French automotive history is punctuated by merciless duels between Peugeot and Renault with varied outcomes. But there remained a territory on which the mark with the lion had not yet ventured, that of the polyvalent electric, leaving the free field to the Rhombus with the Zoé which thus carved the share… of the lion. This absence is however filled today with the e-208 which does not come to make figuration. Can the student exceed the teacher? This is what we wanted to determine by taking the wheel for the first time in the south of Portugal.
After six years of unrivaled reign over the category, the Renault Zoé finally sees the arrival of a first direct rival, the Peugeot e-208, and this one has its teeth … sorry, the fangs that line the floor.
The lion brand arrives a little late at the big electric party (by deliberately ignoring the iOn, a rebadged Mitsubishi i-Miev) and, if it therefore does not deserve the pioneer stripes, this allowed it not only to observe the different technical choices of the different market players with the necessary hindsight to determine which ones were sustainable, but also to arrive today on a more mature market.
Like the 208 thermal, the e-208 is based on the modular CMP platform designed from the start to accommodate different types of engines and only a few details, such as logos, black wheel arches on all finishes and not only in GT Line or the absence of an exhaust outlet, make it possible to distinguish it from its fuel dinosaur sisters. A choice assumed by Peugeot, which believes that customers of electric cars are no longer looking for vehicles that stand out aesthetically, on the contrary.
The observation is identical inside: we find the very original dashboard with the small steering wheel and the standard digital instrumentation which overcomes it, and even the gear lever is the same as that of the EAT8 automatic gearbox. The finish is of good quality, perfectly in line with the trend of the latest Peugeot models.
At the front, thanks to a seat seat that can be adjusted flush with the floor, there is a nice roof clearance which also benefits the two adults who can take a seat at the rear. For the trunk, the results are less positive with only 265 liters of cargo volume available.
The Peugeot e-208 is offered in four trim levels, from Active to GT (and is today the only one to benefit from the latter), and in particular receives standard panel recognition, hands-free starting, monozone automatic air conditioning and 7 inch touch screen.
Under the hood, there is a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 109 to 136 hp depending on the driving mode chosen and up to 260 Nm. It is powered by lithium ion batteries with a total capacity of 50 kWh for a little less than 46 kWh useful, the whole being guaranteed for 8 years or 160,000 km for 70% of its load capacity.
Peugeot also offers to issue a certificate in the event of resale, guaranteeing the condition. According to the WLTP standard, the range is 340 km, a reasonable figure for a multi-purpose vehicle, but the rival with the diamond announces 395.
A difference which comes mainly from the 52 kWh useful of the Zoé ZE50, the official average consumption being extremely close on paper, at 13.5 kWh / 100 km for the newcomer against 13.2 for the reference.
Peugeot insists a lot on the fact that efficiency was not the only line of the specifications for this e-208: performance and driving pleasure were also prominent. And on paper, the first of these last two criteria is already satisfied: in Sport mode, the 0 to 100 km / h is shipped in 8.1 s, 7 tenths less than a PureTech 130 EAT8 version despite the overload 290 kg weight caused by the batteries, and incidentally 1.4 s less than the Renault Zoé R135 ZE50.
The result of the exercise of the 1000 m DA is absolutely not ridiculous either despite the tendency of electrics to run out of steam at higher speeds, with 30.6 s recorded on the stopwatch against 29.8 s for its thermal counterpart. At the wheel, you can hardly believe that you are in control of a versatile all around 1,500 kg with only 136 hp available, the 260 Nm torque being in the first millimeter of the accelerator stroke allowing muscular pick-ups and the installation of batteries in the floor lowering the center of gravity.
In the sequences of turns, we certainly feel that this e-208 is a little less agile, significantly less light on its supports, but we still recognize an excellent chassis as the brand knows how to do, with its light and precise steering and its incisive front axle, all perfectly matching with an optimal driving position and the wraparound seats in the GT finish. An electric Peugeot therefore, but above all a Peugeot. the 260 Nm torque being in the first millimeter of the accelerator stroke allowing muscular pick-ups and the installation of the batteries in the floor lowering the center of gravity.
In the sequences of turns, we certainly feel that this e-208 is a little less agile, significantly less light on its supports, but we still recognize an excellent chassis as the brand knows how to do, with its light and precise steering and its incisive front axle, all perfectly matching with an optimal driving position and the wraparound seats in the GT finish.
An electric Peugeot therefore, but above all a Peugeot. the 260 Nm torque being in the first millimeter of the accelerator stroke allowing muscular pick-ups and the installation of the batteries in the floor lowering the center of gravity. In the sequences of turns, we certainly feel that this e-208 is a little less agile, significantly less light on its supports, but we still recognize an excellent chassis as the brand knows how to do, with its light and precise steering and its incisive front axle, all perfectly matching with an optimal driving position and the wraparound seats in the GT finish.
An electric Peugeot therefore, but above all a Peugeot. In the sequences of turns, we certainly feel that this e-208 is a little less agile, significantly less light on its supports, but we still recognize an excellent chassis as the brand knows how to do, with its light and precise steering and its incisive front axle, all perfectly matching with an optimal driving position and the wraparound seats in the GT finish.
An electric Peugeot therefore, but above all a Peugeot. In the sequences of turns, we certainly feel that this e-208 is a little less agile, significantly less light on its supports, but we still recognize an excellent chassis as the brand knows how to do, with its light and precise steering and its incisive front axle, all perfectly matching with an optimal driving position and the wraparound seats in the GT finish. An electric Peugeot therefore, but above all a Peugeot.
At a slower pace, the e-208 is also pleasantly comfortable. On bitumen roads with uneven quality in the south of Portugal, we would certainly prefer to have rims with an inch less in diameter, the lack of tire sidewall height in 205 / 45R17 of our test version causing some dry lifts in the passenger compartment, which turns out to be a cocoon with worked soundproofing.
In eco mode, you can then indulge in the joys of eco-driving, with, depending on the situations or the driver’s preferences, a choice of regeneration on two levels: D leaving an almost complete freewheel when you lift your foot from the accelerator for maximum efficiency, and B with the powerful engine brake, pleasant in urban conditions.
By playing the game without going overboard, consumption plummets rapidly and we have completed an 80 km test loop at 11.8 kWh / 100 km at temperatures between 16 and 22 degrees, at an average speed of 52 km / h and on a very slightly hilly road profile mixing city and national crossings, which gives a theoretical autonomy of 390 km. On a mixed course and under less mild French weather, 300 km seems to be an annual average achievable.
No area has been overlooked by Peugeot and recharging, the usual stumbling block for electrics, is of course part of it. In alternating current on plug in Type 2 format, the times announced are 16 hours at 3.7 kW and 7 hours and 30 minutes with the 7.4 kW single-phase delivered by the most common Wallboxes via a cable supplied as standard.
There is also an optional 11 kW three-phase charger charged at € 300 when others, such as the Renault Zoé, tolerate up to 22 kW. But this is the only weakness of the e-208 in this regard: if the lion brand ensures that 90% of recharges are done at home, for more distant trips, it has also fitted the e-208 d as standard. ” a CCS Combo socket allowing it to accept direct current. Even better, its batteries taking advantage of liquid cooling.
Marketed from January 2020, the Peugeot e-208 will be available at prices starting at € 32,100, an aggressive positioning since € 2,500 lower than the Renault Zoé R135 ZE50, its direct rival, which also claims an additional € 1,000. to have the fast charge capping at 50 kW.
However, the latter sells for 94% (!) With the rental of battery, which allows to deduct € 8,100 to its price by adding a minimum of € 74 per month, and the Opel Corsa-e , which will arrive soon. and which is based on the same technical platform as the Sochalian, starts at € 29,990 with, however, a less supplied standard equipment. Peugeot believes in any case that the e-208 should represent 10% of sales of the 208.
