price for a small Euro hatch, so there had to be a catch somewhere, right?

In a way, there was: Although it still slipped below the $20,000 barrier, our test car came with a couple of price-raising additions, including the new Aisin six-speed automatic and its attendant turbo version of the 1.2-litre engine (adding $3000), as well as Rioja Red metallic paint ($990) for a total of $19,290 (plus ORCs).

In the end though, the 208 Access was more notable at the end of our tenure for what it had, than what it didn’t.

Peugeot 208 006

We already knew the 208 as a legitimate contender in the light class. But as to how seriously potential buyers should look at the Access variant we weren’t really aware: sliding for the first time into the little Peugeot’s cabin brought a few surprises.

No, there’s not the feeling of being cheated via drab, basic furnishings, so-so fit and finish and minimal creature comforts. In fact, to me, the 208 Access exuded something you’d not expect in something like a base Hyundai i20, Holden Barina or Suzuki Swift.

A bit of soft-touch on the dash panels, touches of shiny glam here and there and a generally pleasing balance of materials and textures gave the cheapest Peugeot a nice, welcoming feel. Compared with the previous test car, a top-spec Honda CR-V VTi-L, the 208 Access didn’t feel that downmarket.

Peugeot 208 001

About the only things you’d pick are the manually-adjusted left and right-hand rearview mirrors, a complete lack of grab handles in the roof and the front-only power windows.

The radio might appear a bit minute and its screen readout a little hard to decipher, but all the basic stuff is there: Bluetooth (easily and quickly activated), CD player, USB and auxiliary ports, trip computer, air-conditioning, service indicator, external temperature gauge, a 12-volt outlet in the centre console – and even tyre-pressure monitoring.

The two-way adjustable steering column is the same as other 208 models, as is the high-set, above-wheel instrument display, complete with auxiliary digital speedo that capitalises on the small-diameter steering wheel to produce a clear and unobstructed view.

Pricing and Features
Peugeot 208 003

The 208 Access also gets six airbags, plus the usual line-up of safety gear including stability control and anti-lock brakes (ventilated discs at the front, drums at the rear) to achieve a five-star ANCAP rating.

The packaging is the usual 208 story: Plenty of room for front-seat passengers, but quite crowded, especially where legroom is concerned, in the back. The boot expands from a decent-for-class 311 litres to a handy 1152 (both better than Mazda2, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo) with the split-fold rear backrests flipped down.

The 208’s full-size spare sits below the floor, while a mountain bike can be slotted in place provided a wheel is removed.

And with the auto version’s engaging 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo engine punching out 81kW/205Nm it’s no slacker on the road, clearly a lot more responsive than the normally-aspirated 60kW/118Nm five-speed manual-transmission model.

The gutsy three-pot beat is backed up by strong acceleration off the line and a relaxed gait at cruising speeds. It’s a confident performer on the open road, pretty quiet for a light car and not bothered when moved into the fast lane to overtake a line of slower-moving traffic.

The Aisin six-speed auto works beautifully with the three-cylinder’s power and torque characteristics. It easily finds the appropriate ratio and relies more on torque than revs to enable use of higher ratios, avoiding the noise and fuss of many small-capacity autos.

And the 208 Access points well, too. The steering is appropriately light for a pint-sizer and keeps the car on track via a reasonably quick ratio that swings the 208’s wheel from lock-to-lock in 2.9 turns while slotting between kerbs in a reasonably tight 11.0m.

The 15-inch steel wheels with their 185/65-series tyres do have their limitations though: there is a bit of understeer when the Peugeot is being pushed.

The ride is reasonably absorbent, although the 2538mm wheelbase, even if it’s not the shortest in this category (it’s longer than Polo and Fiesta and only fractionally less than the Mazda2) contributes to a certain amount of the choppiness that is pretty much unavoidable in a small, lightweight (1070kg) hatchback.

Considering what might normally be expected of a price-leader, there were few things to moan about. We were a bit disappointed about the fuel consumption, that fell well short of the official claim of 4.5L/100km with a reading over a week of driving in a variety of circumstances of 7.0L – and the air-conditioning’s struggle to cope with summer Melbourne weather once the temperature gauge topped 30 degrees.

But for a car that opens – pre on-road costs – for just $15,990 in six-speed manual-transmission form ($18,990 for the turbocharged six-speed auto tested here), there truly is an awful lot to like in a segment where the competition is out to grab every advantage it can.

2016 Peugeot 208 Access pricing and specifications:
Price: $18,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 81kW/205Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 104g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Ford Fiesta (from $15,825 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda Mazda2 (from $14,990 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Polo (from $16,990 plus ORCs)

Pictures are indicative only and do not show the car reviewed.

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Written byTim Britten
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
73/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
15/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
14/20
Behind The Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
13/20
Pros
  • Endearing three-cylinder turbo engine
  • Value for money
  • Practicality
Cons
  • Some missing items
  • Failure to match consumption claims
  • Cramped back seat
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