Peugeot 208 review

This is one of the 208’s major plays for your attention. Peugeot calls its small-wheel, high-dials concept the ‘iCockpit’ and it’s been around for well over a decade. It certainly affords the 208 a unique interior, but because taller drivers will have to set the seat far away from the steering wheel – to avoid hitting their knees on it when it’s low enough to see the instrument cluster – it can feel less of a crowd-pleaser, and more of a design-led showroom draw. But if you’re under six foot in height, you may well be charmed.

Our advice is to definitely try before you buy – and when you’re test driving it, make sure everyone who’s going to share the driver’s seat is as happy with the set-up as you are.

Does it feel cheaply made and, well, French?

Behave – the days of a French car feeling like it would splinter into its component pieces under the duress of a hard stare are thankfully behind us. And Peugeot really led the charge for Citroen, Renault and even supposedly premium DS to follow, with its cabins rich in real metal switchgear and solid trim. Yes, the lower-down plastics feel tinnier, but they also deteriorate near the floor in an Audi A1. Or a Polo. Or a Mini. So no biggie.

Storage could be better, though. The under-armrest bin is narrow, so too are the door bins, and because Peugeot can’t be bothered to move the fuse box for right-hand drive, the glovebox is indeed only big enough for a pair of toddler’s mittens.

And what about space for me, as opposed to my stuff?

Don’t be fooled by the five-door-only shell. This isn’t a spacious supermini – rear legroom is very tight and the front seats are narrow, so won’t suit anyone of a bigger build. The boot’s voluminous enough for the class at 309 litres (rising to 1,163 with the rear seats folded), so it’ll swallow a couple of medium-size suitcases. Getting them in there is a challenge because of its high loading lip.

How’s the infotainment?

A bit laggy, still. And that’s a shame because you need to be on first-name terms with the interface to adjust the heating, airflow, media and settings. But at least there’s still a volume knob, and shortcut buttons for demisting the windows. Better than what you get in a Mercedes-Benz these days.